The 22-20s Played The Rickshaw Stop: Pictures, Review

Last Thursday night we stopped in at Rickshaw Stop for another visit with The 22-20s, and we weren't disappointed. Much like the last time we caught up with them, the British band delivered an exquisite set of no bullshit rock and roll, and left the crowd thoroughly satisfied.

The set consisted of a mix of older and newer material, and the band seemed more comfortable with their newer stuff, perhaps due to the album having seen wide release since the last show. The band's on stage persona was completely enjoyable, and their onstage interplay, both instrumental and vocal, was a real treat.

The 22-20s manage the rare feat of sounding like 100 bands at once, but at the same time holding on soundly to their own sound. Their garage-y, melodic, guitar driven sound manages to land somewhere squarely between 60's and 90's Britain, somehow yielding the former's authenticity and the latter's modern appeal.

After a long absence, the band is unquestionably on the road back to success. Their new record is fantastic, their live show is magnetic, and they offer up an emotional take on rock music that's a true rarity these days. Currently in the midst of a US tour, we're going to advise you now: don't miss these guys.

The 22-20's play The Bowery Ballroom on September 7th

Photos By Rick Audet

Many more photos at the HAD Archive

2 AM Club Played Rickshaw Stop - Pictures, Review

It should be remembered (seriously, people) that the sordid history of rock and roll was built on the backs of sixteen year old girls. Whether they be screaming for Elvis, fainting for The Beatles, or giving hummers to The Stones (okay, hopefully those girls weren't sixteen), the praises of the young ladies have always gone hand in hand with great rock and roll. So it was that we stumbled into the Rickshaw Stop on Monday night to see just what was happening with 2 AM Club.

Describing the band is a bit of an enigma, as they seem to fall somewhere squarely in the middle of everything. They're not sacharine enough to be a New Kids or Backstreet knockoff, but they also aren't edgy enough to come across as a genuine rock band. Instead, they rest comfortably in the realm of a band who are adept at their instruments and give a solid, if a bit contrived, performance.

Regardless of where you want to place them in the genre spectrum, you can definitely be sure of one thing: these guys can sell some fucking tickets. The room at Rickshaw was packed to the gills, most notably with that ever-important demographic: the sixteen year old girl. There, pushing to the front, screaming, raving, and loving the tunes.

And really, that's what it comes down to: We're not sure exactly how we feel about 2 AM Club: Will they be the next Maroon 5? It seems possible. The vibe in the room was that of a band that was about to explode. Granted, it was a band with choreographed dance moves, but if you think Jagger doesn't choreograph his shit, then you're just naive. What we do know is this: they got a room of people jumping out of their skins about what they were hearing, and that's something we can support with reckless abandon.

Photos by Rick Audet

Many more photos at the HAD Archive

Frightened Rabbit Is At Rickshaw Stop Tonight

Frightened Rabbit at Bottom Of The Hill in 2008, from the HAD Archive

Yes, we know it's late notice - we're truly sorry. That being said, be glad we got it together to let you know, because this is some fancy-awesome news: Frightened Rabbit will be playing an acoustic show at Rickshaw Stop tonight, and frankly, you should really, really, be there.

Why, you ask? Well, for one, this is about 100 million times more intimate than the show the band will be playing at The Fillmore the next night (which you should also really attend), but more importantly, the energy these guys put out live will just about kill you in a room that small. That, and they totally own the acoustic set.

So, really, what more could you ask for? Be there.

mp3: Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land

The 22-20's Played Rickshaw Stop - Pictures, Review

On Monday night, we stopped in at San Francisco's Rickshaw Stop to check out the recently reunited 22-20's. We had gotten wind of the band's reunification, and subsequent US tour, in the past few weeks. After digging a couple of tunes from their forthcoming full length, we decided it would be worthwhile to head out and check out the band. We were definitely right.

Despite being one of two opening acts, it was pretty clear that a lot of the crowd was there to see the 22-20's. The venue filled up early on, and the band's set finished (sadly, without an encore) at 11 PM. After a lengthy hiatus, it made sense to see the devotees come out in droves, and they definitely got what they came for.

The band delivered a killer set comprised of tunes both from their 2004 debut and their forthcoming full length Shake Shiver and Moan, which drops in May. The new tunes held up extremely well, and integrated easily with the rest of the set. What's more, the band had a free live EP (which you can also grab at their website) up for grabs after their set.

Frankly, we have no idea why these guys decided to take a break a few years back, but we were psyched to see them back on stage. If you still love rock and roll (and we know you do), then you should really get on this shit. Stat.

Photos by Brian Fong

Many more photos at the HAD Archive

The Dodos Played Rickshaw Stop - Pictures, Review

On Wednesday night, things kicked off for this weekend's Outside Lands goodness with a show at The Rickshaw Stop from hometown heroes The Dodos. Despite their critical acclaim and live awesomeness, we here at HAD had never managed to catch the band's show. Admittedly, we're relatively late-to-the-game converts, but we've been hooked on the band's new record Time To Die ever since it leaked a while back, so we figured this show at The Rickshaw would be the perfect chance to play catchup.

We couldn't have been more correct: the band delivered an awesome, charismatic set that was all at once noisy, melodic, and expertly captured their unique sound. Doing so meant more than a few technical curiosities on stage: Singer Meric Long used some fancy pitch shifted vocal pedals for backups, drummer Logan Kroeber (as is apparently typical) decided to forgo a bass drum in favor of a tambourine taped to his shoe, and the band's newest member Keaton Snyder provided an epic vibraphone component of the set.

However, even more than the band's technical wizardry, we were taken with the sheer joy and and excitement that reciprocated between the crowd and the band. The enthusiasm and energy was exactly what a live rock show should be all about, and it was a great way to kick off a huge weekend of music. Or, in the words of one HAD staff member: "I'm pretty sure everyone in the audience, male and female, was charmed to death". Indeed.

More pictures in the HAD Archive
All photos by Sarah Klinger.

Yacht Played Rickshaw Stop - Pictures, Review

YACHT is one of the many projects of musician and multimedia artist Jona Bechtolt. Bechtolt works with a blend of electronics, percussion, and sounds to create a variety of immersive live environments. Bechtolt dropped out of high school to play drums for a punk band, and in the latter half of the 90s he started working with electronics. The culmination of that work is what has become the team of Bechtolt and Claire Evans - YACHT.

On Friday night, HAD stopped in at The Rickshaw Stop to catch the band playing an incredibly fun show. They're on a short tour promoting their new album, See Mystery Light. They played some of their earlier tracks as well - "See A Penny (Pick It Up)" for one. But it was unquestionably "Psychic City" and "Summer Song" that dancified the venue.

In addition to their musical side, YACHT have a scientology-ish schtick going on. We personally
found it amusing. Their show was very interactive at one point they projected their home address/map on the screen (just in case we were in Portland, we could drop in). That being said, careful what you wish for, kids - no one likes a stalkish fan.

All in all, we had a blast on Friday night, and from the looks of things, so did the crowd. We highly recommend checking out their show, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for the band in the future.

Check out more pictures at the HAD Archive.

Contest: Tickets For Yacht At The Rickshaw Stop

Portland techno-psych-bizarro rockers Yacht are riding high on the wave of a new record, a glowing Pitchfork review, and the launch of a new single entitled "Psychic City". You can check out the video for the tune above, or grab the mp3 below.

However, that's not all - the band are also doing a handful of shows in support of the record's release. While the New York shows have come and gone, we're happy to say that San Franciscans still have a chance to check out the band at the Rickshaw Stop this Friday.

Not only that, but the fine folks at Another Planet Entertainment have kindly hooked HAD up with two pairs of tickets to the show, which we'll be giving away....starting now! All you need to do is email contests@hippiesaredead.com by midnight on Thursday with your favorite Yacht song. We'll pick winners that night, and two lucky winners will be snagging a pair of tickets to the show. It's just that easy!

mp3: Yacht - Psychic City (Voodoo City)

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Played Rickshaw - Review, Pics

If you happened to scour craigslist for tickets to the The Pains of Being Pure at Heart show last Tuesday, well, you definitely were not alone. After a delicious dinner at the incredibly solid Flour and Water, we headed over to the Rickshaw Stop for the sold-out show.

Because we adored the album so much, we were a little curious as to how they would perform in a live set - alas, we were not at all disappointed. The New York band performed most (if not all) songs from their debut full-length album, showcasing their harmonious indie-pop sound much to the delight of the excited crowd.

The crowd was not alone in their excitement, and the band seemed happy to be on stage. With Peggy Wang beaming down at the crowd between songs and Kip Berman chatting up the audience with a smile, there was little doubt that a good time was had by all.


Check out more pics at the HAD Archive

Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Winner Announced

We're pretty amped up for tomorrow night's show with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, and we couldn't be more happy to be hooking a fan up with a pair of tickets to the sold out show. Thanks to Another Planet Entertainment, Josh Miller will be checking out the show with a pal of his choice! Congrats to Josh, and to the rest who entered, we hope you find your destiny on craigslist. See you at the show!

mp3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Tenure Itch

Contest: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart Rickshaw Ticket Giveaway

We already gave mention to The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart's tour, and upcoming show at Rickshaw next week. Well in the months since, the band's hype has done nothing but build, and (accordingly) the Rickshaw show is sold out. You snooze, you lose, right?

WRONG!

Thanks to the kindness of our friends over at Another Planet Entertainment, HAD has a pair of tickets to give away for next Tuesday's show. All you need to do to qualify to win is the following: send an email to contests@hippiesaredead.com telling us your favorite track on the band's full-length, and why. One entry per person, please.

The contest will close this Sunday (July 19th) at midnight, and we'll let you know what happened Monday morning. Good luck!

mp3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Tenure Itch

Sunset Rubdown and Witchies Played Rickshaw Stop - Review, Pictures

Last night at Rickshaw Stop, we caught two sets from a pair of Montreal bands: Sunset Rubdown and Witchies. To be frank, we went in pretty much stone cold; we'd heard such good things about Sunset Rubdown, that we figured taking a chance on them in such a small venue would be a safe bet. As it turns out, it was more than that: not only did Sunset Rubdown deliver a dead solid performance for their fans, but openers Witchies were also one of the most charming and engaging openers we've seen in a long time.

Witchies are a three piece from Montreal, and from their first tune they were quick to win over the crowd. Their sound is a jangly brand of synth pop, with accessible melodies, and sometimes sprawling arrangements. The set was well balanced, with a variety of songwriting. The tunes ranged from the poppy and accessible, to a more subtle experimental number which closed the set. The performance was underscored by a comfortable vibe, and smiles on the band's face that reinforced the fact that they were enjoying themselves.

Most of the audience was as surprised as we were with their set, and equally impressed. There were compliments shouted between almost every song, and even as the band finished their set, the applause was heavy and genuine. The band seemed somewhat bewildered by the reception, and given that it was their first real tour, that makes some sense. That being said, with such a solid sound and great songs, we would give them one piece of advice: get used to it.

Witchies were followed by Sunset Rubdown, who quickly loaded a pretty diverse array of instruments onto stage to facilitate their highly variable sound. The band proceeded to play a lengthy set for a crowd that was clearly made up of diehard fans. Almost every song was met with huge cheers, and even the new material had the audience singing along word for word.

Like we mentioned, we had gone into this show stone cold, so we were taking in Sunset Rubdown's sound for the first time. There's no question that the band is well practiced, technically solid, and pushing boundaries with their instrumentation. Not only that, but both Spencer Krug and Camilla Ingr held up their multi-instrumentalist roles to perfection, allowing the band's sound to be far more varied than it would be if band members had been instrumentally pigeon-holed.

Even with a great performance and an enthusiatic crowd, the show just didn't quite win us over. Like we said, performance-wise everything went perfectly; the reality is that it was far more of a matter of personal preference. Between Krug's epic, almost operatic voice, and lyrics that centered around dreamy fantasy imagery, we just couldn't find a niche of the material that we could relate to and really let it take hold. All things being equal, we'd still recommend checking out the band if they're in your town. There's no question that they've got a vital, unique sound, and from our perspective that's more than enough.

The band's tour continues in North America through July.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

Sunset Rubdown Summer 2009 Dates
06/26 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Loungew/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
06/27 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey w/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
06/28 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclubw/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
06/30 Vancouver, BC - Richard's On Richardsw/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/02 Calgary, AB - The Marquee Roomw/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/03 Edmonton, AB - The Pawn Shopw/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/04 Saskatoon, SK - Louis' Pub
07/05 Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Centerw/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/06 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/07 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium w/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/08 Bloomington, IN - Jake's Nightclub w/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/10 Toronto, ONT - Lee's Palacew/ Elfin Saddle and Witchies
07/11 Montreal, QC - Il Motore w/ Elfin Saddle
09/10 Glasgow, UK - Stereo
09/11 Belfast, UK - Spring and Airbrake
09/12 Dublin, Ireland - Crawdaddy
09/13 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
09/14 Manchester, UK - The Deaf Institute
09/15 London, UK - Garage
09/16 Cardiff, UK - The Glode

Clues Mount Summer Tour, Returning To Rickshaw Stop In June

Picture from the HAD Archive

As we've mentioned before, Clues is on tap to release their self titled first record May 19th on Constellation Records. As such, it seems that they've planned an early summer tour, covering both coasts and most of the South. For us San Franciscans, that means a stop at the Rickshaw Stop on June 4th.

Frankly, we couldn't be more psyched. The band's show at Noise Pop was killer, and we're totally pumped that they decided to return to such an an intimate venue. What's more, the band will be supported by local faves Geographer and Birds And Batteries.

As we ramp up to the album release, we're getting more and more amped to hear the new material. This one's definitely not to miss!

mp3: Clues - Remember Severed Head

Clues Summer 2009 Dates
16 May Montreal, QC Ukranian Federation
21 May Toronto, ON Sneaky Dees
22 May Chicago, IL Schubas
23 May Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club
25 May Winnipeg, MB Pyramid Cabaret
26 May Saskatoon, SK Amigos
27 May Calgary, AB Marquee
28 May Edmonton, AB Brixx
30 May Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret
31 May Victoria, BC Lucky Bar
1 Jun Seattle, WA Neumos
2 Jun Portland, OR Backspace
4 Jun San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
5 Jun Los Angeles, CA Echo
6 Jun Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar
9 Jun Dallas, TX The Loft
10 Jun Austin, TX Stubb's BBQ
11 Jun New Orleans, LA One-Eyed Jacks
12 Jun Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn
15 Jun Washington, DC Rock N Roll Hotel
16 Jun Philadelphia, PA The Barbary
17 Jun New York, NY Santos Partyhouse

Army Navy Release Video For "Saints", Returning To Rickshaw In May

The last time we caught Army Navy was at The Rickshaw Stop was in November, and we definitely enjoyed ourselves. The band managed to break out of the manicured shell of their record, and deliver a live show that went above and beyond. As such, we were glad to hear that the band is back in the swing of things, with a video for their tune "Saints" (above), and a return to the Rickshaw Stop on May 13th. If you can make it out, we definitely recommend giving it a look.

mp3: Army Navy - Saints

The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart: Tour, Rickshaw In July

The Pains Of Pure Of Heart have been slowly building hype over the past few months for their own brand of shoegazey, blissed out, fuzz rock. To be honest, we sorta rolled our eyes the first couple of times we heard them, probably just because they display their influences so plainly. If you listen to this record and don't hear just how many bands it references, then sorry to say, you're pretty out of touch.

That being said, the more we listened to the band, the more it grew on us. While it is pretty plainly derivative, it does so in a way that's reverent and tasteful. What's more, the tunes are catchy and enjoyable, so who are we to look down our noses? Given that we're still waiting on a new My Bloody Valentine record, we need to get our dose of shoegazey pop somewhere.

So, if you find yourself digging the record like we are, then you're in luck. After an east coast run at the end of April and a quick jaunt to Europe, the band will be playing a string of west coast dates in July. This includes a stop at the Rickshaw Stop on July 21st. The band was in San Francisco during Noise Pop, but not as part of the festival. They opened for Deerhunter's free myspace gig, and by all accounts really nailed it. So if you missed out on that one, well, here's your chance.

UPDATE: Just found out Girls will be opening! Best!

mp3: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Tenure Itch

The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart Spring/Summer 2009 North American Dates
Apr 24 American Legion (All Ages) Wallingford, Connecticut
Apr 25 Risley Hall - Cornell University (All Ages) Ithaca, New York
Apr 26 Iron Horse Hall w/ Ponytail - (All Ages) Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 27 The Bug Jar (All Ages) Rochester, New York
Apr 28 Lee’s Palace - w/ Zaza Toronto, Ontario
Apr 29 The Pike Room at Crofoot - w/ Zaza (All Ages) Pontiac, Michigan
Apr 30 Beachland Tavern - w/ Zaza (All Ages) Cleveland, Ohio
May 1 The Summit - w/ Zaza Columbus, Ohio
May 2 The End - w/ Zaza Nashville, Tennessee
May 3 The Earl - w/ Zaza Atlanta, Georgia
May 4 Local 506 - w/ Zaza Chapel Hill, North Carolina
May 5 Talking Head Club - w/ Zaza (All Ages) Baltimore, Maryland
May 6 The Barbary - w/ Zaza - (All Ages) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 7 Champion Ship Lemoyne, Pennsylvania
May 12 Bowery Ballroom - w/ Zaza New York, New York
Jun 18 Cake Shop - w/ Crystal Stilts New York, New York
Jul 18 2Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago, Illinois
Jul 20 The Echo (All Ages) Los Angeles, California
Jul 21 Rickshaw Stop (All Ages) San Francisco, California
Jul 23 Backspace (All Ages) Portland, Oregon
Jul 24 Biltmore Cabaret (19+) Vancouver, British Columbia

John Vanderslice: New Record, Tour With The Mountain Goats, Rickshaw Stop In May

If you happened to miss (like we, sadly, did) John Vanderslice's recent show at the Great American, you may still be able to get yourself a taste of the man's music in this calendar year. In short, it looks like it's going to be a busy spring for Mr.Vanderslice. The San Francisco native has a new record, Romanian Names, and a spring tour with the Mountain Goats. After the tour wraps up, Vanderslice will be returning home to San Francisco for a record release party for the new album at the Rickshaw Stop. The show will also apparently feature a "special guest" - any ideas? Tickets are on sale now

In the meantime, you can check out the video above for a new tune that was played at Great American, "Too Much Time", live with the Magick*Magick Orchestra. Once you're done with that, click below to see Romanian Names' title track played live at KEXP (we love the chorus on this one!).

Video: John Vanderslice - Romanian Names (Live On KEXP)

John Vanderslice Spring 2009 Dates:
Mar 18, 2009 - Ashville, NC The Grey Eagle *
Mar 19, 2009 - Durham, NC Duke Coffee House *
Mar 20, 2009 - Norfolk, VA Attucks Theater *
Mar 21, 2009 - Washington, DC Sixth and I Synagogue *
Mar 24, 2009 - Northampton, MA Pearl Street *
Mar 25, 2009 - Somerville, MA Somerville Theater *
Mar 26, 2009 - Hamilton, NY Donovan's Pub - Colgate University *
Mar 27, 2009 - New York, NY Society For Ethical Culture *
Mar 29, 2009 - Gambier, OH Kenyon College *
Mar 30, 2009 - Oberlin, OH Oberlin College *
Apr 1, 2009 - Chicago, IL Epiphany *
Apr 2, 2009 - Champaign, ILCourtyard Cafe - University of IL *
Apr 3, 2009 - Iowa City, LA The Mill *
Apr 4, 2009 - Richmond, IN Earlham College *
Apr 6, 2009 - Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater *
May 19, 2009 - San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
May 21, 2009 - Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
May 22, 2009 - Seattle, WA Easy Street Records
May 24, 2009 - Quincy, WA Sasquatch Festival
May 27, 2009 - Provo, UT Velour
May 28, 2009 - Salt Lake City , UT Kilby Court
May 30, 2009 - Omaha, NE Slow Down

* with Mountain Goats

Religious Girls, Maus Haus, French Miami Played The Rickshaw - Review, Pictures

Last night at the Rickshaw Stop we saw one of the best complete bills of local music that we think will come around for quite some time. Three bands were on the bill: Religious Girls, Maus Haus, and French Miami. What was truly unusual about the night was that three bands with seemingly similar instrumentation (synth and percussion heavy, as it were) could sound so remarkably different. What's more, all three were incredibly solid in delivery and performance. The house was full straight through the night, and any of the bands could have been a headliner in the their own right. Combined into one show, it was not to be missed.

Religious Girls started off the night in an unusual circular configuration in the middle of the Rickshaw's floor. Lit only by a string of Christmas lights and some red house lights, the band proceeded to play a set of abstract, percussive tunes. If we had to pick a musical watermark to compare it to, we'd immediately pick Liars' Drums Not Dead. Many of the same syncronized percussive techniques were used, and many of the droney, unison, distorted vocals were in effect as well. That being said, the band definitely defined their own sound enough to not come off as overly derivative. Their delivery was also fantastic, and by the end of the set they had easily roped in the crowd with their energy and beats.

Following the cleanup of the instruments on the floor, Maus Haus made their way to the stage and dove into a set of highly orchestrated synth-driven music. The band's method was precise and technical, and while it was certainly compelling and well delivered, we have to admit it left us feeling a bit cold. The set was so perfect that it seldom felt as though it had a "moment" or a "feel" that evoked any sort of passion.

That being said, the band did deliver a number of sonic goodies that we really enjoyed. They have a wildly diverse instrumental foundation, ranging from synths, to trumpet, to drum pads, to flute, to baritone sax, to bass and electric guitar. The instruments themselves are also put through the paces, in particular hearing the wind instruments through a variety of pedals and effects was pretty fantastic. The band were unquestionably a hit with the audience, and while we enjoyed their set, we would have also dug seeing them get a little bit more dangerous with the tunage.

French Miami closed out the night with a comparitively sparse stage arrangement for their rock and roll three piece. The band was unquestionably the most rock and roll of the three, and hit the ground running. With two synths, two guitars, and a drum kit, the band delivered material from their fantastic record, as well as a few new tunes to boot.

One of the great things about seeing a band live is getting to see just how they get the noises you hear on the record. In French Miami's case, this was particularly enlightening for us. Many of the riffs and blips we had assumed to be originating from keyboards were in fact the guitar work of Roland Curtis. Curtis used a fair amount of tapping, along with some not-visible effects to create some really fantastic sounds.

French Miami delivered a set that was unquestionably rocking, and technically was in top form. They got some of the audience going to the point of semi-moshing and crowd surfing (a stretch, we have to admit), and the show validated many of the album arrangements that we thought might have questionable viability in a live setting. That being said, some of the arrangements were a little too close to the record, and in hind sight we think the band could have benefitted from straying from the source material a bit more.

Nonetheless, it was a fantastic set that ended a fantastic night. We'd love to pick one of these bands to be the "band to watch" or some such thing, but the fact of the matter is that we're pretty sure they all deserve that moniker. This show was unquestionably a night of some of the best experimental rock emerging from San Francisco today.

More pictures at the HAD Archive.

Local Music: French Miami and Maus Haus Are At Rickshaw Stop On Wednesday

Maybe you caught Maus Haus at their Noise Pop happy hour appearance, maybe you didn't. That doesn't change anything about the band's awesome sound, or the fact that they will joined by another awesome local band, French Miami, at the Rickshaw Stop tomorrow night.

Despite the fact that we have yet to see either band live, we can assure you that we've enjoying both of their records for quite a while. The chance to see both bands on one bill is pretty fantastic, and we would definitely recommend that you pass it up. What's more, third on the band is Religious Girls. We've never heard any of their stuff before, but a quick myspace listen has got us curious to say the least.

Come on kids, you've had two nights to rest. It is once again time to rock.

mp3: French Miami - All On Fire (YouSendIt, click through)
mp3: Maus Haus - We Used Technology

Noise Pop 2009: Clues Played The Rickshaw Stop - Pictures, Review

The show from Clues last night at The Rickshaw Stop was simultaneously one of the most anticipated, and mysterious, of this year's Noise Pop festival. The Montreal band are the only project of Alden Penner since he departed the notorious Unicorns. Since the band made their debut last fall, there has been little-to-no news about their record, aside from one or two mp3s and feedback from fans who were at the shows. Well, HAD managed to catch the set at the Rickshaw last night, and suffice it to say that Clues are very much ready to deliver some amazing music.

Given that there was no prior exposure to most of the music played last night, it was a unique task for the band to deliver their set and at the same time drum up crowd enthusiasm. Remarkably, they did so with apparently very little effort: many of the songs were upbeat, danceable, and immediately accessible. What's more, the enthusiastic crowd was more than happy to embrace the set with open, dancing arms. That being said, the biggest reaction was undoubtedly for the lone mp3 released thus far, "Perfect Fit". We're guessing that once all the material gets out there, these shows will be nuts.

As for the band's sound, it was unquestionably louder, heavier, and synthier than the mp3 for "Perfect Fit". The band was constantly rotating instrumental duties, and it seemed that everyone on stage touched every instrument at some point during the set. That being said, it was very clearly Penner's show, with him singing lead on all but one of the songs, and having a significant swath of space from which to define his stage presence.

Many of the songs also wore Penner's influence on their sleeve, and we'd be lying if we didn't say that Clues seems to be a far more obvious legacy to The Unicorns than the other offshoot project Islands. Penner's vocals are so distinctive, his compositions so eclectic, and his stage presence so explosive yet edgy, that he can define a band just by being present on stage. What's more, it's clear that he was driving the arrangements, particularly in the encore with some of the less practiced material.

Obviously it's difficult to ultimately describe how a whole show's worth of material sounds live. That being said, the set by Clues last night was unquestionably fantastic. To be able to play a set of completely new material and suck in a sold out crowd is no small feat. What's more, Penner's legacy with The Unicorns is heavily lauded and scrutinized - delivering new material is always a questionable task that requires a gentle delivery.

Suffice it to say that Clues performed that delivery expertly: they've defined a sound that, while relying heavily on Penner's influence, is most certainly its own. Unicorns fans will definitely not be disappointed. More than that, we're guessing that they'll be more than pleasantly surprised that Penner and Co. have passed The Unicorns legacy to create something new, but equally great.

Many more photos at the HAD Archive.

Noise Pop 2009: Loch Lomond Played The Rickshaw Stop - Pictures, Review

After catching Loch Lomond's Noise Pop set at the Diesel happy hour on Friday, we were so intrigued that we decided to come back for more. The six piece band played at the Rickshaw Stop on Friday night, and delivered a set that was a greeted with a strong dose of crowd enthusiasm.

Surprisingly, while the set was more musically intricate than the set at Diesel, it was also noticeably more subdued. In particular, lead singer Ritchie Young took on a vocal timbre was that significantly less aggressive, and quite a bit more twee. Ultimately, it didn't hurt the music, but it did serve to give it more of the folky feel that we're familiar with from the band's records.

Still, the band seemed instrumentally far more confident in a real venue, and it probably didn't hurt to have a real stage with this many people to make space for. Many of the instrumental parts (clarinets, xylophone, viola), sounded fuller and more confident, as did the multi-part vocals. Overall it contributed to create a set that, while more mellow, was significantly more authoritative in its bent.

Given the two personas of Loch Lomond that we've seen at Noise Pop, we're curious to see where they go from here. The band will apparently be back in April, so that may give us a good clue as to what comes next. That being said, we have to admit that we were liking the slightly more edgy vibe from the Diesel show. Either way, Loch Lomond very clearly delivering on a well defined sound, and unquestionably giving us a reason to listen. See you in April kids!

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive.