Over the last several years, Danish band Efterklang has been blending post-rock, folk, and pop in new and refreshing ways. Their first studio release, Tripper (2004), had prevalent female vocals and a static-ey Postal Service-esque feel to the instrumentation, which often toed the post-rock line. Efterklang’s 2007 release Parades leaned instrumentally toward the orchestral side of thingswithout completely abandoning their electronic roots. The tightly arranged music was seamlessly blended with downplayed and raw-sounding vocals, making for a beautiful, if not slightly jarring, combination.
Efterklang brings something new to the table yet again with their latest album, Magic Chairs (released Feb. 22nd on 4AD Records). Here the vocals take center stage, accompanied by more real live instruments than electronic ones. The album has a much stronger indie-folk-pop feel that the others, giving it more general appeal and palatability to potential listeners. Efterklang’s set looks very promising. This band of Scandinavian multi-instrumentalists is often ten strong on tour, and it should be fun to see how all of these songs come together live at The Triple Door, Seattle’s classiest venue.
Below is a video of Efterklang performing “Cutting Ice to Snow” (from Parades) with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra in 2008.
There is going to be a world class DJ at Neumos tonight. Mark Farina might not look like the coolest DJ on the block, but his reputation is solid. He has been rousing crowds and selling out clubs with his electronic goodness for a long time. Electronic music has taken many different forms in the past decade. It used to be when people would say electronic, the first thought to the listeners mind would be techno or perhaps house music. Nowadays when people say electronic the listener doesn’t know what their getting besides instrumentation in some form that isn’t organic such as a guitar or drum set. In this case, Mark Farina is bringing full on house music to Neumos, and he is guaranteed to be bringing the booze and scantily clad women. Show up at Neumos if you want that kind of party tonight. Here is a sample:
Are you one who dares to dream? As people go through life tying experiences to music, there are few times when one is able to do it in a grand fashion outside of their own making. Most of us don’t actually get to chronicle our lives, make movies, and choose said soundtracks but tonight is one of the nights when a few select people can have their life beautifully orchestrated in person, and whoever chooses to can join in from home. Keith Kenniff, aka Helios, is someone who creates music to accompany grand stories. In an ideally apropos setting, Kenniff will be play at a private home starting at 8pm sharp. You can stream it here for free. If you choose to stay in for this event, bring your stories for Helios to caress. This could be one of the best nights to stay at home. If you want more info on Helios and Kenniff before you decide to stay in on a Saturday night, check out SSGs previous content.
For more show ideas, visit our friends at ReignCity.com
If you are one who has a hankering for women who are as beautiful as they are talented, make your way over to The Sunset Tavern tonight. Kaylee Cole is visiting us from eastern Washington, and she is sure to take her audience’s hearts back with her to Spokane. Kaylee Cole lays her hand to the piano, and as her touch subdues the keys, her voice pulls the audience in close. It’s intimate, lusty, beautiful.
Kaylee Cole has a smokey tone reminiscent of Fiona Apple accented with a splash of Joanna Newsom. If you pop over to Kaylee Cole’s MySpace page for some pre-show tunes, check out “Ghost Song.” Slow, hollow piano notes create chilling ambiance. Cole’s stylistic vocals are as curious as they are alluring. Not only is Cole a brilliant piano player and singer, she is also a stunning lyricist. In “Ghost Song,” Kaylee Cole sings, “And I, wanna let you in tonight. I, I wanna let you in tonight. And if I lose you, when I lose you, I, I won’t lose you cause you’ll come along. And you’ll be the sounds of the ghost. You’ll be everything I’ve ever lost, but I loved you the most. And you’ll be the story that’s inside on my head. You’ll live on and on though we’re both dead.” Clever, thought provoking, and staggering; three aesthetics that could be Kaylee Cole in a nutshell. Come down to The Sunset Tavern and decide for yourself. Until then, please enjoy the videos below.
Band Members
Jimmy LaValle
Matt Resovich
Drew Andrews
Gram LeBron
Tim Reece
Andrew Pates
The Album Leaf graced Neumos on February 6, 2010, and it was no ordinary show. Not an official album release show, but with A Chorus of Storytellers coming out only four days prior, Seattleites were in the mode of celebrating the long awaited record from one of our own native labels’ artists. Not only did the audience get to celebrate A Chorus of Storytellers with The Album Leaf in their full glory, there was also the added bonus of the Anomie Belle String Quartet–and what a beautiful, organic gift.
Before the music started, the room was dark and thick with anticipation. The Album Leaf always accents their sets with a grand backdrop to deepen their cinematic effect. As the soft inclines of “Perro” began, the room expanded with the reflected flecks of moving light giving a subtle, ominous tone to the evening. The mix of programed sounds, keys, sound bites, textures, and the visual show had the audience acutely engaged. Continuing with “Blank Pages,” the room was gradually lifted with strings to relaxation and elegant euphoria. The Album Leaf’s presentation of ambient electronica was well received.
As the set progressed, a highlight was “Falling from the Sun.” This song was one of the riskier ones out of the mind of Jimmy LaValle. Being such an important figure in the realm of ambient electronic music, avid fans of The Album Leaf have firm opinions about lyrics and standard structures being introduced into the The Album Leaf’s vernacular. Jimmy LaValle and his merry men performed “Falling from the Sun” with earnest, open hearts, and the audience ate it up. It was a beautiful interchange.
After “Falling from the Sun” completed, LaValle addressed the audience saying, “Those were the first five songs off of A Chorus of Story Tellers that just came out on Monday.” The audience cheered. Accepting the adulation, LaValle said “And this song is … old.” with a giggle in his voice. With the first notes of “2214,” the audience went wild. More cheering ensued when the set continued with “Outer Banks” and “Shine.” “Shine” was another set highlight; the programed electronics were beautifully married with smashing cymbals from the snare drum set. Smash, smash, smash, the cymbals went, and the room filled with celestial sounds. Jimmy LaValle’s keys were bright, and the string quartet beamed.
The Album Leaf threw in a few more songs off of A Chorus of Story Tellers mixed in with some old goodies, and the energy of the room never wavered. The last time I saw The Album Leaf, it was disheartening to see so many people talking throughout the set. That was not the case on February 6, 2010. Looking around the room, I didn’t notice a single person who wasn’t enveloped in the set. It was a beautiful night from start to finish.
Please enjoy “There is Wind,” and an interview I did with Jimmy LaValle before the set.
Seattle Show Gal is in hot pursuit of undiscovered talent! How many great bands are out there that are slipping through the cracks? Seattle is saturated with so much music, it would be nearly impossible to sift through it all to find the good stuff. The Seattle Show Gal staff is not so proud to think that we can bring you all of it, but we are actively pursuing all different types of acts to give you a pulse on what is going on--right here in Seattle! (See more in "About")
