I'm completely pumped to finally see the multilingual circus show of We Are Wolves. They're playing in the 1 AM slot at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern on Wednesday night. By this time, I'm bound to be messy and in need of a cane. Many will point to Total Magique as the band's sophomore upswing, but I absolutely think 2009's Invisible Violence is extremely underrated. See our writer Justin's thoughts about the album in December of 2009 by clicking HERE. Few bands can maintain the infusion of so many different elements and still keep it centered around a certain sludge. Maybe it's the grimy familiarity of the vocal delivery, or the pounding riffs of songs like "Paloma," that hit me so hard. The track "Blue" is entirely indicative of the band's range. I have to love a band that can rip from vaudevillian grandiosity to hipster dance club in the blink of an eye. You'll see me at this one, folks, even if I'm being held up by some bouncer friends.
Snowblink will begin my NXNE Thursday evening when the talented duo hits The Music Gallery at 7. It's a funny thing. I found Snowblink on bandcamp a few months ago, then found some tracks over at a few select blogs. Within two weeks, the band had an entire media onslaught and everyone's heard of them. Things move fast around these parts, so if you're planning on catching Snowblink, get there early. I have a feeling this one is going to be heavily attended. The quartet turned duo delivers beautifully simple arrangements with plenty to chew on. Intelligent backing vocals, trebly folk arpeggios and the strikingly hushed crooning of Daniela Gesundheit create a reverie-inducing sound that's sure to start the evening off calmly. "The Tired Bees" is an in-and-out (2 minutes) almost lullaby-like melody. Should give you the idea.
