I've gone way too long in 2011 without seeing a show. Luckily I'll be getting my fix this week with two gigs I've been excited about for quite some time now. Tonight is Cloud Nothings at Mercury Lounge and this Saturday PopGun is presenting a stellar lineup at Glasslands that includes The Vaccines, Oberhofer, and Motive. One thing all these bands have in common: catchy tunes and cute boys. 2011 is looking up.
If you are sick of all this lo-fi fuzzy stuff, I totally understand. But you should still give Cloud Nothings a chance. Barely legal Dylan Baldi seems to have a bottomless pit of hooks at his disposal and a knack for capturing teenage angst that I really can't find any fault with. His first studio record is due out on Carpark later this month and it's one of my most anticipated albums of the year. The tunes that have been released so far promise a more polished sound than we have come to expect from Baldi's bedroom recordings, but they still retain all that scuzz I've come to love. "I Know (You're All Done With Me)" is the b-side to single "Should Have," released digitally yesterday.
The Vaccines are a buzzy British band that the blogs have pretty much universally agreed upon as the next big thing. Their vocals are a bit shouty in some places and echo-y in others and their guitar rock 'n' roll totally has a retro feel to it. It's hard to stand still while listening to any of their tracks...I've already embarrassed myself a few times on the L train. Can't wait to not be the only one dancing it out on Saturday night.
CMJ 2010 darling Brad Oberhofer is another insanely talented that can't even drink legally yet. He actually made me like a Neon Indian song. I think their cover of "Should Have Taken Acid With You" is worlds above the original. But "Away Frm U," Oberhofer's own song is even better. I don't think it's been our of my head since I first heard it.
My friend Tamara turned me on to Motive after she accidentally caught them while she was out seeing another band. They are the perfect support for bands like The Vaccines and Oberhofer. Guitars, hooks, danceable rhythms, desperate vocals...
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