via derickwynn

(Source: actdog)

I’ll never get to a show on time. Instead, I’ll catch Siam Cat do the Black Lips bob for four songs. There’s two tambourines and people look afraid of the stage. The guy singing is only guesting, a shame, since he has a voice. They’re leaps past Indian Wars, but not as fun as Dead Ghosts. They are just another Black Lips band, but when they kick into double time and start feeding back, or when they’re ripping off 60’s pop, it’s genre-bending compared to the strict reverence that the formula usually gets.

Planet Creature’s minimalism is admirable, but there’s still too much happening for how little is going on, or maybe it’s the other way around? There’s none of the space or atmosphere you’d hope from the simplicity. It doesn’t achieve much pop-wise, but it also doesn’t have the creepy shapelessness of early Devo. While the music limps around, trying to figure out what post-genre it wants to be, the vocals go for some sort of inoffensiveness, wailing scared to be pop, but still leaning in that direction.

It’s indecipherable, you don’t even feel the beat, even though the drumming is fine. At the poppier edge it gets better, but they won’t let themselves go there. Watch Me Now is along the lines of the Fastbacks, or maybe the Primitives with Joy Division progressions thing that Vivian Girls already exploited. The playful indulgence and lack of ambition serve them a lot better than the rest of the set did.

How long does it take to set up? I know you’re forty, but you’ve got that irresponsible haircut and leather vest. The drums work and we still don’t think you’re cool dad. Red Mass isn’t a fashion band, but they do have age-inappropriate outfits… and an oscillator. Apparently you need a dozen pedals to play washed-up garage rock. I’m an asshole, I haven’t even heard these guys yet, and I’m enabling them with my $7 at the door and $5 at the bar.

Red Mass really does know how to rock. They’re better than I worried; a bunch of dad-agers who got together to jerk off. Watching people show off at one speed isn’t interesting, and then they get spacey, and its just embarrassing. it’s all redundant… capes over cow-skin over dress shirts, the oscillator and the synth, the drummer and the percussionist taking turns. In fact, that miscellaneous guy can go, I don’t care if he’s your old friend who just wants to be included, his impassioned yelling and beer gut crumpled over his silk-covered mic stand, it’s unbearable. I’m leaving.