Slew of indie bands to kick off Gargoyle season
Dan DaranciangYou can’t accuse the good people at the Gargoyle of slacking in their duties. Next Tuesday, Mallinckrodt’s very own CBGB will host four of the independent scene’s most promising young acts. Minus the Bear, These Arms Are Snakes, Thunderbirds Are Now! and the City on Film represent a number of different styles, records labels and subject/predicate constructions, but all can be counted on to rock.
Two of the groups involved share a common connection in their musical odysseys. Both These Arms Are Snakes and Minus the Bear emerged from the ashes of two other Seattle groups, Botch and Kill Sadie. (Others went on to form Pretty Girls Make Graves, who open for Franz Ferdinand later this month.) Out of this frothy sonic stew came some of the hardest, most complex rock ‘n’ roll around, owing much to hardcore pioneers like Fugazi and newcomers the Blood Brothers. But if These Arms Are Snakes represent the serious, stoic end of the musical spectrum, Minus the Bear are the merry pranksters, spazzing out with song titles like “I’m Totally not Down with Rob’s Alien” and “Hey? Is That a Ninja Up There?” Their sound is similarly brain-addled, with enough change-ups and melodic surprises to keep audiences guessing. These Arms Are Snakes prefer to continue in the tradition of At The Drive-In by keeping things impassioned and earnest. Their riffs will rock the socks off the most jaded hipster.
Speaking of ATDI, Thunderbirds Are Now! know a thing or two about high-pitched vocals. In fact, they’re happy to give credit to Drive-In survivors the Mars Volta, who they say inspired their current sound. Fans of Les Savy Fav and Brainiac should also take note and expect the same brand of tight, synthesizer-laden rock. Finally, City on Film will supply the emo element to the evening’s equation, with Hey Mercedes vocalist Bob Nanna going solo to deliver some introspective acoustic ruminations. Consider it a fine cleansing of the palate before assaulting your senses with more slabs of bloody-rare rock. Shows are rarely this solid from top to bottom, but the Gargoyle is beginning the year batting 1.000.
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