El Perro del Mar Plays Tonight at The ExPlx
TV Alert: The Good, the Bad and the Queen on Letterman
Tonight's Pick: El Perro del Mar / Rosie Thomas @ the Ex_Plx ($17) – El Perro del Mar is Swedish singer, Sarah Assbring (those Swedes with their crazy names). Critics adore her new album. Inevitably they all say she’s influenced by Burt Bacharach and Phil Spector. To me her voice sounds like a combination of Julee Cruise and Kate Bush, however the All Music Guide says it’s a combination of Jane Birkin and Neil Young. I don’t get the Neil Young? I think we can all agree that it’s pretty, melancholy music. Rosie Thomas has a new record out today. It features a duet with Sufjan Stevens on R.E.M.’s “The One I Love.” There’s also a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird.”
Other Options:
Diplo / Bonde do Role @ Safari Sam’s ($18) – For the indie dance party crowd. Bonde do Role are Brazilians in the same realm as CSS. Diplo produced that first M.I.A. record.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly / Hearts of Palm U.K. @ the Echo ($10) Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is a new hyped British folk-tronica band. The British press compares lead singer, Sam Duckworth to Billy Bragg and gives him a lot of credit as a punk rock guy. To me it sounds more post-emo, like Dashboard Confessional.
Youth Group / In Waves / The Submarines @ Spaceland ($10) – Youth Group is considered Australia’s answer to Death Cab for Cutie.
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly / Hearts of Palm U.K. @ the Echo ($10) Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly is a new hyped British folk-tronica band. The British press compares lead singer, Sam Duckworth to Billy Bragg and gives him a lot of credit as a punk rock guy. To me it sounds more post-emo, like Dashboard Confessional.
Youth Group / In Waves / The Submarines @ Spaceland ($10) – Youth Group is considered Australia’s answer to Death Cab for Cutie.
5 comments:
Sarah Assbring brought it last night to the ExPlx. El Perro del Mar was joined onstage by backup musicians: a guitarist, guitarist / bassist and keyboardist, which really fleshed out the sound nicely. This was a welcome relief as I assumed before the show that it would be just her and pre-recorded arrangements. Her voice was as poignantly pleasing in person as it is on her record (and the sound/mix at the ExPlx was surprisingly good.) Overall, worth the $17 ticket.
The $8 Captain n' Coke? That's debatable...
It is astonishing to read this post. I'm so glad Stan liked the show, but I really felt like it was atrocious. The band could have fleshed out the songs, I suppose, but they were out of tune and mixed in a muddy way to boot. Is it possible I was standing in the wrong spot? It seems unlikely -- I was right next to the soundboard. She was a lifeless performer, her band was poor, and the songs that I love so much on the record sounded awful. I was embarrassed to have brought some friends. This was not a good show. Just offering another perspective.
I'm somewhere in-between the 2 posted opinions. Being familiar with the record I knew coming in that this was going to be a subdued evening (add to that the musical stylings of Rosie Thomas and you can't blame the audience for rearranging the benches and tables to the front of the stage so they could sit during the performance - which annoyed the hell out of me). Still, Sarah's voice was crisp during most of the set even though the mixing was muddled when the entire band was playing. I know asking a 4 piece band to try to somehow emulate some of that motown sound in El Perro del Mar is to tall of an order, but the live arrangements left a lot to be desired.
sounds like it might be another case of what an individiual's expectations were going into the show. i always try to keep my expectations low and it sounds like stan had low expectations. the latimes/buzzbands had a mini review as well.
i'm usually not really into Mexican music, but i'll give El Perro Del Mar a listen. I'm pretty open to all kinds of music. Does he have a website on the internet?
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