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Post by houdini on Jul 3, 2009 13:34:46 GMT
looks like they dont work so Ill paste some in FYI
May 29, 2009
Howling Bells @ Music Hall of Williamsburg: Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oye! Oye! Oye!
Howling_bells10
With tonight's performance at the Music Hall, it's easy to see that Howling Bells are ready to be noticed by a wider audience. The irony is that they've been playing to their widest audience yet in America. It's just that not many are playing attention. When you're an opening act on a Coldplay arena tour, more than likely people haven't made their way to their seat.
Well, people of America, you are missing Australia's best undiscovered act and with my home girl Juanita Stein at the helm, one of the best voices in rock. The opening set for the Helio Sequence tonight was what I hoped it would be, a fine display of their dynamic new music off their second and most ambitious album, Radio Wars.
The setlist:
* Nightingale
* Blessed Night
* Into the Chaos
* Broken Bones
* Ms. Bell's Song
* Setting Sun
* Treasure Hunt
* Radio Wars Theme
* Wishing Well
* Cities Burning Down
The first bit of good news -- they finally scored that elusive U.S. record deal. Nettwerk will release Radio Wars on July 28th. The second bit, they'll return for a proper non-arena U.S. tour in October and November. That should give you plenty of time to soak in their splendor.
So what's the big deal? Here's the deal, their music will make you feel like a cooler person. They tap into that open desert feeling when bad ass people wear leather jackets and dusty jeans and walk along the highway looking for ride to the next one horse town. You can sense the sun beating down when you listen to their music. The new album was partly recorded in Los Angeles, where a relaxed coolness prevails, but also a seedy undertone which you can sense in the Howling Bells sound.
The new album has some of their best tracks including "Cities Burning Down" and "Into The Chaos". It's a good extension of the their self-title debut. The new work has more electronic elements, but it maintains a rock sense.
It's their live show where you can truly sense the mood that their portray in their songs. Since they've been playing arenas, they've added more grandeur to their set. Their guitarist will loop some effects to create a swirling sound. At the end when the leave the stage, they leave those effects on. It's damn freaky and if they were a headliner, I would scream for the pre-planned encore.
What makes the band unique is Juanita's voice. It can soar, but remain edgy. She reminds me of Hope Sandoval via PJ Harvey. On stage, she slinks around on stage to get in the groove with her bass player. For a new song called "Wishing Well", she grabbed some sticks to thrash away on a bass drum. I have a feeling when I see them again by year's end, she'll be a force to be reckoned with.
So now they go off and reconnect with Chris Martin and those other Coldplay guys that nobody seems to remember their names. I don't blame these bands for hooking up with mainstream artists. The Tings will tour with Pink, Peter Bjorn & John are with Depeche Mode, Eli "Paperboy" Reed goes with Dave Matthews Band, the Duke Spirit are with Incubus, etc. It's a good deal -- they get their gear carted around, a sound guy to set-up, free meals, a lot of downtime and some big bucks.
another from
Australian based, female led, The Howling Bells were instrumentally and vocally sound. They were a tight nit group and played a witty banter of musical integrity off each other at every moment. With a Lily Allen vocal styling over a Pixie’esque true 90s alt rock sound, they made for an interesting opener. Even though my line of site was poor, I could clearly see the lead singer carrying herself around the stage in what looked like a heroin induced sway. Although I am sure it was just her style of rhythm release, it drew me in from the first moment. Lyrically and vocally she was as sound as they come, her subtle touches of personal anguish and beautiful expression of happy moments past, were clear, and felt whole hearted and true. With an onslaught of female leads permeating the market, Juanita Stein songbirds a style that is able to touch your soul and yet at the same time it keeps that true music edge. It definitely helps your mind get lost in the music. Her sound is not over the top nor is it purely in support of the music, it is its own energy and wraps the whole things up in a nice neat bow. The band not only played an amazing set, they did so with the basic elements as the warm up band, playing with little to no lighting or supporting effects. After their 45 minute set I sat in awe and reveled in this new discovery.
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Post by lowhappynun on Jul 3, 2009 14:05:25 GMT
that second review reads like it's been badly translated from japanese or something. though even that wouldn't explain lily allen
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Post by blade on Jul 3, 2009 15:41:56 GMT
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