A cohesive theme can be a determining factor of whether a live show is actually a show or just a bunch of performances by different artists thrown together by time and space. So, at first blush, the lineup at Webster Hall on the 10th seems like a mishmash put together by a clueless intern. Funky pop (Turkuaz) with hip-hop (Deathrow Tull - pictured) commencing with folk-pop (Futurist)? That would probably leave those unversed in the actual sounds and energies of each band scratching their heads. But, if we're assigning physical movements, let's give whoever put this show together a pat on the back instead, because all three artists work at the fringe of their generic bounds. Turkuaz's funk and gospel backing vocals leak over inspirations that pull from the past 5 decades. Deathrow Tull offers spitfire rhymes from a three-headed Cerberus of emcees with a backing band tight enough to do battle with the beast, and Futurist harkens to the past with the sounds of strings and colonial drumbeats, but the underlying darkness meshed with sunny demeanor proves they offer enough light to burn. But what really pulls these bands together is that they'll make you move. Some shows you go to to be seen, this one you should go to to sweat. If you have no plans this Friday or even if you do, check it out. Webster Hall. $10. 7pm doors. P.S. All these bands were featured in the past two editions of The Deli's Best of NYC Poll for Emerging Artists - allison levin
We've always been big fans of Luke Temple, and it's good to see that, together with the Here We Go Magic crew, the man is keeping at it with increasingly beautiful records and videos. The band's new album "A Different Ship" (stream it here) will be out on May 8, and betrays at least a partial return to Luke Temple's more intimate and melodic sound from his solo repertoire - in this regard, lend a ear to "Hard to Be Close," "Alone but Moving" and "Over the Ocean". This is welcome news for fans like us who always thought that in most HWGM material Luke's noteworthy songwriting skills seemed a little sacrificed on the altar of textural experimentation. This doesn't mean that the band's signature hypnotic, impressionistic sound is lost - it's just that these two elements work together better than they did in past records, and this is what makes this album one of the NYC highlights of the year so far. Indeed, this collection also features songs more in line with the band's past releases ("Make Up your Mind", "I Believe in Action"), which follow on the steps of brainy-pop icons like Brian Eno and The Feelies, but there's definitely a balance here, also betrayed by the almost perfect alternation of melodic songs and less traditional ones.The just released video of "How Do I Know," telling the story of a rejected dancing robot that ends up revitalizing an older man's appreciation for life, seems to reflect on this brain/heart, mechanic/organic dichotomies and somehow bring them to unity. - PDG
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