Archives For Show Reviews

The CO

LarryKloess —  March 1, 2013 — Leave a comment

TheCOPromo

If you listen to The CO’s second and most recent full-length album, Keep It Together, you may feel yourself being rapidly sucked into your car stereo by the pulsing beat that jump starts the opening track, “Frequency.” Don’t worry. This is a good thing, because The CO is nothing short of awesome! The dramatic thumping beat is quickly accompanied by the soft, yet powerful and distinctive vocals of front man Colin Brace and the song swiftly culminates to an anthemic chorus that is driven by drummer Nate Fleming’s rhythm section and Troy Akers’ melodic keys. Together they produce a sound that resonates with the soul and remains consistent throughout the entire album without any sense of wear or tire. With an expertly polished sound that lies somewhere in the vast musical galaxy between catchy pop and edgy indie, The CO create a sound that sticks with you.

“Frequency” is perfect sample of what Keep It Together is as a whole bodied piece of work. Throughout the compellation, Brace’s vocals are soulful and tender and helm a sound that consistently tows the line between emotive ballad and catchy, head nod inducing choruses, often blending the two seamlessly from one song to the next creating a fluidity and cohesiveness that is seldom found even in some of the most seasoned artist’s work.

The collaborative approach that the band takes to songwriting is a large contributing factor to The CO’s diverse sound and also yields each songs lyrical depth and emotional variance. Each song is product of an exposed vulnerability, from the hopeful and inspiring title track “Keep It Together,” to the deep and introspective “How To Say Goodbye.”  It is quickly evident to anyone who may choose to listen, that this is what The CO is all about. It’s not just the fantastic production on the album, but the soul of each song that sets them apart.

I was fortunate enough to experience this first hand a couple of weeks ago at one of Cause A Scene’s most recent house shows. It was my first time seeing the band live, and it also happened to be my first time hearing the band at all, and that was what stuck with me. Sure, I was struck by Brace’s vocals and Akers’ soaring harmonies, as well as every other aspect that makes them a pleasure to listen to. However, there was something else that couldn’t be put into words, something that resonated on a personal level. At first, I thought it was due to the stripped down semi-unplugged set and the intimate atmosphere of a living room house show, but it wasn’t. That personal connection was just as apparent plugged-in on the album. That is what makes a band great. The ability to connect with listeners, no matter the medium. And that is exactly what The CO does.

– Christian Lerchenfeld

In Album Reviews, House Shows, Show Reviews , ,
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Luella and the Sun @ Good People Brewery – 02.11.13

LarryKloess —  February 19, 2013 — Leave a comment

Luella

In front of every good band is a good frontman. In the case of Luella and the Sun, it’s an excellent frontwoman.

From the moment Luella sings her first note into the mic, it’s a voice so different and unique that you can’t possibly be anything other than smitten.  And if her voice doesn’t immediately pull you all the way in, her sweet dance moves certainly will. There’s nothing more fun than watching a performer who’s having fun and that’s something Luella absolutely brings to the stage.

But it’s definitely the guys—Adam, Jon and Joe—that set the overall sound of the band, with their smooth guitar licks and solid drum beats. And while the fast upbeat songs will have your head noddin’ and your feet tappin’, it’s the slower songs that really showcase what the band is capable of and just how magical their sound is.

And speaking of the band’s sound, like most bands these days Luella and the Sun are hesitant to put a label on just exactly what their “sound” is.  I guess it is a bit tricky trying to describe songs that seem to weld together soul, funk and rock. But just take a listen to their single “Fly so Free” and you can define their sound for yourself.

It’s really amazing just how cohesive their sound is, considering they haven’t been playing together for very long. Although a couple of the bandmates have known each other for a while and some have even played together before on other projects, the four of them have only been playing together as Luella and the Sun since sometime in mid-to-late last year.

As a recently formed band in Nashville, they describe their newness as a positive aspect, comparing their musical purity similar to that of a child. Their sound is new and fresh and un-tampered with by outside sources. For a band that’s already experiencing the success that Luella and the Sun is enjoying so far, that’s a pretty significant accomplishment.

If you’re in the Nashville area, I highly recommend you get out to a Luella and the Sun show…and quickly. Through the fueling of upcoming shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas this March and the Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama this May, these cats are gonna blow up fast. Something tells me you will be able to catch them in cities far and wide outside of Nashville very, very soon as the buzz around this band stretches shore to shore.

For now, though, you can catch Luella and the Sun in their home city of Nashville at Music City Roots from the Loveless Cafe on February 27th and the Mercy Lounge on March 2nd.

– Christen Lewis

In Causing A Scene, Show Reviews ,
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Seryn: CAS Preview

Jameson —  November 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

I met Chris Semmelbeck in Midland, TX at a mutual friend’s wedding. Our conversation quickly turned to music and I found out that he was in a band. Later on in the trip, Chris showed me and a group of friends one of the songs that his band had just finished recording. The band was Seryn. The song (if I remember correctly) was “Our Love”. About 6 months after this encounter, Paste Magazine included Seryn in their Best of What’s Next.

If you’ve never seen Seryn live, you need to. It’s a surreal experience. Each member is a multi-instrumentalist, even shuffling instruments between songs. And my guess is that you’ve never heard this combination of traditional folk/bluegrass blended with anthems that could fill Madison Square Garden. The music is beautifully crafted, with sweeping landscapes of violin, banjo, and guitar over heavy percussion. When you experience Seryn, you realize quickly that you’re experiencing far more than well-crafted lyrics and melodies you can sing with. You’re experiencing an orchestra. It’s not about one voice, or one lyric, or one instrument. It’s music as a whole. It’s a comprehensive sound. With just 6 people. And each person is completely lost in the music that they are creating

It’s truly a beautiful thing.

If you haven’t seen Seryn, then you have your chance on November 17th at 12th and Porter.

You can also check them out at www.serynsound.com/

In Causing A Scene, Nashville Concerts, Show Reviews , ,
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The Lumineers @ Cannery Ballroom – 8/21/12

LarryKloess —  August 23, 2012 — Leave a comment
Around the time they played The Basement in late April, you’d have been hard pressed to find a radio station playing anything by The Lumineers,and for good reason, as their debut album had just been released at the beginning of the month. By the middle of June, however, they were nearly ubiquitous, the buzz-band on the mind of tastemakers and musical novices alike. It was no surprise then when they sold out their upcoming August show at the Mercy Lounge within a matter of hours prompting an upgrade to the Cannery Ballroom, which subsequently sold out a few hours later as well.

On the surface, it’d be easy to pinpoint a catchy, fast-rising single with perpetual radio and TV commercial play as the reason for The Lumineers meteoric rise, reminding many of the seemingly overnight emergence of bands like Local Natives and The Head and the Heart. No doubt, “Ho Hey” is a great song that has turned many of us into Lumineers apologists in Nashville and all across the country, and specifically here in Nashville. They are a great band full of unrestrained talent and grace, but it’s the depth of their self-titled debut album that indicates they might have some staying power beyond their burgeoning fanbase. The album, certainly among the best released in 2012 so far, is the first since Mumford & Sons’ “Sigh No More” that I have personally put on repeat for months on end. Apparently, the same appears to be the case for the rest of Nashville as their show at The Cannery Ballroom Tuesday night turned into the 2nd largest sing-along I’ve attended, behind only Mumford & Sons’ concert, nee revival, at War Memorial Auditorium in November 2010.

The Lumineers navigated their way through their entire 11-track album, to which it seemed the entire crowd knew all of the words to. Playing those tracks alone would have made for a very good show, even a great one. However, the additions of unreleased tracks such as “I Ain’t Nobody’s Problem” and “Eloise”, a well-placed cover of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and The Band’s seminal “The Weight” featuring several members of Old Crow Medicine Show are what helped the performance nearly reach its zenith moment. But just when it seemed the show might be over and as the Old Crow boys left the stage following the first song of the encore, The Lumineers made their way deep into the crowd and set up shop in the middle of the room, right next to us, standing on stools and chairs, for an acoustic version of “Darlene,” a foot-stomping tribute to all things love featuring percussionist Jeremiah Fraites with easily the best glockenspiel performance that we’ve ever seen.

It can’t be understated how difficult it can be for a band to draw the collective embrace of a crowd by simply playing the songs they know so well let alone the attention of a packed house for new songs that the majority of people may have never been heard. But The Lumineers have the energy and exuberance that envelops their fans and unwraps a shimmy and a frolic out of even the most flat-footed concert-goer. While the music industry can often have trouble supporting the rapid growth of a band like The Lumineers, their resplendent personalities, polished songwriting and seasoned stage presence indicate they certainly will be around for many, many shows capable of dwarfing their already impressive performances.

– Brad Hughes
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Dawes @ Cannery Ballroom – 8/12/12

LarryKloess —  August 15, 2012 — Leave a comment
The first time we saw Dawes, there couldn’t have been more than 100 people crammed into the Mercy Lounge. Sunday night, they packed the 1000+ capacity Cannery Ballroom and delivered exactly what both the veteran and rookie Dawes fans expect: a night of pure, unadulterated rock and roll with all of the emotion that so many bands in America hope to cover up with smoke and lights. On the contrary, Dawes consistently delivers one of the most refreshing live music experiences touring the United States today, and Sunday night was no exception The evening opened with the unique personality of Simone Felice, whose brothers (The Felice Brothers) also carry a genetic disposition towards menacing facial expressions and potentially distressing lyrics. The especially dark opener, “New York Times” met squarely with our expectations based on our familiarity with Simone’s former band of brothers as did the deceptively twisted “Shaky” despite its seemingly fun lyrics like “C’mon and shake that country ass!” But it was the sequence of covers from The Band that closed Simone’s sequence that set the tone for the night’s headliner as Simone and his ensemble paid tribute to the late Levon Helm with “Atlantic City” and “I Shall Be Released,” which featured the accompaniment of Nashville favorites – and fellow Gentlemen of the Road tour guests – The Apache Relay.
The scene was set for Dawes to bring out their own special guests, as an extra microphone was placed rather inconspicuously in front of bassist Wylie Gelber, who has no singing credits on the band’s albums. Indeed, it would be Deer Tick front man, and Taylor Goldsmith’s close friend and cohort from side project Middle Brother, John McCauley, who would join the band for “When My Time Comes” and “Million Dollar Bill” sandwiched around Deer Tick’s “Baltimore Blues No. 1.” Simone Felice himself would even make a brief cameo adding backing vocals alongside Griffin Goldsmith as Dawes would close their encore with the radio hit “Time Spent in Los Angeles.”

But it was the tracks in between that are what make a Dawes show so memorable. It was Taylor Goldsmith’s guitars on “Fire Away,” the reference to playing in Nashville where Taylor claims “we all know each other already,” and the heartfelt line of “… pile on those mashed potatoes and an extra chicken wing” that really engaged the Cannery crowd this Sunday night and left us anxious for their third album, which we understand recording for to begin next month.

Dawes has certainly benefitted in Tennessee by playing premier spots – opening night of Soundland 2011 at War Memorial, opening for Mumford & Sons w/Apache Relay at the Ryman this past spring, and just the night before in Bristol with the Gentlemen of the Road tour – but its simply at these shows where they continue to win over music lovers. And if all that wasn’t enough, Dawes, along with The Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Nikki Lane and a cast of others made their way down 8th Ave for a late night after party at The Basement that lasted until at least until 2:00 in the morning. We couldn’t be more excited to see the growth Dawes has made as a band and to see the amount of hearts they continue to win over in Music City. Count us among the many who have been completely won over.

– Brad Hughes

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