I’m on a quest folks —- new music. Seeing your favorite bands play again and again, it’s great and everything, but after a while it becomes a bit much. That feeling of déjà vu seeps in, you know the bands’ next show, and you know exactly where it’s gonna go. So yeah, definite live music fatigue this year. Hence why ever since my Dalian trip I’ve been dead set on checking out new bands. And so far, I’ve liked what I’ve heard. Back in May, I dropped by XP on a very un-Zoomin Night as Parallel Pyres, one half of the electronic duo Hot & Cold; new progressive rock freak folk outfit The Harridans; as well as the debut of new noise rock trio Gate to Otherside, fronted by Carsick Cars drummer Sun Heting. Righteous indeed.
And apologies for the abysmal camera work – as I seemed to have wiped the footage from my other camera off the face of the earth unknowingly. Lame. But alas, footage is footage and these bands deserve something for watching me prance about in front of them like a coked up hobgoblin. Geez.
Parallel Pyres, aka Josh Frank, of Hot & Cold fame, brought his fluid loop-based electronica to kick things off.
Melodic, infused with a steely coolness, and best of all organic – I dig what Josh Frank has accomplished with so little equipment. There’s a definite pop sensibility hidden underneath all the layers of noise and drum machines, that allows the music is fill the space, and better yet, allows more room for elaborate departures. Dig I did.
How the hell The Harridans ever got into a Zoomin Night’ is beyond but I couldn\’t be happier – this is unfiltered balls to the wall assailant of progressive rock and roll at its craziest. It’s all over the place yet I couldn’t imagine it any other way
– a fever dream of psych folk that’s not afraid to wave its freak flag as well as show off some undeniably talented instrumentalist. Yeah, some of them might be sporting erections for Yes and King Crimson but fuck, when you do it with this much gusto, who cares. It\’s a goddamn party up there.
By the end of Gate to Otherside’s set, I was ready to press charges for the damages done to my ears. But what a glorious onslaught of sound it was – walls of sound mixed with some groovy psychedelic pop melodies.
Part of me wants to tell them to tone it down a bit, but shit, as far as debuts go, this is how you get them. These guys may be onto something – can’t wait for my second helping of abuse from the trio.
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