Wavelength 494 (feat. Murder Ford Monument / P.S. I Love You / Germans)
The Garrison. Sunday, December 20, 2009.
Ah, Wavelength. Although I do love it so, and try to take in their special events, I pretty much never make it to the Sunday night show. Truth be told, most weekends, by the time that first band hits the stage, I'm usually already in bed, trying to charge my batteries up as much as possible for the week ahead. So, the imminent ending of the weekly series doesn't directly affect me so much. But I guess I do feel about Wavelength like some people feel about churches when they drive by — y'might not be going there on Sunday, but it's a solid institution and it means something that it's there, like its very existence brings a vague sort of comfort.1
Well, with a nicely-aligned xmas holiday lining things up so's that I didn't have to be up early on Monday, I figured I could make my first trip out for a "regular" Wavelength at The Garrison, and it didn't hurt that there was a fairly appealing lineup. When I stepped in, I got that sense of comfort seeing General Chaos Visuals' smeary crawling lava lamp projections, and witnessing Doc Pickles work his emcee-as-performance-art mojo on stage in between the acts. Yeah, even if I'm rarely here, I'm glad this has been going on every Sunday.2
In the first slot on this night was Murder Ford Monument, a band I saw at Pitter Patter this spring when they were still operating under their previous moniker, Archipelagos. An interesting chance, I suppose, to reflect on the power of names to shape our perspective of a band, this lot shifting from something connoting cartographic abstraction to something that would wear well on an Americana act. Or, a shift from the tinny to the woody, if you will. Which is an inneresting act of positioning, as the band's music remains as tinny as all get out. With their National covering Joy Division sound, vocalist Jesse LeGallais' man-on-the-verge-of-panic vocals suggest not so much the idea of an emotional crisis as Apollonian terror of an existential void. In fact, perhaps as a worthy epigram for the band, we might pass along A.C.'s observation: "We all carry within us our places of exile, our crimes and our ravages. But our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to fight them in ourselves and in others." LeGallais certainly manages to act the part of a man fighting off demons, and the band's sound — not just musically tight, which they are — feels rigourously screwed down in a well-befitting manner. Appropriate, then, that this is a band that I can appreciate on a rational level, even if they haven't yet touched my heart with their icy fingers. But sometimes a handshake matters more than a hug.
Listen to a track from this set here.
After some excitement for the somewhat protracted announcement of the Wavelength 500 line-up by Doc Pickles3, the two-piece P.S. I Love You took the stage. Out of Kingston, the duo feature Benjamin Nelson on drums backing singer/guitarist Paul Saulnier.4 Based on the sight of the band and the initial couple songs, I thought we were in for shred-y flannel rock with an upbeat edge — like listening to TAD on ecstasy, perhaps. Maybe that came to mind as Saulnier presented like a lumberjack caught in a transmogrifier with Ziggy Stardust, wearing a torn plaid shirt and made up with a thundercloud on his forehead and lightning bolts below his eyes. But in the manner of a sneak attack unit, the band used its hard rock accoutrements as a backdrop to slip in all sorts of ideas while staying shrouded in the riffs. Saulnier's vocals also worked against the grain of the sound, something of a decentered quiver from a frame that might have suggested macho gruffness. John O'Regan, in his Diamond Rings guise5, joined him on single "Facelove", which happens to be one-half the pair's split 7". Fun without being frothy, there's a unique mix of elements on display here and it was pleasing to experience while leaving something to ponder over after the fact.
Listen to a track from this set here.
Last up on the night was Germans, a crew that I reserved judgment on when I saw them play a short set a few months ago. This time, they burst out of the gate with the catchy, dance-y "Same Old Things" which had me tapping my toes in appreciation. The next number was more guitar-rock-oriented and engaged me a bit less, which'd basically establish a pattern for the set — I enjoyed the bits that sounded like they might turn into a Platinum Blonde cover more than the bits that sounded like they might turn into an Archers of Loaf cover. To their credit, the band seemed to be trying to find their own fusion of 90's-vintage alt.rock and 80's synth pop, and I liked the cross-cutting vocal styles, but some of the songs sort of just went by in a sort of pleasant/generic haze. Given their connections to the local scene, I'm sure I'll plenty chances to see 'em again — esp. with an album due out by the Spring — so I think for now they're in that category of bands that I'll neither go out of my way to see nor out of my way to avoid.
Listen to a track from this set here.
In a, um, Wavelength-y ending to the night, Doc Pickles tried to call Germans back out for an encore, but the band didn't have any more material prepared, so they vamped away while D.P. improvised a musical version of the Wavelength Festival lineup — a bit of goofy fun that was amusing for its sheer unplannedness.
1 This sentence shouldn't be taken as any sort of advocacy for religion or cars.
2 I dunno exactly what Wavelength is going to do after the wrap-up of the weekly series, but maybe they should follow in the Master's footsteps and present WVLNT (Subtitle: "Wavelength for those who don't have the time").
3 The weekly series is going out in style in February with a five-night celebration including a few forward-looking selections as well as some much-anticipated reunion shows.
4 Saulnier also thickened up his sound his a foot-pedal bass unit.
5 On this occasion wearing zebra-striped tights and a parka.
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