Broken West, Cafe du Nord
Sometimes I think I've learned half of life's lessons at rock shows. Like: If somebody falls down in the mosh pit (if there still are any), give them a hand up. Always check the merch table. Everyone marches to a different drummer, but those who dance off-beat or sing off-key in your personal space can and should be elbowed out of the way. Just about every show includes a jackass yelling "Freebird," a hipster who spent more time selecting a hat/outfit than listening to the record, and an anorak bitching that everything's been downhill since the first EP. Getting the tour-only CD trumps having cash to buy lunch tomorrow. Bragging rights are more important than sleep. You get the idea. Anyway, here are some of the things this indie grandma learned last night:
1. In the Castro, strangers will ask you to can-can. I passed a guy outside the Transfer who was simultaneously smoking, talking on his cell, and performing a one-man kick line, and then he asked a woman getting off the bus to dance with him. Monsieur Rockette, I salute your multitasking, your hamstring flexibility, and your crazy chutzpah.
2. Shoegazing is back. I've already heard two or three bands this year--including the Mezzanine Owls last night--who owe props to My Bloody Valentine and Ride. I say hooray for the younguns and their pedal effects! Now, where are the Stone Roses revivalists? (Incidentally, I've read more than one thing comparing the Mezzanine Owls to the Doves, which may explain why Lost Souls was playing last night, but the analogy is miles off. The Doves are about Northern soul, the Manchester sound, and the '90s dance scene; whereas the Owls are all about layered guitars and fuzzy melody--more Jesus and Mary Chain, less soul.)
3. No matter how small the crowd, there will always be a Drunk Chick up front, dancing like Napoleon Dynamite's stripper sister, shitfaced on a solitary Pabst Blue Ribbon. Unless you're in Blue Velvet, this is not cool.
4. Indie is nerdy, indie is witty, indie does its homework, and yet indie is confounded by merch. Last night it took the fine gentlemen of the Broken West 15-20 minutes to excavate a T-shirt in my size, including two trips backstage to get help from other band members. Perhaps they're practicing the "cute and helpless" shtick for the Japanese market--it was like watching baby animals try to walk for the first time. I tease--Ross (singer) and Brian (bass) were actually very sweet. (I may, by the way, have to add: indie don't update Web sites. I guess that's why we have MySpace.)
5. The Broken West will be back in San Francisco June 27, opening for the National at Bimbo's. For those of you who can't make it to the best club in SF, check out the band's list of upcoming shows.
Uyen tipped me off on the Broken West (check her show review at Easily Fooled), who have their first full-length, I Can't Go on, I'll Go On, out on Merge, that fabulous label that has also brought us Spoon, Teenage Fanclub, Lou Barlow, the Arcade Fire, M. Ward, etc., etc. The Broken West's songs are the polished, infectious pop-rock you might expect from looking at that list--ever listen to a record and get the feeling you've heard some of those songs before, though you know you haven't? That's the impression I had hearing I Can't Go On. You can hear some Byrds and Big Star and Pernice Brothers in there, among others.
Broken West played a full, satisfying set last night, including three of my favorites, "You Can Build an Island," "Brass Ring," and "Down in the Valley," a song that could almost make me like L.A. Coming off a support slot, they extended the set with a few numbers from the record that, they said, they've only played live once: "Abigail," "Like a Light," and "Baby on My Arm." Those three did sound a tad rougher but were most welcome. They also treated us to one cover, Love's "No Matter What You Do," a good pick for San Francisco.
Now, go listen to some tracks on their MySpace page, which will explain their sound much better than I can. See also: Ross's Discollective list for some influences. And go catch a show if you can!
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