Devil’s Work: Miike Snow at Terminal 5

Posted on April 26, 2012 by CenterOrch

What two acts go better together than penguins and snow?  Terminal 5 became that igloo Wednesday night at Swedish indie pop group Miike Snow brought their Happy To You tour to New York along with recently-opening-for-everyone Brooklyn-based Penguin Prison.  I’ve put a tail on penguins a couple times in recent months and just saw Miike Snow at Coachella, so I was excited to see them both perform longer sets.  Sadly I missed the penguins, but I did get snowed.

Miike Snow’s just cool.  A very masculine show end to end.  The stage was reminiscent of a space ship control room, or perhaps a joker’s lair even though I don’t know what that means.  I say that because they opened with “Enter the Jokers Lair.”  If that was the intent, apparently there are lots of strobe lights in that lair.  Up next was their latest single, “The Wave.” Others off the new album included “Bavarian #1 (Say You Will),” “Pretender” and best song title, “God Help This Divorce.”  But it was their main set closer that I loved most, “Devil’s Work.”  Something about a piano in a rock song that makes me happy.

I admit Miike Snow has grown on me with the new record, and it’s made me appreciate their first album more.  “Silvia” really is a great song, as is “Black and Blue” and “Burial.”  Other highlights were recent single “Paddling Out” and their best known hit “Animal.”   Hmm.  Paddling animals.  Made me think of penguins.

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Heaven: Emeli Sande at Music Hall of Williamsburg

Posted on April 26, 2012 by CenterOrch

Every now and then an artist comes along that stops you in your tracks, makes your jaw to drop to the floor and maybe causes you to pee in your pants just a little bit.  All that and more happened at the Music Hall of Williamsburg last night as the lucky few in attendance witnessed the U.S. debut of Scottish soul and R&B singer songwriter Emeli Sande.  Noted recently in Entertainment Weekly as the “next Adele,” I found it ironic that Sande’s full name is Adele Emeli Sande.  While the styles and personalities are miles apart, the purity and perfection of the vocals are on par.

“I don’t know how you know about my music, but I’m glad you’re here,” she said before she started nodding to the fact that barely any of her music has been released in the U.S.  “My set is acoustic because I love the lyrics and the melody,” she added.  With that comment I was in love with her before she even started singing.  But then she did — with the only single released here to date: “Heaven.”  Everything but the pee had happened to me by now.

Songs I’ve never heard before, but can’t wait to hear again included “Daddy,” “Suitcase,” “Where I Sleep,” “Clown,” “My Kind of Love,” and “Breaking the Law,” which she wrote for her sister.  That’s the song that conjured up a tear and maybe a little pee.  So beautiful.  I also loved “Mountains,” about the strength her parents gave her and her sister and the values they instilled in them.  It’s so refreshing to hear an artist sing about things other than boys and booze.  It was interesting to hear about how she got her break too.  She covered Coldplay’s single, “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” with just her voice and an electric cello on video, which got the band’s attention and earned her an invitation to open their tour.

Aside from her spectacular voice, there were three things I took away that made me love her more:  1) the comfort and joy she conveys when telling the story of a song before she sings it; 2) the insightful, clear and honest intent of her lyrics suggests she’s a master storyteller in the making (and at just 24 years old); and 3) the restraint and control of her voice.  Anyone who hears her knows she could, if she wanted, unleash that voice to the heavens and above, but she doesn’t.  She holds back, takes you to the edge and pulls you back.  She makes you want to beg her for more, and that I did.  Now I have to wait until June 4.

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Lose Your Mind: The Big Pink at Bowery Ballroom

Posted on April 26, 2012 by CenterOrch
Fresh off two weekends at Coachella, British electro-rock band The Big Pink made an appearance at Bowery Ballroom Monday night before flying back over the pond.  I am a really big fan of their sophomore album, Future This, but as I wrote in my Coachella round-up, there’s something just a little off when they perform live.  Frontman Robbie Furze is a cool guy, with a Metallica tat on his arm and everything, but seemed not totally comfortable on stage.  He’s a got a great voice but as the kid next to me said after the show was over, “his guitar skills are suspect.”  Ha!
Still, they put on a good show, and I was again in awe of mad drummer Victoria Smith.  They opened with their first two singles off the new album, “Stay Gold” and “Hit the Ground (Superman).”  Other new songs included “Jump Music,” “Give it Up,” “Rubbernecking” and their one ballad, “77.”  Tracks off their 2008 debut album A Brief History of Love included “Velvet,” “Crystal Visions,” “Too Young for Love” and their biggest hit to date, “Dominos.”  They closed with the strongest song off the new album, “Lose Your Mind,” with a long, extended, satisfying guitar and drum jam.  Good stuff.

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