Swedish folk/indie artist the Tallest Man on Earth was the headliner on an August evening at the Moore. Kristian Matsson (that’s the Tallest Man on Earth’s real name), a singer-songwriter with a moving voice, recently performed a lovely rendition of Annie Lennox’s “No More “I Love You’s” for MyMusicRx, a web site that shares music with ill children. The Tallest Man on Earth brought Lady Lamb along for his Seattle date.
All photos by Tino Tran:
The Tallest Man on Earth
Lady Lamb
Battles @ the Neptune, 10/7/15
Show Review & Photos by Dagmar
Battles‘ Ian Williams
New York’s Battles played with huge energy during their set at the Neptune on October 7th. Each moment of the show put many audience members in a trance of hopping around; those who didn’t hop also looked very focused. Again, the energy was massive. So much happens during any Battles song your mind slows down and speeds up by command of any given song’s moments. Electronic mind control? Maybe, in a way.
The trio had an intricacy yet coolness about them that made them entertaining. Experts on drum set configuration will correct me, I am sure, but drummer John Stanier’s set up sure seems unique. Stanier’s work, incredible to watch, makes drumming something so beautiful you’re forgiven if you forget drum’s usual background support. The beat leads Battles.
Original band members Dave Konopka and Ian Williams likewise created peculiar, intense sounds with synth, guitars, and fiddling around with buttons. That’s a layperson’s way of figuring out what is happening with all those pedals the group used to mix into the atmosphere: sounds such as a frenetic “Dot Net,” and its response, the jazzy “Dot Com;” a wiggly “The Yabba,” stimulating tracks “Tyne Wear,” “FF Bada,” and “Futura;” and the extraordinary “Atlas.” During the encore, Seattle’s Shabazz Palaces made an appearance. Most of the evening’s set drew from new album La Di Da Di, one of my favorites from this year.
Battles
Gentlemen of the Road Stopover brought its incredible lineup, including Mumford & Sons, the Flaming Lips, the Vaccines and so many others, to Walla Walla in August. A record label and events promoter, Gentlemen of the Road’s Stopovers take place internationally. For more on Gentlemen of the Road’s history, I recommend you listen to a September ’15 interview BBC Radio 1 did with the festival creators, Mumford & Sons.
All photos by Tino Tran:
Mumford & Sons
The Flaming Lips
The Vaccines
tUnE-yArDs
Jenny Lewis
JEFF the Brotherhood
Blake Mills
UK powerhouse vocalist Jess Glynne recently graced the stage at Barboza on Capitol Hill. Jess, her four-member band, and two backup singers supplied an evening of great music. R&B with a lot of soul, Jess is supporting her new album, I Cry When I Laugh, during her Ain’t Got Far To Go Tour. Last month, Jess appeared on Seth Meyers’ show singing her hit, “Hold My Hand.” You can expect big things from Jess. It’s guaranteed that you’ll never see her in a Seattle venue of this size again.
Jess Glynne
When Django Django visited Seattle for the first time in 2013, their show had true heat. Fans, and I’m including myself as one, were really happy to see the British quartet. The band had released an excellent and timeless self-titled album, one that triumphed with beautiful harmonies, and they stirred up that sold-out audience into flurries of light. With a light show hiding the band between glimpses here and there, the music brought audience and artist together, which makes sense, as Django Django is all harmonics. I loved it. So yeah, I’m more than a little excited about what they’ll do at, and to, the Showbox on Tuesday night. Album two, Born Under Saturn, again captures what is now Django Django’s – and theirs alone in current music – sound. New trippy and beautiful tracks such as “First Light,” “4000 Years,” and “Shot Down” will be fabulous to hear live.
Django Django – photo by Fiona Garden
Get tickets & more information right over here.