anomie belle :
lackluster, overdone, and just plain bad. i had hopes for this lady (i like female vocals), but unfortunately i was wishing her off of the stage two songs in, and i couldn't help smirking and rolling my eyes at mpg in disbelief when they played 15 minutes into black mamba's set. her name boasts of an intriguing concept (sorta), [anomie meaning social unrest or normlessness; individual malaise, alienation and purposelessness and belle, a popular and charming woman] but i think this escapes most people, and she certainly gives herself way too much credit, as she entertains the crowd with music from her keyboard and soft moans into the mic.(hardly charming. kinda boring). also, mpg swears her back-up vocalists couldn't keep time. bottom line: lack of professionalism and respect by playing over their time, and no stage presence. i think her name fits her, and maybe too well.
she has a pretty fancy website, see for yourself : http://www.anomiebelle.com/
black mamba :
these guys only played for about 15 minutes. they were an interesting group of hipster folks. i was hesitant to leave when mpg proposed we go to the hotdog cart (but those hotdogs are just too damn delicious). i loved their collection of instruments, with two keyboards, a clarinet and the classic bass, guitar and drums. most of their songs sounded very similar to each other, and to be honest i have sort of forgotten about them already, but what i do remember seems fond.
the album leaf :
http://www.albumleaf.com
excellent. i'm sure it helps that they had their own sound guys, but they had an amazing sound. i was hoping that they wouldn't have the same sound live as they have on their recordings, and they didn't. the visuals behind them on stage were done well and coupled with the music it was easy to get lost-- i even felt like i was floating through a few songs. it was a good hour and 15 min set and i felt full as i was walking back to the car. i sort of wish they had opened more seating at the venue, it would have been nice to have more space away from the incredibly drunk people grouped near the back, but that was my only complaint. they are currently in seattle recording their next record. they played a few new tracks sunday night, and i think the new album will be worth listening to.
