Coming Attractions: Ponytail
Another awesome Baltimore noise-punk outfit, Ponytail is scheduled to play Friday at The Smell with The Deathset. These guys play a spastic blend of free flowing jazz and rock with inane screechings by vocalist Molly Siegal - and somehow it all seems to work. Bursting with energy, the foursome rip through each song like their lives depend on it. Pitchfork gave their debut an impressive 8.1 and in the article reviewer Jess Harvel makes a good stab at someone who takes their music too seriously:
"When the music blog Idolator recently posted one of the band's songs, a grouch beefed in the comments box that they didn't have, like, a point. To which I'd say: if p-p-p-pure energy isn't reason enough for a rock band to exist, check your pulse and/or your stated reasons for liking music (or being alive) in the first place."Check out their song "Lion Down" from the Monitor Records release, Kamehameha:
3 comments:
"if p-p-p-pure energy isn't reason enough for a rock band to exist, check your pulse and/or your stated reasons for liking music (or being alive) in the first place."
Uh huh.. and to that I respond with a quote from the ever-timely Jeff Goldblum (a'la Jurassic Park):
"Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
If Jess Harvel is content with the early-90's "whatever, dude!" justification then I guess we all just have to live with it, eh?
From your own write-up, Jim, you seem to be subconsciously admitting that "it sucks, but oh well" ("Harvel makes a good stab at someone who takes their music too seriously").
steve, you missed the point. i don't think i'm subconsciously admitting anything here. this kind of music is about the entire experience of raw energy and having fun. if you want something more serious check out dream theater, i've heard they're pretty into music virtuosity. i went to ponytail's show last night and had a blast - and in the end that's all that matters to me.
I think you're taking the word "serious" too far. I know you're just being facetious with your example but I'm a tad bothered by your equivalence of virtuosity and "seriousness".
I've experienced this raw-energy/fun thing at shows by rapture/faint/muse AND their albums sound good. I'm not saying you shouldn't have a rad time at the live shows of Ponytail, or Deathset, or insert whatever FOTM noise-punk band.. I guess I'm just making the same argument as that StopPBJ guy.
I mostly just responded because the Pitchfork review was clumsy.
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