at Neumo's

You know a show’s crowd is divided when the headliners set is met with as many folded arms and quizzical looks as the openers. Or when aforementioned openers set boasts a more consistently full-up room, while the headliners suffered a fair amount of crowd attrition as the night went on. This last bit could easily be due to the fact that it was a work/school night and the morning is a cruel mistress, but either way, the . . . And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead/ Future of the Left show proved an interesting study in how post-punks like their post-punk.

Do you go for the wiry, brawny, start-and-stop (Gang of Four meets Jesus Lizard meets um, them) antics of Cardiff’s Future of the Left? Or do you like your vocals a bit more earnest, build-ups a bit more epic? If so, you were probably there for Austin’s . . . Trail of Dead.

more...

I've raved about the Wales punk band Future of the Left here before, so it should surprise exactly no one that I'm a fan of their angular rock. When I saw them about a year ago, I thought they were the best band on a sold out bill at the Showbox with Against Me! and Ted Leo + The Pharmacists. Naturally, I'm excited for their show on Tuesday night at Neumo's with ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead.

I had just found out that an in-store was added, as well. FotL will be playing a free, all-ages show at the Queen Anne Easy Street Records on Tuesday at 7pm.

Moreover, Matador Records offered us a limited edition 7" record of the FotL single "The Hope that House Built" as well as a copy of the new album Travels with Myself and Another. To enter, please send an e-mail to tig@threeimaginarygirls.com before 9am on Monday, October 12 with "FutureOfTheHopeOfTraveling" in the subject line. Please include your mailing address so we know where to send the goods to.

at Capitol Hill Block Party 2009

As I approached Block Party from Broadway on day two of Block Party, I heard the rising wave of Hey Marseilles on the main stage. Upon entering, my half hung over self was immediately swept up in their orchestral swell. Their performance only got better and better until the last song where their improvised musical meanderings became overwhelming.

more...