Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Lead Pipe Lock of the Week: Dark Romantics, Candy Bars, Mike Dunn @ New World Brewery



The Lead Pipe Lock of The Week is the Vagabond Society's semi-weekly gift to you, the readers (cue the sound of crickets chirping in the distance). Those of us fortunate to live in a place where gambling on sports is legal, not to mention a zesty and refreshing enterprise, know that the "lead pipe lock" is as close as it gets to a sure thing. Similarly, our lead pipe locks are shows that the Society has deemed can't miss, surefire good times. Consider us Uncle Mickey, Gib Gibson, your friend's brother the day trader and Trent Walker all rolled into one.

When it comes to band names, we tend to be partial towards those that don't: a) describe the type of music the band plays; or b) suck. Fortunately, The Dark Romantics and Candy Bars have more to offer than their respectively descriptive and kooky names. Along with Winter Park's Mike Dunn & The Kings of New England, the lineup for Saturday at New World offers not only good local music, but something for just about anyone.



This is one of a handful of release parties celebrating headliner The Dark Romantics' new EP. The fivesome is a West Virginia fantasy of sorts, boasting two married couples and a sisters tandem. They make grown up synth pop for fans of Muse, Keane, etc and, for a local band that has only been around a couple of years, they do a good job of it.



Less dark and more jangly guitar laden are Candy Bars, who released a clearly drug induced LP, On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation , in 2006. Whispy dream pop for the masses we say.

Mike Dunn and some fellers from up north round out the bill. Round it out impressively they do. Dunn n' them are the most mainstream and readily accessible of the bunch. Certainly worth showing up early for.



Friday, May 16, 2008

Radiohead = Awesome




5/5/2008 Ford Ampitheatre



5/11/08 Nissan Pavillion

All I Need
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Lucky
15 Step
Nude
Pyramid Song
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Myxomatosis
Idioteque
Faust Arp
Videotape
Paranoid Android
Just
Reckoner
Everything In Its Right Place
Bangers + Mash
Bodysnatchers
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Like Spinning Plates
Optimistic
Karma Police
Go Slowly
Planet Telex
----
Fake Plastic Trees
The National Anthem
House of Cards

Oxford's finest killed it last week in Tampa and, apparently, in Bristow, VA as well. Much has been said elsewhere about the horror that was trying to get to the "DC" show, so we'll simply add that Live Nation has proven yet again that they dont give a damn about whether the fans enjoy a given show, so long as we fork over the requisite cash. Anywho, the Tampa show was REALLY GOOD.

Nonetheless, it really grinds our gears, as they say in Quahog, that Thom Yorke & Co. have the temerity to implore fans to use all possible means to reduce the carbon footprint associated with travel to and from each of the shows on this tour, despite scheduling both the Tampa and "DC" shows at venues that are not only out of the way, but also inaccessible via public transportation. Lotta balls.

Our advice to the band is to step off the soapbox, cool it with the sanctimony, and just focus on making absolutely incredible music.