Brightest Young Things

all words: Matt Siblo
all photos: Ethan Arpi (from last time) and Dakota Fine (from before too)

On first glance, Thursday night’s bill at The Black Cat could be construed as either welcoming and familiar or alarmingly xenophobic. Similar to This American’s Life focusing upon a topic and providing slight variations on that theme, the evening brought together three of today’s most ardent indie rock traditionalists, their sounds founded on the bedrock of angular guitar and fussy haircuts, each presented in slightly varied yet recognizable permutations. And like the yarns spun on the immensely popular radio show, some of the bands illustrated that theme stronger than others.

Reemerging after a sizable absence, The Harlem Shakes began the evening with its most sonically diverse palette. Expanding upon the harmonious pop of its debut EP Burning Birthdays, the band is set to release its excellent new record Technicolor Health later this month, hopefully drumming up a revival of interest in the once buzz worthy band. Its brief 8-song set saw the band road testing its expansive new songs and increasing stage presence that now includes a (mostly) full time saxophonist. At the heart of its performance was lead singer Lexy Benaim’s tossed off, nonchalant confidence. Baring a passing resemblance to any number of Whit Stillman characters, Benaim’s panache (a Yale grad, unsurprisingly) and naisly croon complimented his songs woozy swagger, exuding both a sense of disillusionment and idealism. Underneath it all, the band has retained its keen ear for melody its extended “ohhs” and “woahs” still in abundance.

If The Harlem Shakes showed signs of shedding its skin, Toronto’s Born Ruffians wore its colors proudly. Its songs are taut and jittery, hinged upon singer Luke LaLonde’s constantly inconsistent vocals. At points earnest, confident and paranoid, LaLonde’s masterful command of his fluxuating range is especially striking when contrasted to his boyish appearance. His slight frame overpowered by his unwieldy Gibson, LaLonde’s aloof demeanor has earned him a place within the fresh faced, art damaged lineage that’s come before him. His cool detachment crashed against the gusto of bassist Steve Hamelin, whose ferocious bark offset LaLonde’s tuneful hiccups. The set consisted primarily of songs off last year’s Red, Yellow and Blue, a critically well-received record that has yet to find a place for itself within the hearts and minds of a large-scale following. Born Ruffian’s can be rambunctious and playful but its sounds are remarkably clean. Live, the band is unrelenting and remarkably precise for a three-piece, evident in its pitch perfect renderings of “Barnacle Goose” and “Hummingbird.” Yet, its LaLonde’s magnetic presence that hints at an ambitious future beyond his band’s current incarnation.

Tokyo Police Club might have held the evening’s top billing but sounded as if they had the most to learn. Known for its eschewing of the more rambling aspects of guitar heavy indie rock, the band made a name for itself as a blunt object, knocking out sets in the length it takes most band to sound check. After two comically brief EPs that helped establish its youthful and high-energy reputation, 2008 saw Tokyo Police Club releasing its debut album “Elephant Shell” on Saddle Creek, an uneven but laudable attempt at playing against type. Yet on Thursday, the band had trouble settling into an identity, oscillating between the kinetic bursts of its earlier material and its newer, more complex arrangements.

The set’s sequencing didn’t help mask the song’s glaring disparities, beginning its 20-song set with gusto only to noticeably shift gears midway. For a band that cemented itself on no frills energy, even at its peak the band’s presence was alarmingly mild considering it had the benefits of professional lighting and an established fan base. At points the band rose to the occasion. On songs like “Tessellate” and “Your English is Good” Tokyo Police Club struck the balance between complexity and potency as if it had only recently realized the concepts were not mutually exclusive. While these fleeting glimpses at nuance showed promise, in such a crowded landscape the band’s only discernable distinction was that it doesn’t seem to have one at all.

Previously in Live DC:

• 5/24: LiveDC: The Adicts @ RNR Hotel
• 5/24: LiveDC: The Donkeys @ Black Cat
• 5/23: LiveDC: The Barr Brothers w/ Kishi Bashi @ The Hamilton
• 5/23: LiveDC: Damien Jurado @ Black Cat
• 5/23: Report: Soundbites 2012
• 5/22: LiveDC: Spirit Animal @ Red Palace
• 5/22: LiveDC: Astra Via @ Black Cat
• 5/22: LiveDC: Father John Misty @ Rock & Roll Hotel
• 5/22: LiveDC: Drive-By Truckers and Lucinda Williams @ Merriweather
• 5/22: Photos: Summer Camp takes the "Ladies of Town" Drag Show