all photos: Mike Danko
all words: Nicole Cohen
When opener Future Islands’ front man Samuel Herring took the stage @ DC9 on Thursday, I’ll admit that it took me a moment to get over his appearance. Dressed in all white, except for a brown pair of Vans, and a very un-ironic case of bed head, Herring looked every bit the part of a cult leader. Then he picked up the microphone and started to sing with the same passion you would expect from an evangelical preacher and the getup was no longer distracting so much as appropriate. Herring sings like it’s his religion. He drags his fingers like tear drops down his cheeks and wears lyrics of love and longing on his face. (Check out this music video for the full effect.)
Herring’s vocals mimic both the agony and the sound of artists like Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons and Morrissey while pairing nicely with the rest of the band’s whimsical synth keyboard and overall 80’s new wave influences. The result is a captivating set of tunes that would have felt right at home in any John Hughes film.
Next up was South Carolina artist Toro y Moi, a one-man act of spacey vocals and hip-hop beats. Taking cues from both Animal Collective and Daft Punk, a bespectacled Toro y Moi, aka Chaz Bundick, delivered an academic set from behind a MacBook and a keyboard.
While the performance wasn’t much to see – he looked more like a guy geeking out on his computer than a musician on tour – the tunes were another story. Bundick’s crooning vocals, drum machine and spaceship sound effects inspire the kind of warmth and fuzziness ideal for a below-freezing December night. His overpowering bass beats keep things cheery while his spacey keyboard successfully sooths. Listening to Toro y Moi is perfect for sitting by the fire on a snow day, which I’m definitely going to try the next time we get a couple inches.
Last up was Philadelphia act Tickley Feather whose performance and repertoire can best be described as charming. The flirtatious between-song banter; the “My So Called Life” fashion sense; the friendly melodies: all very charming but not necessarily memorable.
Singing into double microphones, front lady Annie Sachs’ otherwise girlish vocals took on a haunting, metallic affect that recall a less soulful Cat Power. While Sachs’ vocals matched up nicely with the loopy keyboard and guitar accompaniment, the entire package failed to excite or inspire.
The best part of the set came between songs, when Sachs disarmed the audience by smiling and giggling and joking around about how she may have had swine flu. She was very cute and completely crushable but I think Annie Sachs may have upstaged her own act.
When I saw her open for Animal Collective on the Strawberry Jam tour, I thought she was substantially better than they were.
December 14, 2009 at 10:43 ami like your writing!
December 14, 2009 at 12:53 pmwhat a very well written article.
December 14, 2009 at 1:19 pmthis is one of the more well written music reviews i have read in a while and i read a lot of them.
December 14, 2009 at 1:19 pmyou rock my socks nikki!
December 14, 2009 at 1:20 pmI think Tickley Feather was easily the highlight of the show; I found Toro y Moi tedious and Future Islands overblown.
December 14, 2009 at 2:20 pm
another sharp review by an astute critic, although i beg to differ on Tickley Feather: as enchanting as Annie was and is, her performance was never pandering or cutesy; she has a unique sound that she is in the process of crafting–these things take time–i think she has an understated but quietly exuberant lyricism–her approach defies convention and could end up surprising people– just my two bobs :)
December 14, 2009 at 10:38 am