holy fuck

Gorgeous weather, going over some songs for recording early next month with Ben and simply spending some time outside, put me back among the living. I'm hoping to waive this cold goodbye NOW.




A live show is generally a good remedy for what ails ya and the line-up alone made me want to go to last night's show at Great American Music Hall: Holy Fuck and the Super Furry Animals and Here, Here. The latter, the opener, a local 7-piece outfit complete with accordionist, trumpet and fiddle player, reminded me of a younger, Nor. Cal version of Arcade Fire. Good stuff if not hitting me in the heart, my barometer for return show and CD purchases. The improv electronica of Holy Fuck, we agreed, was cool and impressive, though watching them was kind of liking watching a bunch of guys play video games. Sound trumped stage presence though. Their enthusiastic spirit, and their dense soundscapes, groovable if if not full on danceable, compelling, and on this night, upbeat. The show sold out, though, I have a feeling because of Super Furry Animals, a wacky, vaguely psychodelic/synthy group of Welshman whose lead singer stepped on stage in a large headgear/mask that was equal parts dinosaur and those Japanese paper mache good-luck/wishing heads (you paint an eye on while making a wish and then paint the eye back on when the wish comes true), singing through some mesh about love. Great guitar riffs, tight, pro, they def. made the other guys of the evening look like beginners, and the place was def. full of fans. The opening song was my favorite, before the effects of standing through that many bands sent me home.