The Wire’s Adventures in Modern Music 2004 ended last Sunday with
Ghost,
Xiu Xiu,
Noxagt, and
Double Leopards. The festival took place at the Empty Bottle for 5 nights and covered every type of ‘adventurous’ music imaginable. The festival also held film screenings at the Gene Siskel Film Theatre, which included a documentary about noisy drum-and-bass duo,
Lightning Bolt.
Defying expectations seemed to be the goal of the event, since the music of each band wasn’t really continuous with the other bands. The rough transitions pointed to some subtle similarities though; and the festival proved that connections can be made between the suicidal dance-and-folk of Xiu Xiu with the psychedelic swagger of Ghost, as well as the viola-fronted noise metal of Noxagt with the unconscious drone of Double Leopards. It all made sense...actually it didn’t make sense nor was it supposed to--but I accepted it and kissed it like family, a very strange incestuous family.
I walked into the Empty Bottle past all the product-pushing--merchandise on the pool table?--and was drawn to the loud dissonant drone of Double Leopards. I couldn’t see much until they were done a minute later, when four people stood up from the stage, with all their electronic and acoustic noisemakers at their feet. It was a quick introduction to the night.
Next was Noxagt, a trio from Norway made up of bass, viola, and drums. They played a very tight instrumental metal/rock sound that was heavy on rhythm. Heads consistently banged and bounced as violist, drummer, and bassist removed their shirts in that order. (even a fight broke out of a moshpit and someone was kicked out!...at the oh-so-sophisticated Empty Bottle) All in all,they were a visceral, wordless power that brought to mind the Chicago rock sound of Shellac, albeit with some tasteful distorted viola.
If Noxagt made me feel destructive, Xiu Xiu spat out the reasons why to feel that way. San Francisco’s Xiu Xiu are a very interesting band, and their music of extreme despair seems to provoke a very bipolar reaction in the audience every time I’ve seen them. They played as a duo this time with a setup to keep them both busy at all times: a couple synths, harmoneum, guitars, and the jarring percussion of a triangle, bells, and gongs. They also relied on a drum machine and sampler for their more abrasive songs, and it worked due to their energy and other layers that they added. Their quieter songs were barely audible though: I was nearly in the front row, and I still couldn’t discern notes out of the clamor coming from the back room. Such is the nature of Xiu Xiu though. Their confrontational dynamics are led by Jamie Stewart’s quivering voice, and whether it’s extremely loud or extremely quiet, Xiu Xiu’s musical melodrama always make me feel uncomfortable in my own skin.
So what’s next after doom and gloom? Japanese psychedelic rock and roll? Ghost tore it up most unexpectedly. I was excited to see them, but hadn't actually heard that much of their music. They seemed to channel the 1960’s/70’s experimental-tinged rock sound that spawned Can, Pink Floyd and later Pere Ubu. Their songwriting was tight, full of electric piano ballads, colorful guitar solos, and reverberated vocals. For good psychedelic measure, they also included somebody on sax, bassoon, and flute in order to add some space to their several freak-outs. It was a more classic style of psychedelic rock, but it was also played with the more modern noise-elements.
As last year when I came to the festival, I couldn’t pick a favorite act. Every band was so different, yet they all seemed equal. The Empty Bottle gave me some very diverse music in three hours, got me drunk on a Sunday night, and kicked me on the street as soon as the honest bartender stated: “Leave so I can get drunk.”
-Mike G
"Mike G" is the latest addition to the RFC staff. A devout music fan who frequents many local venues, Mike will be now be sharing his many live show experiences here on RFC.
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