Architecture In Helsinki @ Avalon, NYC 5/18/06
There's no dearth of indie bands catering to the ADD set these days. Finding one that can write cohesive pop tunes through the genre jumping, multi-instrumental schtick is what's rare.
AiH is the best in schized out, electronic twee-pop ... the Ritalin of indie rock. These Aussies look as motley as they sound: a crazy assortment of evening dresses, dreadlocks, skimpy Adidas track shorts, and baseball caps. The crew swaps glockenspiels for tubas, sample pads for recorders, and drums for guitars. If your ears can't find candy at an Architecture show, then your eyes will.
Avalon's stage was packed with twenty or thirty instruments, eight musicians, and a prom-skipping high school couple doing the waltz. The show opened with the sprawling "Nevereverdid," starting with haunting horns and vocals, moving through goofy half-time pop, and building to twitchy group chants over an increasingly frantic krautrockish outro. That's pretty much the kitchen sink right there, and it could've be a massive jumble live. But it was perfect.
The group of high schoolers that had forgone their prom for the show were hilarious. "One day, John Hughes is gonna make a movie about tonight - about your night!" lead vocalist Cameron Bird predicted. Later he brought a couple on stage to dance to the warm melody of "Maybe You Could Owe Me." They loved it. After satisfying a massive "Whirl-wind" chant with the giddy lo-fi blips of "Do The Whirlwind" -- and flowing confetti and smiles -- it was curfew time.
Post-show the crowd got an invitation to get down to Cake Shop for some extended revelry. Hoping for an AiH secret set, we swung down to the bar on Ludlow St. Instead of another performance, we played another round of indie rock stawker, this time featuring Little Stevie Van Zandt, and Alec Ounsworth doing the chicken dance with the AiH kids. David Byrne made it to the show too, but he left after talking to the band at Avalon. It all kind of made us believe 'em when they said "we just have the best time playing in New York."
In store for Architecture? More touring, then into the studio to record the follow-up to last year's amazing In Case We Die. If the tunes are anything like "Derby" or the other newbies we heard, it's gonna be great. The lesson for you kids out there: skip your prom, grab some Ritalin, go see Architecture in Helsinki.
SETLIST
- Neverdid
- It's 5
- ICWD
- Feather
- Frenchy
- Hot To Trot
- Cemetery
- Wishbone
- Kraftwerk
- Debby
- Fumble
- Heart and Faces
- What's In Store
- Maybe You Could Owe Me
- Do The Whirlwind
Posted at 1:54 PM in Concert, MP3
Tags: Architecture In Helsinki
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I saw them the GAMH in SF this week. What a great show.
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I was a little disappointed the acoustic didn't work for "fumble". I really like the outtro...but overall a great show!
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AIH is rad.
YACHT's remix of Do The Whirlwind is really really good as well, and is on his myspace. (I think it is going on a AIH remix record)
http://www.myspace.com/yacht
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Good Lord. After seeing those pictures, am I the only one who thinks Feather, Frenchy, Wishbone, Debby, and Fumble should be their names? I'm all about the geek-rock aesthetic (in theory, at least) but they look like they just stumbled out of a Will Ferrell movie.
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Fuck did anyone else go to Film School at Merc Lounge this week? Am I the only lucky soul? Want to see photos. There were several peeps snappin' away.
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The most fun I have ever had at a show. I love AIH.
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In Case We Die is horribly underappreciated. (Should I find that comforting?) AiH is fantastic live -- glad to see Stereogum give it up.
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I guess they must have gotten better. I saw them in DC awhile ago and they were annoying and boring. Then again, I also thought their first CD was annoying and boring.
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Also KJB - great comment! That would be hilarious. "A Mighty Wind" for us yougins.
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what a fun, wild show. it was almost dizzying keeping track of everyone onstage. pics and review here: http://indie-licious.blog.com/757265/
also, kevin, i caught the film school show and should have pics and review up in the next couple days.
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I had the chane to see AIH but i chose to see Rilo Kiley as they were playing on my 18th(although that was a good gig) :(
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Yeah AIH are pretty cool. Makes me proud to be Aussie.
http://www.musictimes.com.au
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