Minneapolis trio, CLAPS, has recently released two EPs back-to-back, on the ever-trustworthy Guilt Ridden Pop! label. For some reason, rising out of all of the forgettable bands in the synthpop genre, CLAPS just sits right with me, their ’80s-inspired vocals and minimal synthpop occasionally reminding me of my favorite childhood videogames. Sure, that description seems fitting for about a million bands in the genre, but there’s a little more to it than that with CLAPS.

Listen to “Fold” – DOWNLOAD MP3

The New Science EP has three tracks: “Fold,” “Gruzzles,” and “Fireworks,” but it is very obvious that “Fold” and its three remixes are the main focus of the EP. In fact, the other two tracks are added bonuses, but they don’t add much. “Fold”‘s excellence can be found in cyptic lyrics, which feel like subconsciously-penned ramblings in incoherence. “The movement/ In three steps/ Fall forward/ Fall inward/ One in itself/ Back into the fold,” takes the track down a path of shapely abstraction, meandering hypnotically while addressing topics of dreams, multiplication, and directional confusion. The three remixes of “Fold” — crafted by Chic Portier, Busy Signals, and Sovietpanda — play up the mathematical dreaminess of the track with fairly minimal electronica, with Chic Portier’s particularly representative of this. “Fold” can easily be listened to time and time again, and keeping the EP exclusively dedicated to “Fold” may have been a good move. But c’est la vie.

The No Party EP follows a similar formula, only it contains one remix for each of its three tracks, “Lost,” “Red Dress,” and “Game Undone.” Of the two EPs, No Party is the stronger one. “Lost” and “Red Dress” tell tales of longing, recalling unfavorable emotions in a rather literal fashion, with subdued synths to match. “Game Undone” is a whirlwinding descent of a song, which feels as though it is coming undone itself, keyboard stroke by dizzying keyboard stroke.

Though I’m not sure why CLAPS chose to release two back-to-back EPs, it was a smart move. Last year, we reviewed an Aluminum Babe release; 17 was a full-length synthpop journey that contained sixteen tracks and featured a scant three remixes. It was easily too long and too burdensome. These two CLAPS EPs feature a more dramatic three remix to three track ratio — but simply breaking up the releases makes this dual EP release feel like a bite-sized introduction to the band.

Rotture
Portland, OR
2011 – 03/31

RYAT

Despite the fact that RYAT recently played our SXSW house party, I will admit that I had no idea what their live show was like. Because I was running around like a madwoman, all I knew was that their set-up takes quite a bit of time and looks like quite a complex maze of gear. That, and they actually tour with a video artist, and that is quite a dedication to the craft, particularly for a mid-sized band. Luckily, RYAT isn’t just blowing smoke. They are professional as all heck.

The music RYAT makes isn’t dancey, per se, and can be considered unconventional even in the ever-saturated realm of experimental electronic acts. That’s where the appeal lies, though. Drums build and fall, rotating between the individual drum sets employed by the two members, Christina Ryat and Tim Conley, and mixes fade and cross with cues taken from progressive electronic tracks and DJ sets. I can honestly say I have never seen a band perform like this, with RYAT’s vocals falling somewhere between Bjork’s and CocoRosie’s, her stage presence vibing like a classically-trained dancer at a techno club.

Prior to the show, my friend had explained to me that he was far from sold on the idea of live visuals accompanying sets, because they seem far too commonplace these days, and more often than not, they detract from the live performance. I happen to agree. far too many musicians incorporate visuals without truly understanding the stake they hold, but RYAT know how to do a live show right. The visuals, programmed live by video artist Annapurna Kumar, add great value; falling directly upon the band members’ bodies rather than behind them, they offer perfectly-paced and perfectly-appropriate content. What’s more: something about Rotture’s subwoofer and sound system caused a whipping of bass that slapped me with winds so hard that I seriously thought, multiple times, that someone had thrown an object at me. This sonic oddity was naturally timed perfectly to the music, offering a fourth-dimensional factor to the show. It was seriously incredible, and incredibly bizarre.

Pegasus Dream

During RYAT’s set, Christina Ryat described headlining band Pegasus Dream, saying, “My mother would say, ‘What nice boys!’” and I could instantly see where this impression might’ve come from. Pegasus Dream were a complete 180 from RYAT. Between their 8-bit melodies, humorous sound check antics, goofy stage banter (about this particular show being the one year anniversary of Pegasus Dream an fellow Portlanders Nucular Aminals being neighbors), and video art transitions with images of — I think — Sasquatch, Pegasus Dream remind me in a way of Napoleon Dynamite. (Hope that isn’t offensive, guys.) What I mean is: their music is light-hearted and probably good for dancing around a living room to. And I don’t wholly mean the comparison, either; I rather hate Napoleon Dynamite, and these guys are better than that.

(I should also note that they have some kind of extremely talented designer in their midst, as their branding, as it translates to posters and CDs and all other collateral — is top-notch and worth a peek.)

Rendezvous
Seattle, WA
2011 – 03/31

Filling up JewelBox Theater in the Seattle institution, Rendezvous, Sib went on an hour-plus tear of recalling the day that he discovered punk rock. But let’s not start there.

Eric Lincoln Hurst

The show itself opened up with East Coaster and Seattle Transplant, Eric Lincoln Hurst, a comedian who tells jokes sans gimmick, which tends to be a rarity these days, let alone in Seattle. Hurst’s no-nonsense approach is every bit of Eddie Murphy, Dice Clay or Sam Kinison, and doesn’t shamelessly try to ape Patton Oswalt or Eugene Mirman, something that seems to happen in Seattle (and in the comedy scene in general) more times than not.

Hurst was also a good match for Sib, who, while not a comedian by trade, still brought hilarious and poignant stories to the table.

Joe Sib

Backed by a slideshow of several photos from his past, Sib goes into extreme detail of his Northern California upbringing, touching on his parents’ divorce, his Italian heritage, his introduction to punk rock, and his time fronting Wax and co-founding SideOneDummy Records (home to The Gaslight Anthem and Broadway Calls, among others).

What I found particularly unique about Sib’s show is how entertaining it was. Usually, the old punx speaking tours can be somewhat of a downer, whether it’s Henry Rollins (who usually has good stories, mind you) talking about what a stupid idiot you are to your face, or Jello Biafra explaining the downsides of American foreign politics. Because Sib’s story is incredibly personal and well-executed (spoiler alert: there’s dancing and crowd participation involved), I found myself leaving the show feeling upbeat and with a huge smile in my face rather than with the desire to go smash the windows at Niketown.

With Lesser Known, Adventure has made a dance party album for the — forgive the pun — musically unadventurous. Gone are all the hard, edgy beats and the 8-bit bumpy feel from his previous release; everything seems much sleeker and overproduced. This is not the Adventure of the Baltimore Wham City days that it was my pleasure to see live at their Round Robin a few years back. This is Adventure for the new, synthed-out era. Granted, the songs are definitely catchy, especially “Feels Like Heaven” and “Smoke And Mirrors,” despite being ironically (one assumes) over the top — to the point of cheesy, repetitive auto-tuned vocals. “Lights Out” sounds like a pulsing, echoing ‘80s dance jam, but one that you’ve heard before. “Relax the Mind” almost seems like a parody of gothy, post-industrial style, although it’s probably not intended that way. The appeal of this record is not long-lasting unless your tastes are within a narrow spectrum of a specific genre of music. For ADD partiers only!

Adventure “Feels Like Heaven” by carparkrecords

Adventure “Rio” by Carpark Records

BOOM!

Mustachioed duo BOOM! started the night with a polished set of speed-psych rock, vibing off each other and cruising through a quick session on stage. With each track shifting gears more often than an over-caffeinated truck driver, BOOM! left little time for the crowd to even bob their head before moving on to the next jam. Clearly led by the drummer’s fast and precise slams, BOOM! benefit from a symbiotic drum-to-guitar relationship as opposed to purely guitar-driven punk. BOOM! could definitely benefit from expanding their ideas on album, as each song felt like a vignette of something yearning to be expanded.

Mean Jeans

Next up was Mean Jeans, whose three piece ensemble kicked out familiar and awesome tunes, finally energizing the crowd and performing the best set of the night. I’ve always thought it’s the sign of a great band when their live performance outshines their recordings, and Mean Jeans took their best songs to a whole new level in person. As the first crowdsurfer took to people’s shoulders, fans sung along to “Let’s Pogo B4 You Gogo” and “Slime Time.” “We’ve only got two love songs,” Mean Jeans lead singer/guitarist pointed out, “but we’re trying to write that song. We want to get on the TV.” When he screamed the name of the track into the mic before the drummer counted it off, the entire venue was theirs. Mean Jeans might not be ready for the small screen, but they certainly know how to kick out stellar Ramones-esque garage rock.

White Fang

White Fang, whose new record, Grateful To Shred, was the toast of the evening, commanded an energy on stage with both its visual exhibitionism and often improvised tunes. Their house party attitude certainly shined, as the guitarist played two songs from the back of the venue, the lead singer jumped into the crowd, and the bassist began the set in only his boxers, eventually playing half the set in his birthday suit. They’re raucous, loud, and messy, but never in a scary way. “Our set was over like ten minutes ago” the lead singer said as the band members switched positions and screamed at each other, with guitarist and drummer in the crowd with the mic, singer on drums, and bassist in the buff kicking out a solid rhythm. As White Fang’s set devolved from album cuts into straight-up fooling around, the band’s talent was finally on display. Creative license at its finest, White Fang did as they pleased, jamming and creating songs on the fly, proving that they absolutely belong in psych-rock’s current revival.

The entire show felt like a reunion of sorts, and with BOOM!, Mean Jeans, and White Fang all sharing a home on Gnar Tapes it sort of was, but the entire show gave off the vibe of one big inside joke I didn’t get. White Fang’s unabashed performance captured at least the eyes of the crowd, but for me it was Mean Jeans who shred their way into my heart.