March 25th, 2011. On Friday night The Toadstool Bookstore in Peterborough, NH hosted another fantastic show. After hours, in the heart of the store a small but inviting space had been cleared and prepared for three acts. The first was Manchester's Megafauna, a once one-man band singing over his home-brewed, elaborate, poppy backtracks, turned full group with the addition of bass, guitar, and electronic drum kit. The band was off to a rough start between technical difficulties and an awkward approach; they attempted to keep time with the original backtracks, which already included percussion, bass, and guitar. After some monitor and level adjustments, Megafauna finally found their feet at the third song. Megafauna's music is eclectic, well thought-out, and lively. Singer/songwriter Ian Hughs holds nothing back - shaking, hopping, and twitching as he belts out his lyrics in an ecstatic manner. Their music is some shade of alt-pop...which I must admit I know very little about. What I can say is that it was certainly a different experience seeing him will a full band, and I found it to suite his music quite well. They rounded out their set with a Siouxsie & the Banshees cover and Brian Eno cover, clearly two of Ian's influences. You can listen to Megafauna on their SoundCloud page here.
Photo from Black Norse's Myspace page.
Up next was Keene's Black Norse - a Sabbath-worshipping, sludgy, stoner/doom duo. Since the show was off to a late start Ben Troy and Ryan Harrison wasted no time diving right in to their set. It had been a while since I had listened to anything like this and it brought a great smile to my face. While there's a plethora of stoner metal bands out there, Black Norse still manage to pull you in and demand your undivided attention. There is an honesty and vital energy present in their performance; the music and expression are the means and the end. At one point, after missing a change, they decided to start a song over again - an example that these guys really are the inverse of pretentious. With just a minimal drum set and an amplified guitar, Black Norse create a full wall of sound - raw and rich with overtones, the less-is-more law clearly in effect. Of course, the guitar is heavily distorted and detuned to somewhere around C, which helped to fill our ears with a healthy spectrum of sound. Bass lines would have been an interesting augmentation, but at no point do any of the songs really beckon for it. No, Black Norse are complete as they are...hear for yourself at their Bandcamp site. Though my recording doesn't do them justice, here's a track from the show...
Photo from Mmoss' Facebook page.
The final band for the evening is something of a paradox to me. Somehow Mmoss channel a bit of the Summer Of Love - a time long before any of its members were even born (or so I speculate) - with a strange ease, and a haunting vibe. The first time I saw Mmoss sealed the deal for me; they filled the old Toadstool music space with an energy left over from the late 60's and early 70's, formerly trapped in some sort of vortex to which Mmoss magically hold the key. These sonic time-travellers do what they do very, very well. When I tell someone about Mmoss they shrug, likely thinking "that doesn't sound particularly original." But without hearing Mmoss, it's not possible to understand what makes them great and unique. Friday's show was another affirmation....Mmoss are Mmoss, and Mmoss are good. In the small space, encompassed by bookshelves and several pairs of ears, the band worked its magic. Their spell simultaneously sent us back in time, but also forward from our nostalgic thought patterns, up to the leading edge of active creation - hence the strange riddle of this exceptional band. Multipart vocal harmonies, eerie twangy guitar licks, lush modulated organ, jangly drum beats, thumping basslines, and smooth flute leads makeup Mmoss's exquisit sonic backdrop. At times they trance you out in a droney, buzzy, heady jam and other times they get you tapping your foot, pulling your strings to put a flower in your hair and dance with whomever is next to you at the moment. Last night they unfotunately played a short set, though quite tasty it was. For your enjoyment, here are a couple of tracks from the show... [Wander]
[Grow Down]
Previously Mmoss' I album was only available as a digital download or audio cassette, but any day now the vinyl LP will be available. You can snag it at Toadstool or online here. Prefer lossless digital audio? Visit the band's Bandcamp site to listen to I as well as two other great tracks, Wander and Another Dream. Also, Moss will be at this year's The Thing In The Spring festival, which you shouldn't miss if you're in the New England area.
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