Joined at the hip...

Fittingly, this year's post-Arcadian indiezine pacesetters Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Wolf Parade pass through town within a week of one another. Upgraded ('due to overwhelming popular demand') from the 100 Club, CYHSY subjected themselves to the unforgiving school hall acoustics of ULU where it always helps to use broad brushstrokes. As Mull Historical Society proved on this blog's last visit here, tricksy arrangements and subtle instrumental details tend to founder whilst any vocal, er, rough edges are harshly exposed. As Simon Price of the Indy on Sunday exaggerated:
'Glancing around me, there are lots of startled "What the hell is this?" expressions.. Alec Ounsworth yelping and screeching like pig with it's foot in a snare..I'm torn between a desire to commit murder and a desire to amputate my own ears without anaesthtic.'
reallyrather felt no such urges but can understand. Ounsworth's queasy, off-the-map voice is a core element of this band's noise, tamed in the studio but not an easy thing to control in the wild. The equally key ringing guitar figures kind of lost the battle as the unassuming band rattled through their debut release amidst the suitably playful array of helium-filled balloons. The (Neil Young?) cover in the encore was the only real mis-step, too drearily straight-forward compared to the band's own jangly, lithe exuberance. On this evidence a better record than a night out, but then the record is a top, top thing...

...as Marathonpacks explains in ranking it no.4 on his stoutly reasoned Top 50 for '05: 'The top 20 is pretty untouchable (read: near-perfect or perfect), and the other thirty are damn good, too. I'd recommend any of these records to anyone, because I know in my heart of hearts that they're good.'

And so to the Barfly where Wolf Parade succeeded in expanding their recorded sound into something altogether more three-dimensional and urgent. Distinctly more 'rock' than CYHSY, and bolstered live by 2nd guitarist Dante Decaro (ex-Hot Hot Heat), WP played many numbers at a breathless gallop which served most tunes well except the mighty I'll believe in anything where the willing crowd were denied the chance to revel in it's declamatory swell. A tell-tale factor at any gig are the songs you've never heard before; tonight there were two, both of which had this blog wishing they'd been on the album. But there was undeniably some quality, whatever it is that bonds band with audience, that was missing. While more robust and assured than CYHSY, Wolf Parade compare directly with their fellow Pitchfork-propelled peers in being thoroughly enjoyable on record but not yet totally compelling nor trascendent live...

...and there's a lengthy full-band Q & A with dem Wolves just up over at.. why, Pitchfork...

...and they also hit the top spot for the year at soundsfamiliar...

Elsewhere, while some folks settle for a Top 10, Motel de Moka gets all Spinal Tap and pushes it to 11...

Meanwhile, some glaring errors and omissions in the Mojo, NME and Uncut lists - no Rilo Kiley, no M. Ward, no Clor anywhere to be seen while prog-revivalist piffle from from the likes of Circulus(!) and Dungen, and Kate Bush revivalist, er, Kate Bush abounds. To be remedied here in due course...

And a couple for next year's list, maybe? Rabbit fur coat by Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins is due out here on Rough Trade next month while sisters Chandra and Leigh's own debut (Southern manners) apparently won't be too far behind...
The Watson Twins