20130105

Backlights & Math the Band played totally different types of music at Glasslands Gallery

A review of the PopGun show on January 4th, 2013
by TREE WAVE (in normal) and PULSE WAVE (in highlight)

Relevant links!

I got to the show late & missed the first band, Teen Commandments (which Pulse says was pretty good, people were even dancing).

Yeah they were pretty rad.  I'm excited to see some kind of resurgence of 80's inspired dramatic pop.  Teen Commandments lacked that DFA Records detachment that was all the rage (and still is if Holy Ghost is any indication).  That's not to sound critical of those bands, it's just that what Teen Commandments is doing is different from that.  There's a dramatic flair at work in Teen Commandments work that that is reminiscent of all those 80's queer bait one hit wonders. Think Spandau Ballet or Alphaville. The inclusion of some very Johnny Marr guitars also really works in the band's favor. Smiths style drama being not that far removed from Tears for Fears' The Hurting when you get right down to it...The whole set was just very dramatic and earnest!  Of course I love synths because they are so detached but I certainly applaud Teen Commandments for being so very lacking in the kind of irony that I couldn't possibly keep out of my own music.

The second band was Backlights (formerly known as 'The Backlights'). They were great, as usual. Pulse describes their music as 'soft rock'. I think everyone else calls it 'dreamy pop'. They have a new bassist who is pretty intense.

Backlights' new bassist in a moment of calm