Wavves live…Arcade Fire…Mumford and Black Keys…Cee-Lo
Main Wavve Nathan Williams
Back Monday night from a Seattle trip. Caught Wavves Wednesday last week at Neumos. If the intensity of their album is about an 8, it was a 12 onstage. Leader Nathan Williams added Jay Reatard’s rhythm section a year ago, and these guys are all about playing loud and fast. They all seem close and gave each other lots of good-natured shit between songs. Good show…Arcade Fire is shaping up to be the band of 2010 considering the outstanding album, amazing live shows, and now the most buzzed-about online music video this side of Cee-Lo’s “Fuck You”. Interesting that while the band rejects virtually every licensing opportunity, a Google Chrome download is required to properly view the clip. I’m not sure I blame them, but it is ironic. “The Suburbs” is the type of complex album that has been a total grower for me, and where my favorite tracks keep changing. Bottom line is that almost all of it works for me…Of “indie” bands not getting tons of mass coverage, the Black Keys and Mumford & Sons CD’s are both lurking in the top 30 after being out for a few months. Good for them, and I like seeing that a banjo-oriented group can catch on with hipsters. In some ways, Mumford strikes me as a more-accessible Fleet Foxes in terms of their appeal. BTW, Fleet Foxes are saying their next album will be darker. That’s often a mistake for bands. I’m not sure I’d recommend that direction to them, but I’m still very interested to hear what they’re coming up with…If you haven’t seen the “official” Cee-Lo video just out this week, you must check it out. Off-beat lightening has stuck twice for him, first with “Crazy” in 2006 and now with “Fuck You”. The clean “Forget You” version sounds great on the radio.