Bellflur
Thursday’s opening band for the DAM! Festival show at DC9 was Gaithersburg’s Bellflur. Initial impressions that they were (very) heavily indebted to OK Computer-era Radiohead proved true, with the band either attacking most songs with a “Paranoid Android”-like aggression, or plodding through “You and Whose Army?” style ballads. There were nice touches though – a full arsenal of effects pedals and some spooky vocal lines – and the band has a knack for making things cold and detached sound somewhat pretty. Sure, the only lyric we could understand was the ad nauseam repeat of “all this medication” from lackluster closer “Shooting an Elephant,” and yes, their ambition outstrips their abilities at this point, but it’s still nice to see a band tastefully taking some hints from prog and going for something bigger than a 3 minute pop song.
The Oranges Band
A little background: In a serious role reversal, my little sister – who not so long ago, it seemed, was listening only to Shania Twain and LFO – sent me a copy of The Oranges Band’s latest album, The World and Everything In it, well before the band ever crossed my radar. Suffice it to say, though still in high school, little sis’ taste is excellent. Last night, The Oranges Band set out to rock, harmonize, and smile. There are a number of prior touchstones for this band – the driving quarter note snares of Motown, the ringing guitars and melodic leads of power pop – and all of them come together quite nicely in a live setting.
The band opened with a new song, “Jenny, I’m Sneaking Out” (from a possible upcoming Spring 2007 release) that sort of lulled and never really found its hook. “Ride the Nuclear Wave,” however, was a blast, earning the exhortation from lead singer Roman Kuebler, “Ah, I see you’re a rock and roll crowd.” Similarly, “Believe,” with it’s blatant Big Star-baiting intro riff, was urgent and tight and gleeful. “Open Air” – my favorite tune of theirs to date – wasn’t its usual urgent self, but the rest of the set was everything a fan of guitar pop could hope for. Thanks Sis.
