Made my way over to Union Pool this evening to see Phosphorescent. Their album Pride was one of my favorites of 2007, and the later months of said year also led to my rediscovering 2005′s Aw Come Aw Wry in the course of finishing the first draft of my novel. What I liked about Pride was the blurred feeling of it — the way Matthew Houck and band created an almost hallucinatory feeling throughout, songs of joy and elation and devotion and regret blending together into one sometimes harrowing, sometimes beautiful work.
With the exception of the massed vocals at the end of “Endless” to close out the set, this live version* of Phosphorescent had a much more rock feel to them: multiple guitarists and multiple drummers, and Houck off to one side, playing fervently. Though the clarity of their live show would seem on paper to be a sharp contrast to their recorded sound, Houck’s voice allowed for one major constant between the two while the dynamic control of the band helped to translate the emotional range into a different form.
I stuck around to see the newly-signed-to-Frenchkiss The Dodos play. I’d seen some good things written about them on the Death+Taxes blog, and witnessed them come on stage to a thunderous reception. As for the music — their myspace page characterizes them as “experimental/blues/folk”, and in this case that’s pretty accurate. There was one wordless-vocals-plus-furious-drumming interval that sounded a bit too Sung Tongs for my taste, but otherwise, their sudden dips into blues and folk riffs while playing frenzied rock made for a hell of a set. (The first single can be heard/downloaded here.) I’m tempted to reference the time I saw fellow San Franciscan duo Two Gallants for the first time: not sonically or lyrically similar, but with a comparable intensity, and the sense that you were watching timeless music rejuvenated before you.
*-from the stage banter, it sounded like this lineup was a fairly new one. Despite the possible lack of continuity, I’m still going to link Phosphorescent’s Daytrotter session, as it’s quite good.
i was also at the show! The Dodos were awesome and i loved their sound…Phosphorescent did well also but the tone was different from the Dodos and the surprising Phil and the Osophers…I didn’t expect to see Phil and the Osophers because they were not listed on the L Magazine, but they have an especially unique sound…i’d have to say the Dodos and Phil and the Osophers really stood out last night
Between Phosphorescent and Bon Iver, the SC/JJR/DO family of labels kinda knocked the awesome singer/songwriter thing out of the park. I’m seeing both in the next few weeks. I can’t wait.
Fun with public transit kept me from seeing Phil and the Osiphers, though I’m curious to hear them…
I love Phosphorescent; they are like a more lively Iron and Wine. Can’t wait til their next show.