Momentum can count for a lot. The last time I saw Brooklyn’s Suckers, on a bill a few months ago with Oxford Collapse and Real Estate, they played a set with no shortage of strong songs that nonetheless felt more like a collection of songs than a proper live set. Their songs are firmly rooted in a slow-burning rock tradition with drone-laden psychedelic departures scattered throughout, thankfully accentuating the textures supplied by multiple vocalists and a fondness for percussion. Tonight’s set used their dronier elements to propel them from song to song, supplying a full-on sense of unity throughout.
I’d known nothing about Tanlines, who closed the evening, until just before they took to the stage. Turns out they’re a duo, comprised of Eric Emm and Professor Murder‘s Jesse Cohen. The music, not surprisingly, is made for dancing: beats both digital and drummed, melodies emerging from a keyboard, Emm contributing sinuous guitar lines; all acting out a constant escalation. The individual elements are minimal, but the effect as they come rushing from the speakers has the beatific quality of dance music at its best.