TONIGHT, The Kazimier sees the return of multi-dimensional New Yorkers THE PHENOMENAL HANDCLAP BAND, who a couple of years ago brought the house down with a memorable show.
Tonight their credentials are put to the test and they rise to the challenge of coaxing a reluctant Tuesday night crowd into getting down and into the groove.
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| Wet Mouth |
LIPAites WET MOUTH open proceedings with some Alt Indie Pop Rock circa early 1990s.
Veslomoy (vocals/bass), clad in a bikini top and baggy vest top is gruff and sultry, a Norweigan lilt adding to her sex appeal, her vocal draws comparisons with PJ HARVEY, GWEN STEFANI and KAREN O.
Thudding bass patterns drive Choisters and Red Hot Euphoria as distorted guitars crackle and crunch around them.
White Light is the stand out track that confirms they could be ones to watch.
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| Winter Falls |
If Wet Mouth are rough and ready then THE WINTER FALLS are the opposite. They bring infectious melodies and bouncy pop, their recent support of THE WOMBATS providing a good springboard for their twinkly pop to shine.
Wasted Minds hits all the right notes and as The Kazimier begins to fill, they up their game with a cracking rendition of This Good Life.
Their drummer is a constant source of interest and amusement for me as he speeds up and down at will, and seems constantly on the verge of losing control of his kit.
After a breathlessly quick version of That Look In His Eyes singer Lucy comments between breaths, “that was quick”.
It is unclear whether this comment is aimed at the drummer!
TPHCB are well received by an initially modest crowd, and opener You’ll Disappear with its psychedelic vibe and slick, smooth groove seems to act as a rallying call to all groovers and shakers, as 3.5 minutes later The Kazimier has miraculously filled up.In This Room, from new album Form & Control is led by some sultry female vocals and squishy synth bass with jagged guitar stabs throughout that stink of ELECTRIC SIX’s finer moments.
The whole sound has connotations with a plethora of European acts such as AIR, ROYKSOPP and ALPHABEAT to name but a few, yet it all feels very touché and playful, they seem to genuinely just want to have a good time.
They are gently forceful, always wanting more from a crowd who initially struggle to shake off that Tuesday feeling.
New track The Unknown Faces Of Father James Park is a funk-pop odyssey, led by glitchy organ tones, before breakthrough track 15 To 20 really hammers home this groups live potential; it a real party tune that serves as the catalyst for this gig.
This leads the way for more new material, including The Right One – a real pop gem from a band who take their influences from every decade of popular music from psychedelic, to funk and soul, to glam rock and beyond,
By the time they break out old favourite Born Again they have the crowd in the palm of their hands, it’s funky soul vibe has everyone moving: The Kazimier dance floor reborn into a 70s discoteque.
It feels overdue when they finally bring in the cowbells for the final track All Of The Above, which extends into an instrumental jam.
Having woken the crowd from their midweek slumbers and worked them up in a Saturday night fever, they depart.
Not bad for a Tuesday night, and if you get a chance to see this Band, I recommend you take it, and Clap with both Hands. Phenomenal.
