Kids I am frazzled therefore my post today must be short and oh so sweet. Its subject? The Antlers. Are they good? They are great. Luckily for me my pal has snagged some tix to their Lexington show tomorrow so I write about them a day early because I am too, darn, excited – Christmas has officially arrived and it is goooood.
The Antlers – ‘Parentheses’
This weekend I saw the man, the babe that is Dev Hynes aka Lightspeed Champion aka the more recent Blood Orange. Coming on stage at the Shacklewell Arms just before 11pm Hynes looked every inch the cool New Yorker (his adoptive home) as he absolutely slammed out the ‘Coastal Grooves’ record with blood, sweat and tears like his life depended on it. He did it by himself too with just his laptop and axe for company and it was utterly mesmerising.
It’s easy to forget that behind his dope arrangements that the boy can really sing yet when seen live you’re left in no doubt as to his mad skills. My one criticism? He didn’t play the tune below (potentially my favourite off the album) but by ‘eck, I think if he had it would’ve killed him… there’s always next time D-man, always next time…
Blood Orange – ‘Are You Sure You’re Really Busy’
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are onto their seventh studio record and somehow they’re bringing it as much as ever. If anything their sound is bigger, bolder and more badass than on their previous efforst and this coming from a gal that holds their last records ‘Brothers’ in the highest of high esteem (easily one of the sexiest records I’ve listened to in recent years, I defy anyone to disagree).
So big a fan of theirs am I that I was nervous for their follow up, nervous as to whether they could actually go any further in the blues rock genre without repeating themselves over and over again, yet they’ve dropped ‘El Camino’ and it has blown my cranium. To Spinal Tap this up the boys have truly taken it to 11, an all-out, reckless abandon 11 and it is glorious. Happy Friday people.
The Black Keys – ‘Little Black Submarines’
The fact that the below performance takes place in a mortuary (so edgy), is shot in black and white (even edgier), features the Magik Magik Orchestra, two drummers, an incomprehensible amount of hair, some super sharp dressing and a lovely spell of anthemic choral singing makes me more enamoured with Richie and the Guards gang than ever.
Guards – ‘I See It Coming’
Blame It On My A.D.D. 