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Louis XIV with The Killers
Thursday · The Madison Theater
Louis XIV is a dirty little slut of a band. And that's just the way they like it. San Diego's Louis XIV — before they rolled around in liquid eyeliner, flavored condoms and used fetish-wear — were originally part of the Roots rocking band, Convoy. Convoy released an album called Black Licorice back in 2001 to some notice, but vocalists/guitarists Jason Hill and Brian Karscig and drummer Mark Maigaard had interests elsewhere (bass player Jimmy Armbrust joined in 2003). Initially, they went to Paris to record their first effort, the self-titled Louis XIV. They returned to San Diego to put the finishing touches on the disc and posted some of the results on their Web site. Surprisingly — to the band — radio stations began to play one of the tracks titled "God Killed The Queen." They bought a CD burner and quickly sold 500 copies of their debut. After a sleazy but powerful set at South By Southwest in March of 2004, Louis XIV joined The Killers and Von Bondies on tour, even though Louis was still unsigned. But they weren't that way for long, inking a contract with Atlantic Records in August of 2004.
In January of this year, they released their last independent recording, the Illegal Tender EP, which included their hit single "Finding Out True Love Is Blind." Their major label debut, The Best Little Secrets Are Kept, also included the single along with material from their previous recordings and some new songs songs. Louis the XIV's sound is one that recalls Bowie's early '70s, decadent hot-bitch period with the crunchy guitar goodness of T. Rex. Hill is the perfect tramp on stage, leering, pouting, ticking men off and making the girls wet their panties. So what if he swipes a few moves from Mick Jagger — Mick's not really using them anymore anyway. And the hyper-affected British accents in which they've chosen to sing just adds to the decadent fun ... even if you do want to slap the faux Blighty patois right out of their pretty little mouths after a while. But, it's all in good, dirty fun, and there isn't enough of that going around these days. (Dale Johnson)
Porcupine Tree with Brian Martin
Thursday · The Mad Hatter
When you mention the phrase Prog Rock to most people, they cross themselves and run shrieking in the opposite direction. It's a natural reaction, caused by any number of bloated, self-indulgent and overly earnest bands in the '70s and '80s who compromised the genre's dignity with concept albums packed with sorcerers, fairies, mythical lands and overwrought bombast that alienated or bored listeners. Londoner Steven Wilson learned well from Prog's more egregious offenders when he conceived and assembled his Art Rock quartet Porcupine Tree in 1993 with former Japan keyboardist Richard Barbieri, bassist Colin Edwin and drummer Chris Maitland (since replaced by current drummer Gavin Harrison). Wilson saw the attraction of making music that was full and conceptual yet lean and muscular, combining the visceral impact of pure Rock and the thoughtful intricacy of Prog. Over the past 12 years, Wilson and Porcupine Tree have pursued a Prog/Art Rock course that has often drifted into conceptual territory (like their new album, Deadwing, based on a Wilson screenplay) without becoming mired in ponderous arrangements and half-assed storytelling. And while none of this has brought Porcupine Tree much more than a cult following at home and in America, the band has never forgotten that they are first and foremost a Rock band. PT's more recent efforts, particularly 2002's In Absentia, have featured a heavier sound, influenced by Wilson's production/collaboration with Death Metal stalwarts Opeth, but the band's foundation has always remained true to their original concept of powerfully supple guitars and hypnotizing keyboard textures. Deadwing (featuring guests Adrian Belew and Opeth vocalist Mikael Ackerfeldt) finds PT hewing closer to their core sound, as evidenced on the 10-minute title track that opens the album, a stunning example of the band's subtlety and melodic power. It was reported in some circles that Porcupine Tree's ovation-inspiring opening gigs on the 2003 Yes tour had the Prog legends so rattled that they directed their roadies to unplug PT's equipment before each show. True or not, it's time for all the legends to get their heads out of their double-topographic-album asses and pay heed to Porcupine Tree, the real new sound of Prog Rock. (Brian Baker)
Darediablo with Le TechnoPUSS13s and And How
Saturday · The Comet
With the rise of laptops, turntables and two-pieces, you might have completely forgotten about how much unadulterated whupass that a simple power trio can mete out. While bands like Drums & Tuba and Medeski, Martin & Wood have lost themselves in experimentation, NYC's Darediablo are poised to become the preeminent instrumental three-piece of the new millenium by reverting to a more classic sound and instrumentation. But there's one twist: the venerable electric bass is replaced with a Fender Rhodes. The result is an organ-driven Rock sound that jams like the bastard child of Cream and Trans Am. On their latest Southern Records release, Twenty Paces, the band has perfected their organic assault with the most focused set of songs in their catalog (which includes four other albums dating back to 2000). Matt Holford continues to explore the range of the keyboard, from the tasteful and dramatic style of John Paul Jones to the frenetic heights of Keith Emerson. Jake Garcia's finger-picked (yeah, you have to see it to believe it) guitar playing battles and balances the keys, mixing squealing solos with growling riffage. Drummer Chad Royce shows tremendous restraint by not bashing or whacking off and covering the sweet dueling in which Garcia and Holford are engaged. Instead, he provides rock solid support and frames the shifting character of every song. There's no bass, but plenty of low end coming from Garcia's double-necked bass/guitar combo and the lower register of the organ. Hearing a quick snippet of any of their songs might suggest that they're a Jam band, but this isn't the case at all. Instead of long, lilting adventures, DD's songs are tasty nuggets of perfectly digestible instrumental fury. This is powerful stuff. It's what the guys in Styx do in the basement when no one's looking. Whether this venerable, simplified Prog lineup is back or simply never went away, its
resurgence is no doubt welcomed by many. And, with the sounds of the '70s creeping into Indie Rock, it was really inevitable. Finally, before you bemoan the lack of vocals, just remember that when unrepentant band geeks like those in DD sing, it's usually in high-pitched voices about robots and politics. And nobody wants to hear that. (Ezra Waller)
