Last Thursday, I was fortunate enough to be at the Strutt for a few hours in the evening. While I was there, a handful of bands also happened to be playing. While I can neither confirm nor deny weather these two happenings were coincidental, I can certainly confirm that the show was most excellent, and if you missed it, you missed out. No worries though, I’ll do my best to get some Cliff’s notes going.

The evening opened with a general dimming of lights, a requisite fading-out of the stereo, and a single woman stepping up on stage with an acoustic guitar. The woman, of course, being Kalamazoo’s very own Fiona Dickinson. For those that have seen her set before, rest assured it was nothing short of excellent (the best of hers I’ve seen).

For those that have not experienced Ms. Dickinson first-hand, it sort of goes like this. She plays haunting guitar chords in strange tunings – many, I’m sure, of her own design – and sings with a voice that balances the subtleties of the human condition with raw vocal power. The control Fiona commands over the absolute atmosphere of a venue is staggering, especially considering that, at the end of the day, it’s only one person with an acoustic guitar. A must-see for any Kalamazoo music-lover. A must-see for anyone, really.

Second in rotation, The Nue Spritez (Neu Sprytes? Nwe Sprights?) brought it heavy. This four-piece outfit is Kalamazoo’s only true progressive rock band, and they do the whole bit to a ‘T’. The boys had arrived early to set up their huge array of gear, so that the start was abrupt and jarring – just the way I like a prog band to start.

Employing everything from strange time changes, blistering guitar-parts, odd sound effects and a strong yet subtle ambiance that I could not do justice through typed word, these cats put on a great show. Although, if progressive rock is not your thing, I suppose it could get tiring.

Thursday’s show was also the Spryghts’ long-awaited (two-years-in-the-making, in fact) album release show. The disc is beyond great, so if you’re a fan of these boys or progressive music in general, I suggest hunting them down and picking one up. They’re 10 bucks a piece, and totally worth the cash money.

Surely weary from the road, Holy Sons geared up and played as soon as the New Sprites finished cleaning up their mess of equipment. The Sons’ set-up was a pretty standard rock format, with two guitars, a bassist, and a drummer. To think they would bring a pretty standard rock game, though, was to be foolish. In two words (and ironic to the band’s name): Hell yeah.

The songwriting harkened to Tom Petty’s heavier stuff, which is definitely a good thing in the eyes of this writer. A hint of old-timey music cut deep with ripping guitar and grizzled vocals. The songs were good. The rocking came easy. At one point a guitar went off on it’s own, and the esteemed DJ Polar Bear turned and informed me ‘I think they call that tone’. I was in the midst of the pit for this part of the show, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Catch these cats if you ever can again.

Holy Sons finished their set near the end of the night, and got out of the way rather quickly. After a brief intermission, the feature of the evening took the stage. Que a headliner that was absolutely worth the cost of entry.

Scout Niblett was, bluntly and un-eloquently, most excellent. A two-piece featuring a spastic and heavy-hitting drummer, and a young woman with an overpowering voice and voracious electric guitar. The vocals were at times pseudo-soothing, at times somewhat creepy, and at times rather alarming. An interesting listen, but a great show nonetheless.

The vast majority of the crowd seemed rather enraptured by the sight before them, and that sort of grandiose effect tends to speak for itself. Scout Niblett was one of those acts that really stays with you long after initial ingestion of the music. The recorded bits are similarly excellent, but the full experience is really in the live show, and the proof is in the pudding. Get some of that if ever you can.

Tonight a whole slew of experimental rock graced the No Fun House basement. Here’s what went down:

The show began with locals Totally Rad, who could be likened to a day where the Dead Milkmen decide that they are not actually opposed to going to the beach, and on their way stop at an icecream parlor. There they run into a recently formed greaser street racing gang composed of members of King Missile and Ween. But with balloons and stuff. In a word: radical.

Chicago band CMKT4 was up next, filling the whole performance area with various machines of noise and beeps. They were reminiscent of some sort of 80s underground sound that I could not quite place. Sometimes comparable to Bauhaus, sometimes Captain Beefheart. All the time filled with drones and noise that was comparable to local band Rotten Wood Moon, but used in a different manner.

Afterward, local group Forget The Times took over with a 3 guitar onslaught wall of sound. 90’s Sonic Youth-esque noise rock intertwined with spastic jazz drumming. Sometimes much like Naked City. Occasionally using what would be considered funky beats in any other setting, but with the grinding droning guitar, seemed foreign and bizarre in a good way.

Finally was last minute addition Jonathan Hape from Columbus, Ohio, who toted an acoustic indie rock ambient sound. He successfully pulled off the one man band, with an extensive use of loops and a small drum set, creating a sound similar to the Notwist, though with a shoegaze flare.

All together the show was eclectic, impressive and fun, with the only downside being an unfortunate lack of attendance.

Last night it was a Monday night, and so it was rather absurd to have 40 people packed in a basement and head-banging to live music. Absurd is what No Fun House does best though, and everyone who was there could agree that it was a rockin’ time.

As Above, So Below played first. Or rather, As Above, So Below was supposed to play first, but they changed their lineup, changed their name (to ‘That’s Blood’), and brought the heat in a big way. Fast and heavy, with some technical and excellent guitar-work, and some pretty crazy sound-effects thrown in for measure, these guys were a great time. The only strike against them is that their set was relatively short (only about twenty minutes), but considering they were jumping in head-first with members of the band that had joined that day, I feel like it is a pardonable offense.

The first time DIT(K) booked AA,BA, the bill they were on got moved to a different venue and they were bumped off of it. The second time DIT(K) booked AA,BA, the powere failed at No Fun House and the show did not go on. This time, AA,BA didn’t even get to play, so in a way, we never did successfully book that band. That’s Blood is fantastic though, so I think I can live with the loss. Keep your eyes and ears open, because these guys are an act to catch.

The second set was also relatively short. It was relatively abrasive too, though, so it all worked out in the end. Bubonic Bear put on a hell of a show and had the front row rocking all the way out. Their music was loud, heavy, noisy, and furious, with this drum-and-guitar duo leaving a distinct mark in the atmosphere. The vocals were screamed, not sung, which is not something I’m to hip on (though when it comes to the crowd last night, I was in the distinct minority in that regard), but the music was excellent, the set was solid, and the energy was unparalleled. If Bubonic Bear makes their way from Philly again, I’ll check ’em out again.

Last but not least, local math-rockers Good News closed the night with a two-piece super-technical onslaught of moving melodies and precision drumming. This is the fourth time I’ve seen Good News, and they only get better with every show. They’ve got some dates upcoming at The Strutt, so keep your eyes peeled and check them out. You will not be disappointed.

Speaking of Upcoming shows, tonight marks day two of Back-to-back No Fun Rockin’, featuring Kalamazoo locals the Nue Spriyghts, Indiana returning champs Analecta, and Pennsylvania visitors Dead Horse. Lots of post-rock sound-scapes are to be had tonight, so if you’re in to good music, make sure you check it out.

You couldn’t swing a dead cat around the Strutt tonight without hitting a great post-rock band!

Hi people! How are you? Hot? Me too!

Want to cool off? Then go on down to the Strutt tomorrow at 3p and listen to some cool music. You may be asking, “What, pray tell, is this oddly named festival, and why in the world would I gaze at my shoes?” While you don’t have to gaze at your shoes to go, there will be plenty of Shoegaze, ambient, and dream pop happening for your listening pleasure. All for $10- which is quite a steal. I’ve been going the past 2 years and have always had a rad time.

Your next questions may be: “Who is playing, and why should I care?” I have an answer to that as well. Here’s the list

Pilot Cloud (Philadelphia, PA)
800 Beloved (Detroit, MI)
Glowfriends (Kalamazoo, MI)
Love Culture (Columbus, OH)
Olympus Mons (Pittsburgh, PA)
…The Rosen Association (Chicago, IL)
Brief Candles (Milwaukee, WI)
Crash City Saints (Kalamazoo, MI)
Screen Vinyl Image (Washington, DC)

Just click the links and let yourself be carried away by some dreamy beautiful music. I hope to see you there!

It’s a good day today in K-town. The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting (but not, as far as i know, on Twitter), and I’m sitting comfortably in my new house with some chilled pink lemonade while listening to some Russian Circles.

Speaking of Russian Circles– we were finally graced with their presence this past Thursday! Despite a setback this past winter with a show cancellation due to inclement weather, they returned to us– and this time the clouds mercifully left us alone (thank you clouds). And I was able to experience this event thanks to a generous monetary gift from The Daddy. Now I will be able to relay for you all that went down Thursday night.

Opening up the night was Grand Rapids natives, Charles the Osprey. While I’m not a huge fan of their music, I am still able to appreciate the technical prowess of both the drummer and the guitarist. It never ceases to amaze me how 2 guys can create a sound that matches or exceeds that of a full band. If you’re interested in progressive or math rock like Cheer-Accident or The Fall of Troy, and you enjoy discussing time signatures or finger tapping techniques with your friends,  you may like these guys.

Next up was The Life and Times of Kansas City, Missouri. They were quite honestly my favorite band of the night. I am an avowed sucker for big, spacey ambient rock and these guys completely delivered. The only thing I was slightly frustrated with was that the right vocal monitor was crackling like crazy during their set so it was really distracting when I wanted to hear the entire band. I hope the Strutt will get it fixed soon. Nevertheless, I was really impressed with these guys. So if you like music to watch the stars to, music like The Appleseed Cast or maybe even Swervedriver, please check these guys out.

And of course, the band we had all been waiting to see at the Strutt since January, Russian Circles, closed out the night. There’s something so gratifying listening to music like this. You’re getting the full package. There’s ambiance and a lot of clashing cymbals, but you can precisely hear every note being played. This is what makes Russian Circles stand out amongst their post-rock peers. I also have to give a huge kudos to The Strutt’s sound guy, Mark, for helping re-create their huge sound in such a small venue. If you’re a fan of Caspian or Pelican, you’re going to absolutely love this band. I sincerely hope we can be graced with their presence again– I’ll be in the front row.

Be sure to check out our calendar for all the goodies coming up in the next few months- I’ll be at Kalamashoegazer on Saturday enjoying myself some good shoegaze music. See you there!

Hello my dears. It’s been such a long time since I have conversed with you all!

In the midst of all the excitement surrounding Soviet round shapes and ospreys named Charles (AMAZING SHOW by the way- a review is on its way), I wanted to bring your attention to a show we had last Saturday night at the No Fun House with Native, Former Thieves, and Kalamazoo’s own The Reptilian. If you weren’t there, I’m dearly sorry you had to miss out on this glorious occasion. Not only did you miss the ladies in the apartments next to us unintelligibly squawking about God knows what (with hilarious results!), but most importantly, you missed some great music! I can’t say I personally missed you though, since if everyone in Kalamazoo showed up, there would have been far less parking in an already tight squeeze with nearly 90 people in attendance fore these bands according to our dear doorman, Saxsquatch.

Kicking off the night with style was Former Thieves from Cedar Falls, Iowa. These guys are what the kids these days call, “legit.” They’re genuinely nice guys, and they play some kick-ass music. If you’re a fan of Touché Amoré or Thursday (circa Waiting), you may be interested in checking these guys out.The album art itself is worth a look.

Next up was Native of Northern Indiana. It’s been interesting to watch how this band has grown up from playing tiny basements to headlining larger venues in just a few short years. I remember seeing them at Rocketstar (RIP) a few years back playing to maybe 20 people. Despite the low attendance their show still managed to have as much frenetic enthusiasm as if they were playing to 200 people. And people have taken note- they were signed to Sargent House in 2008. If you’re a fan of Minus the Bear or At the Drive-In, you may be interested in checking their music out. However, their recording do not do their live shows justice so if you see Native is playing in your area- go to the show and (this goes without saying) support your scene!

And of course, our boys, The Reptilian rounded out the night with a fantastic set. I can’t say much more than that I love these boys dearly, and I don’t think I’ve met a band that works as hard as they do to get their music out there. I sincerely hope that more success comes for these guys because they deserve every bit of it. Check them out if you know what’s good for you!

Now i’m going to go enjoy myself some Ceremony and read a book when i should be studying. Ciao for now.