Rising to the Top of the Brooklyn Music Scene
Yeasayer/Chairlift/Fang Island
Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/5/08
Friday morning I arose to the sound of my intentionally obnoxious alarm. The intoxication form the previous night's escapades had not yet settled. There was still a stumble in my step and an aching in my head. How good was The King Left at Mercury Lounge. Damned if I could recall even the faintest of melodies.
Rarely do I make the journalist mistake of getting too trashed to enjoy the music. In fact, I rarely have more than one drink at a show, because when I'm at a show, I'm there for the music.
After a long long day of work, I found myself at a piano recital, where talented young female students played complicated pieces of classical music with amazing precision. The timeless songs, written centuries ago will live on forever, unlike pop music which often becomes dated after only a decade. I found myself totally enchanted by the fluttering of the keys, which contained such an incredible depth of emotion and tonal variety.
I imagined that the indie rock bands that I'd be following the recital with would seem juvenile and unimpressive.
Arriving at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, it took a while to warm up to opener Fang Island. My initial reaction was that their mostly instrumental rock was heavily comprised of anthemic Kiss guitar riffs. However, over time I grew to enjoy the Brooklyn band, and look forward seeing them rise up in the scene.
The second of the three local acts was Chairlift, known mostly for their iPod commercial hit "Bruises"—one of the most incredibly danceable and infectious tunes of 2008. While it seems that that is the song that's carrying them up the ranks in popularity, it was the moodier song like bass-heavy "Earwhig Town" that were most enjoyable. Singer, Caroline Polachek's voice sounded beautiful, proving to be the group's biggest asset. Be sure to check them out when the group plays BAM on February 13.
Headlining the night was Yeasayer, who were very happy to be back home after a long tour. The last year or two has seen the band rise through the ranks of Brooklyn bands rather quickly. Unlike many of the bands who've recently come up through the scene and have gotten attention from the media, Yeasayer doesn't rely on gimmicks or the popularity of one particular song. Instead, Yeasayer is that rare breed of band pushing the boundaries of rock music by combining an array of unique influences and playing them with solid technical precision. Seeing them on Friday night, I couldn't help but think that Yeasayer's compositions were nearly as strong as the classical works I had heard earlier in the night. Taking world music and infusing rock music, they have an amazing grasp over their concept, and unlike many bands who mix these influences, their result feels natural and unforced. Last year's "All Hour Cymbals" has placed them in the highest tier of local bands, alongside TV on the Radio, Dirty Projectors, Sonic Youth and Grizzly Bear. With Friday night's performance, Yeasayer provided even more evidence that they're one of the best bands around, especially with the breathtaking performance of "No Need to Worry," which featured a three part harmony that was even more beautiful than on record.
Lots of bands rise and fall rather fast in this music scene, but we can expect Yeasayer to be around for quite some time.
