Guest Contributer: Joanna Lea
Wednesday, June 3
It’s usually fairly simple to decide which show to attend, but when Langhorne Slim and Passion Pit (pictured) play at the same time, there’s a struggle between the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good: chilling at Parish with a beer, listening to nice folk melodies by another startling Pennsylvanian talent. The bad: getting down rightfully around midnight at Emo’s in a pit of sweaty drunkards. The ugly: trying to attend both. Now this is messy.
www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
To see the rest of this week’s picks:
Friday, June 5
Another night of choices aplenty. Up at Stubb’s, Animal Collective (pictured) plays another sold-out show for yet another anxious crowd. Originally from Baltimore, this freak-folk group is comprised of musicians from many different musicians like Panda Bear, Avery Tare, Deakin and Geologist. The appearances vary, but the variation and unique creations haven’t ceased to spark interest yet. Their new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, is another beautiful piece of work, and the only possible distraction I could think of is the singer-songwriter playing across the street at Mohawk. Matt Oldham, or Bonnie Prince Billy, shares his unquestionable knack for piecing together the most honest-to-goodness songs of late. Animal Collective is sold-out, and Oldham’s show may outshine anyway.
www.myspace.com/princebonniebilly
Saturday, June 6
During SXSW this year, several shows wowed me. While splitting a pizza and beer with a friend at Red House Pizzeria, I caught a favorite girl group of mine, Au Revoir Simone (pictured). The trio drew a surprising crowd and played nothing short of lovely. They play with much-loved Oh No! Oh My! and a new band i’m digging, The Antlers. I was lucky to see them in New York several weeks ago, and this Brooklyn band has been on my mind ever since. Their latest self-released Hospice was recorded after lead singer, Peter Silberman, stayed pent up in his apartment writing some truly thought-provoking indie-rock music about loving and losing. Now with the newly appointed band, these boys have quite the story to share.
