Wait, I thought to myself as I was trying to decide what to do last Saturday night, is that Wendy Schneider the Bugatti Type 35 Wendy Schneider playing at the Circle A? Why, yes it is, with a new(er) outfit called Howler on a double bill with a band called Powerwagon. It was Powerwagon's CD/Record/(whatever we're releasing new work on these days) show, and their description sounded interesting enough ("Monster Truck Rock and Roll") so off I went.
Needless to say, Howler did not disappoint. Schneider still has the same matter-of-fact, clear delivery she had back 20 years ago when I saw (actually, opened for her with my band) at the Cactus Club. She doesn't howl her songs -- she lets her sharp lyrics do the howling, and her guitar do the growling. Oh, what a gorgeous, warm fuzzy tone she gets out of that axe (think: Blue Cheer) that contrasts/compliments her pointed songs and delivery. She's backed up by a rhythm section that is equally sharp yet fuzzy. The difference from her earlier work is demonstrated on
Demons, a tune they did in the middle of their set (and which opens the CD I walked out the door with): it's structurally more traditional that the dissonant Bugatti Type 35 stuff, but it retains a paradox of menacing vulnerability. They closed their set with a tension-filled grind called "Millions." I'll be back when they swing by from their Madison home, for sure.
Powerwagon had to follow this, no small task, and they were up to it. With a tagline like "Monster Truck Rock and Roll" I was expecting some kind of white trash hillbilly crap (which, don't get me wrong, I love that shit) but that's not what they ended up striking me with. I'd call it more "Monster Psychedelia" -- lots of good extended jams, swirling melodies, and keeping with the theme at the Circle A that night, fairly dark. On
"Soften the Blow" I even got the feeling that they'd listened to a few spins of Neil Young (Rust Never Sleeps era) now and again. They
brought up a friend to belt out a rousing version of Iggy Pop's "Gimme Danger" before closing out their list.
So then I hopped on the Hoan Bridge to catch another record release party at Club Garibaldi, this time for Sleepersound, who I'd seen opening for the Richard Lloyd Band. They have the blessing/curse (at least when I see them) of being completely different from the other band on the bill, and this night was no exception. I arrived in time for a set from Evacuate The Earth, a band that turned out to be
even more unrelentingly nihilistic than their name or
merch table display implied. It was about when Erin Brophy put down the bullhorn that she used to warn us about the impending doom with her shrill voice and picked up her saxophone (she had both an alto and a tenor at the ready) that it all clicked: somebody's been listening to James Chance! But this band had less of that James White and the Blacks funk, and more no wave, more jazz. They're not afraid to use their considerable technical prowess-- with old and new synthesized sounds coming out of the bass (not to mention a theremin!) and drums that won't quit (Brophy adds a touch of percussion herself), they held me fixed for the perfect set length of a little more than a half hour. Any less, and it would be like "That's all you got? Shot your whole wad that quick?" Any more and I'd be like, "Excuse me, but I need to get a
drink." Don't get me wrong, I really liked them. I like wasabi peas, too, but I can't eat a whole bag of them.
Sleepersound, then, ended up being the right glass of lemonade to wash that down. As tired as I was (it had been a long day) I knew what to expect and realized I needed the gentle rollercoaster that is Sleepersound's thing. Like their songs, they weave in and out of each other on stage to conjure up their emotional soundtrack. They had a screen up that had various moving films, but it didn't really add to their sound. Their strength is allowing the listener to come up with his/her own dreamscapes, their own little movie to soundtrack. My only advice to them at this point is to not be afraid to explore other time signatures besides the dreamy waltz of a mid tempo 3/4 -- which, admittedly, works for your stuff. But guys, you have a drummer (Dan Niedziejko, who also runs the kit for cowpunkers Camel Tow Truck) who can do this. Go for it.
Oh, and to fill out the smorgasbord, oh yeah, a couple of weeks ago I caught this band called Dorothy's Worst, a pile of high-energy punks out of Sheboygan that I'm really looking forward to seeing again. So high energy that the drummer wears gardening gloves to make it through the set. So high energy that the lead singer had to grab a stool and sing a few songs sitting down to keep himself from getting too frenzied. Just really good, speedy, tight, melodic (but not too poppy) punk to bring on winter with. Lots of good punk coming from North on 41/43. Lots of good music period feeding the holiday smorgasbord coming up. Heading out tonight to see Fly and the Swatters (at the Circle A) and Voot Warnings at the Uptowner -- sometimes you need dependable standbys to keep a long weekend going.
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