Pick A Piper w/Hut & The Fishwives @ Rancho Relaxo

I apologize for the lack of postings but my motivation level has been somewhat minimal lately. I think that it's likely one of those inner head things where I am already anticipating how busy the tail end of the month is going to be, and this internal preparation of sorts has made me tired before I've even done anything. In other words, don't take it personal; it's not you, it's me. Still, I work hard to post about every show that I attend, and although we're a full eleven days into the month of June, there was still one more show in May that I have yet to tell you about. What makes my tardiness twice as inexcusable is the fact that this show was so good.

After shamelessly neglecting my friends at Zygiella seven times before, it was great to finally make it out to this eighth installment of the Zygiella series. This time around it was being held at Rancho Relaxo as part of the Pitter Patter Festival and it featured three bands that I really knew very little about. The first act on the bill was a last minute replacement for Huddle, (who had to back out due to a band member injury) known as The Fishwives.

The Fishwives are a local four piece who specialize in a hooky brand of 60's tinged power pop that should easily appeal to anyone who likes their rock 'n roll a little bit wacky. It's become apparent that, although the kids in the band have obviously taken in the art of contemporaries like The Shins and The Coral, they have likely spent a great deal of time digesting their parents music collection also. This is a good thing since their music shows a sense of openness that you wouldn't normally hear in a band so young. In fact, although these guys were not even old enough to drink that night, they played original songs that were witty, adventurous and surprisingly mature. If I can make a bit of a bold statement here: I believe that, given the right direction, The Fishwives have the ability to shine in ways that too many of their contemporaries do not. A big problem with some bands right now is that they seem to find their niche, and then settle there with total disregard to the possibility of exploration. This band, although still in an understandably amateurish stage, have already begun to dabble in different areas, which gives them an eclecticism that should only grow with time. I was impressed.

Photos: The Fishwives @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: The Fishwives

From a band gaining experience to a band with plenty, Hut were on next. The band is the mastermind of Daniel Lee whom I've seen a couple of times in one of his other bands: Hooded Fang. While both of these acts display a measure of pure pop sensibility, the comparisons really do stop there. The Fang have a very polished pop sound that solidifies more and more every time that I see them, while Hut tackles this territory with a frantic lo-fi approach. I realize that choosing one style over the other is really a matter of preference, but to these ears, nothing can compare to the dirty realism of Hut's guttural styling. They wasted no time blasting from one post-punk gem to the other, keeping the vibe free from lag and showcasing a sound that had all of the elements of a mutant spawn of Bradford Cox and Tom Verlaine. They closed with an amazing song called Doom, which I can't stop listening to on their myspace page. It's fantastic, and the reason for this is the fact that the song has such an infectious hook that lends itself to overproduced stadium sounds, but avoids succumbing to that, keeping things deliciously lo-fi and original. On top of that, the lyric "gravity has lost its charm" is probably my favourite lyric of the year so far. Hut keeps their endearing roughness in tact when they perform live and I'll definitely be checking them out again.

Photos: Hut @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Hut

Pick a Piper have received a lot of local love as of late, and Hut had left me pleasantly pumped for what was to follow. Thankfully Pick A Piper took that intensity and cranked it up considerably for their outstanding closing set. As they were setting up, it became obvious that this was going to be a percussive assault of sorts. They had a two drummer set up going on, and plenty other instrumental implements of destruction onstage making me very happy that I remembered my ear protection (for once.) The band consists of Clint Scrivener, Dan Roberts, Angus Fraser and Brad Weber. Brad has spent time as the touring drummer for Caribou, and it's obvious that he's brought that experience with him to this particular outfit. On record, vocal precision and soaring melodies are certainly the order of the day, but when you go to see them live, it's good to expect something a little bit more intense. Although the sound at Rancho was a little bit more muddled that their music would require, the attack of heavy percussion was still very much in tact and as you looked around the room, the tribal beats were clearly having an effect on the heads of all in attendance. It was impossible to stand still as the band played one locomotive blast of freak-psych after another. It also became apparent that the band was working hard for our enjoyment because, although the crowd begged for an encore, the sweat stained bodies of the collective Pipers were just too exhausted to go any further. After all, it's a tough job creating a heady climax of euphoria and everything.

Photos: Pick a Piper @ Rancho Relaxo on flickr
Myspace: Pick A Piper