Savages and why I hate your phone

When I attend an event, I avoid using my phone during the performance. I do not take pictures during the show and feel that doing so is inappropriate. It's rude to those around you, especially those behind you who have to see a flood of screens instead of the stage, and it also let's the band know you'd rather watch them thru a viewfinder than invest in their performance. In addition, I also measure a band's performance by whether or not I want to check my email. If the band is worthwhile, email, Twitter, Foursquare and Vine should be the furthest thing from your mind.

I recently saw Savages here in NYC, and while I was wholly enthralled by the performance, I really did want to share my enthusiasm with the world. So every few minutes a thought would cross my mind, that would fit perfectly into a tweet. Below are the approximate thoughts about Savages that I would have tweeted during the show:

• @Savagesband: like Siouxsie + PJ Harvey fronting Joy Division playing Wire and Gang of Four cover songs.
• @Savagesband's hair, trousers, shirt collars: there's a lot to be said about a band whose outfits imply their sound so perfectly.
• One of the things that Savages get so right (that other bands of their ilk forget) is the importance of a dash of menace.
• The members of Savages are the kinds of people I always wanted to be friends with during my school days (high school and college).
• The first time I saw Bloc Party in concert, I dubbed them Gang of Bore. Similarly, I will now think of Savages as Gang of Roar.
• So many British female singers get bothered by always being described as similar to Kate Bush. No one is comparing Savages to Kate Bush.
• Few bands can be so ready for both the big time and the anointment as underground royalty as Savages.  
• Can't see Savages taking too kindly to any sexist heckling/remarks, but I can't see anyone having the balls to trying to f with them either.
• There are some simple forgotten tropes of good rock shows: smoke, lots of tom toms, heavy bass and feedback. Savages haven't forgotten.
• Savages don't try to rock. They simply do.
• I really enjoy bands who were obviously very comfortable with who they were during their university years.
• Jehnny Beth understands the importance of performance at a rock show. A tightrope walk across the stage barrier is sometimes all it takes.
• I've always wanted to be in a band like Savages. Being an under-educate American male with no musical talent ensures that will never happen.
• I cannot know for sure, but it feels like Savages are angry for all of the right reasons.
• I appreciate it when a band is an obvious extension of a hallowed lineage. Siouxsie. Joy Division. Wire. Sinead. PJ Harvey. Savages.
• The guitarist reminds me of Johnny Greenwood. Same hair, same feedback. If Radiohead sounded like this right now, they'd be my favorite band. 

All this and Savages haven't even put out an full album yet. 

Blood Red Shoes

I spend lots of time just randomly trolling websites, and downloading whatever sounds remotely interesting. I'll say for the most part the exercise is pretty fruitless. But sometimes I come across something I actually kinda dig. Such is the case with Blood Red Shoes.

Don't know too much about them yet, but every time I come across this song on the old ipod, I check to see who it is. A good sign. Seems they are a boy/girl duo from Brighton and they are on V2 in the UK. No record 'til January it seems, but for now, enjoy ADHD:

Blood Red Shoes- ADHD

So they sound like all the other bands trying to do "angular guitar," you say? Perhaps. But I actually think that they tend to lean a bit more towards the Wire school of things rather than the Gang of Four style, though. And of course a little feminine touch def makes it a bit unique. Then again I still love Elastica.

I'll try to hunt down some more tunes and see if it's worthwhile, but for now, ADHD gets a 7.