Getting ready for an upcoming appearance this March at the South By Southwest music conference/festival in Austin, Texas, Chicago indie-rock quartet Blah Blah Blah joins a packed bill Saturday night at Double Door…
Released in August, the Thank You Thank You EP exudes warmth. While that sense of warmth is appropriate for an indoor club show in the dead of winter, the key is to examine how they achieved it.
Recorded with producer Matt Walker (former Smashing Pumpkins and Cupcakes drummer and current member of Morrisey’s touring band), Blah Blah Blah eschewed modern technology in favor of recording entirely in analog and it’s the warmth of that reel-to-reel tape that translates directly to the finished product here.
In 2010, the band released its debut EP Charm. On that record, songs like “Had a Run” put more of an emphasis on keyboards and drums high in the mix to create atmospherics. “They Run to You” is actually the best example of that. Electronic elements and a slow but deliberate drum beat from Dario Ecks sets the pace early, reminiscent of something resembling Incubus. From there, elements of The Cure seep in through the bassline and even the Temper Trap can be heard in the echoing guitar as the song continues to unfold.
And that’s how Thank You Thank You is different: It seems to rely less on studio trappings, delivering a sound that’s crisp and more immediate. The guitars on “Crazy Fools” are jangly and more lively. Overall, the songs are more upbeat with a spontaneous feel and display songwriting growth.
“Why Am I the Only One Laughing” is a driving, rollicking affair while “A Game We Play” closes things out in a show of versatility. Again, it’s hard to escape the Cure as the track slows down and puts the Bowie-like vocals of Solomon David at the top. The song ultimately paints a dreamscape and the vocals exhibit a yearning that’s impossible to ignore.
As the band gets ready to stake their claim at South By Southwest next month, catch them live one more time this weekend at Double Door.
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1572 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
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Saturday, February 9, 2013
Doors open at 8PM
Show starts at 9PM
21+
$10-12
Headlining: REBL Music
Also performing: Ami Saraiya & The Outcome, Chance Kuykendall, Shazam Bangles, Dario X
Click HERE to purchase tickets
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Filed under: Local Music Spotlight, Weekend Music Spotlight
Tags: Blah Blah Blah, Dario Ecks, Double Door, Matt Walker, Solomon David, South By Southwest, SXSW
