After a freakish water main break that turned most of the Bowery area into a large body of water the night before, Bowery Ballroom cleaned itself up in time to welcome Other Lives and supporting bands WIM and Lucius on Friday night.

Indie folk band Lucius was a pleasant start to the evening. Dressed in dapper retro attire, singers Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig performed a set of catchy and upbeat tunes showcasing their beautiful, crystal-clear vocal harmonies that make each song shimmer. They even paid homage to the late singer Whitney Houston by performing a sample of the well-known Houston single “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”. Celebrating the release of the self-titled EP, Lucius’ energy was wonderfully infectious and made some in the audience crack a smile in appreciation. The Brooklyn band had the hometown advantage, fed off the love they received from the crowd and began the night with a bang.

Australian band WIM followed Lucius and brought a more calmed and subdued stage presence. With holey and disheveled attire, singer Martin Solomon led the psychedelic band with his crooning and unexpectedly soothing vocals. WIM’s sound is reminiscent of British rock bands of the past and present but with added restraint and refinement. The band provided solid harmonies and vocals that gave their overall sound a sense of weightlessness and ethereal quality. Their set grew with intensity from one song to the next, eventually letting loose at the end with a passionate and energetic tribal-like drumming section that resulted in a flying drumstick hitting a surprised audience member on the head and landing in the hands of another. WIM’s performance was a perfect musical segue to the night’s headliner, Other Lives.

By the time it was Other Lives’ turn to take the stage, the sold out ballroom was already bursting at the seams with people eager to experience what the quintet had to offer.  Before they even arrived, they began their set with a wave of synths and dim lighting as a mental and aural palate cleanser to ready the crowd. When the band finally went on stage, all were in awe of them. Performing songs from their latest album Tamer Animals, Other Lives’ songs were filled with lush orchestrations and heartfelt singing that enveloped the audience and resulted in closed eyes, huge smiles and swaying bodies. Other Lives’ show has a transcending quality that is just as captivating as their music videos.

Looking at their stage set up, they should really be called the Other Lives Orchestra. The stage looked like a complicated maze of wires and instruments, each member playing at least two different pieces, some playing two (or maybe even three) at a time. This made it sound like there were at least twenty people performing onstage. Watching drummer Colby Owens playing clarinet and drums simultaneously was both amazing and extremely entertaining. The band ended their epic set by humbly thanking everyone, and the crowd gave even more in return.

Other Lives exceeded the already high expectations many had for them, giving a memorable show that has fans already asking them when their next NYC event will be. The next time they comes back here, though, they’ll definitely need a bigger venue.

Remembrance of Things to Come – Princeton // Buy

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With Remembrance of Things To Come, Princeton (@princetonmusic) has put forth their most innovative and ambitious effort to date. By teaming up with the Los Angeles’ New Music Ensemble, the four-piece, LA-based band has found a niche that brings their baroque-pop songs to a whole new, musically intellectual level. The 7-piece New Music Ensemble truly breathes life into the band’s instrumentation, creating Continue Reading

The Lion’s Roar – First Aid Kit // Buy

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The Soderberg sisters’ ability to wonderfully capture/recreate the sound of Americana may almost seem unfair given their Swedish origins, but First Aid Kit’s (@firstaidkitband) The Lion’s Roar is too sweet to stay bitter for long. Johanna and Klara’s voices blend together in a harmony only possible from people of similar genetic background, and this is the focus of the duo’s second full-length album. The songs Continue Reading

The British are coming! This time around, though, they’re coming via airwave. Hailing from across the pond, Field Music (@fieldmusicmusic) have taken influences from their British Invasion predecessors and gleefully pushed it to experimental fringes in every direction. Plumb, their fourth studio release, is an ambitious exploration that brings together hyper-eclectic instrumentation with a prophetic songwriting style that is warm and wide-eyed. With its seemingly endless hunger for change, Plumb is one of the most emotionally diverse albums I’ve heard since Making Mirrors from Australian-native Gotye. Continue Reading

Serpents – Sharon Van Etten // Buy

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Sharon Van Etten understands heartache. While this may be one of the most common themes in songwriting, she manages to give love’s complex emotions and heartbreaking situations a new depth Continue Reading

Be The Void, the sixth studio release from Philadelphia’s Dr. Dog (@drdogmusic), is trying to prove that old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Most bands with a discography as strong as theirs have attained footholds in the “indie mainstream”, but despite the band’s consistently high quality, they’ve managed to remain just below the radar. Be The Void, though, could be the springboard they need. Jumping back and forth between their Mersey beat psychedelic roots and a more contemporary trash-pop sensibility a la Beck, Dr. Dog is clearly trying to pull in new fans with this release. Continue Reading

Without a doubt, the line slowly clambering inside of Mercury Lounge last Friday was the longest I’ve seen waiting to get into the venue. Not to mention, practically every third person seemed to be a hopeful concertgoer who had to be told that there were no tickets available. This scene wasn’t surprising, though, considering the Continue Reading

Dour Percentage – of Montreal // Buy

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Of Montreal is a name synonymous with garish theatricality. In their music, and especially in their stage shows, the band takes showmanship to levels previously thought unreachable. No matter Continue Reading

Love Lust – King Charles // Buy

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Mississippi Isabel is just refreshing. It’s sunny without jumping into a fuzzy, beach-y vibe, and it’s poppy without feeling like it belongs on top 40 radio. The songs will get under your skin and into your head quickly, meaning you may have to work extra hard to hide your glee on public transit this winter — because who wants to be seen smiling in public? In the confines of your own private dwelling, though, I dare you to not break out your most embarrassing dance moves. Continue Reading

Photo credit: Time Out New York (Loren Wohl)

With the exception of shimmering lights emanating from the back of the stage, the Bowery Ballroom was completely dark for singer-songwriter Cass McCombs’ set on Wednesday night. The sold out crowd packed in the venue, even tighter than sardines, and was held in rapt attention throughout the show.

The evening started off on an impossibly high note with opener Frank Fairfield. Sitting on the stage with only a microphone and constantly rotating between a fiddle, banjo and guitar, in addition to stomping on the stage for percussion, Fairfield silenced the mostly full theater for the entirety of his almost 45 minute set. With songs called “Good-bye Booze Forever More, My Boozing Days will Soon be O’er”, Fairfield’s Appalachian infused voice and jaunty accompaniment offered a surprising and thoroughly enjoyable show for those slowly filing into the theater. Continue Reading