Dysrhythmia, Austerity Program, Bad Girlfriend & DBCR @ The Charleston in Brooklyn - pics

words by Ilya Blokh, photos by Samantha Marble

Dysrhythmia

Though the band played ashow in early November at Union Pool, it was a treat to see Dysrhythmia at a recent show at Union Pool on 12/17 with support from The Austerity Program, DBCR, and Bad Girlfriend.

I got to the venue just in time to catch the 3-piece Bad Girlfriend, missing DBCR aka Drunken Belligerent Confrontational Rock. Bad Girlfriend is clearly a vehicle for Aubrey, who steals the scene with her soulful, bluesy rasp, then turns to shrieks and growls on a dime. Unfortunately, the guitars muddle the overall sound and distract from the singing; I would be curious to hear these guys with vocals/drums only.

The Austerity Program - a guitar/bass duo backed by a drum machine - were up next. The prominent bass, dissonant guitars, industrial beats and clean vocals ooze Godflesh influence - a sound we don't hear often these days. I wonder if live drums could still work here and add a little more sonic variety. Nevertheless, the thick, overwhelming sound was a good match for the grimy, claustrophobic confines of the Charleston basement. When asked to play "two more", lead singer Justin commented that "tumors" were not a laughing matter.

Last up were Dysrhythmia - a local band we barely get to see because of all the other projects the members are a part of (Krallice, Byla, Behold...the Arctopus, etc.). A perfect mix of musicianship and good songwriting, the songs swirled in long, tense passages of complex guitars, jazz influence and strange time signatures, without losing focus or devolving into full-blown technical masturbation; the crowd was in motion the entire time. There were apparently some issues with girls and amps, but I wasnt able to determind the issue from my vantage point. All in all, a night out and a great chance to see some locals acts that don't play too often.

More pictures of all four bands below...