The Radio Dept, High Highs & Braids @ Knitting Factory (pics)

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photos by Andrew St. Clair

Radio Department

"We're having technical difficulties," Duncanson said, waiting patiently as the Radio Dept.'s first US show in more than a year ground to a halt. The sound guys eventually sorted things out, and although they neglected to turn up Duncanson's vocals, which had been virtually inaudible from the start, the group picked up right where it had left off.

"OK, so this is the encore," Duncanson said, just before making a more successful pass through 'I Want You to Feel the Same,' a yearning 2006 pop ballad that ought to have come along two decades earlier, so that John Hughes might have included it on his 'Breakfast Club' soundtrack.

The Radio Dept. went on to play five more songs, and while there was, in fact, no encore, there didn't need to be. By the end of their 40-minute set, Duncanson, keyboardist Martin Carlberg and second guitarist Daniel Tjäder had already revisited three decades of European indie rock, referencing -- and at times combining -- the defiant fuzz of the Jesus and Mary Chain, jangle of the Smiths, dance beats of the Stone Roses, noisiness of My Bloody Valentine, halcyon droning of Cocteau Twins and preciousness of Belle and Sebastian. [Spinner]

The Radio Dept and Braids kicked off a two-night NYC run at Knitting Factory, with a bit of technical difficulty, on Tuesday night (11/30). The 2nd show happened at Bowery Ballroom one night later. The pictures in this post are from the first show which also featured a set by High Highs, and which was one night after Braids played Mercury Lounge. Bowery pics on the way. More Knit pics below...

Braids

Braids

Braids

High Highs

High Highs

High Highs

Radio Department

The Radio Dept.

Radio Department

Radio Department

Tags: Braids, High Highs, Knitting Factory, The Radio Dept

posted at 10:15 AM on December 3, 2010 in music | pictures | Comments (16)

Comments (16)

Does Radio Dept. have a drummer?

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 10:37 AM

Who?

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 10:43 AM

no drummer, just a couple of laptops and a keyboard in addition to the two guitars (or sometimes one guitar, one bass)

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 11:02 AM

Tellin ya BRAIDS are gonna be huge

Posted by Ryan H | December 3, 2010 11:11 AM

they any good live?

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 11:27 AM

Tell All Your Friends

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 11:31 AM

Radio Dept. was fine live. They could REALLY use a drummer. I was surprised by the number of songs they played that I was unfamiliar with. Also no encore at the Bowery show – kinda shocked.

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 11:49 AM

im kinda cool with no encore if the set covered all the goodies..encore is way standard now. I guess the new encore is the double encore.

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 11:57 AM

radio dept were mega lame. sounded too stripped down as compared their studio sound. left disappointed. @ 11:31 yess

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 12:02 PM

They didn't even begin to cover all the goodies...

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 12:09 PM

radio dept put out some of my favorite records, but their live show was, although about what i expected, a little boring..

could def use a drummer for energy, but then it wouldn't sound the same.. their records are all electronic drums

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 12:19 PM

they need to play philly

Posted by Anonymous | December 3, 2010 12:44 PM