by Bill Pearis

Delphic (via)

Last night was the Manchester band Delphic's first NYC show, riding in on a wave of UK hype and rescheduled tour dates. Hype didn't exactly translate to a packed house, but Delphic were impressive and confident live. The three main members are multi-taskers and when not playing guitar or bass or singing, they're tweaking filters and twiddling knobs that actually seem to be doing something. Delphic have also figured out a sound, anthemic and ethereal that soars atop skittery sequencers with big choruses and some serious dancefloor knowhow. New Order comparisons (the guitar and hi-hat heavy drumming more than anything else) are inevitable but they're probably closer in spirit to Friendly Fires.

They just need more good songs. Right now they've got three great ones -- "Doubt," "This Momentary" and "Counterpoint" -- but the rest of the set (and their album, Acolyte, out next week in America) feels like samey-sounding filler. But the highs were definitely highs. "Counterpoint," stretched out to over ten minutes with an extended techno-y middle section, is bliss.

Delphic play San Francisco tomorrow (6/16) tomorrow and L.A. on Friday (6/18) and then do the European festival circuit which is probably the best way to see these guys at this point.

This was my first time seeing Penguin Prison who've only played a handful of dates anyway. Chris Glover has been kicking around for a while, having put out some hip hop-ish singles on Interscope in the mid-'00s ago before getting chewed up and spit out by the system. As Penguin Prison, he's a lot more fun and clearly very talented. The dude knows his way around a hook, and he's got a set of pipes, somewhere between Justin Timberlake and Scritti Politti.

I dig the songs on his MySpace but live it didn't quite have the same oomph for me, though the crowd was pretty into it. The phrase in my head while watching Penguin Prison play was "80s Movie Montage Music." Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. No question Glover has the It Factor, something his entirely competent backing band needs a little more of. Fun, absolutely, but not more than that.

Video of Delphic performing "Doubt" on Jools Holland, below...

Continue reading "Delphic in the US - played MHOW w/ Penguin Prison"

volcanic ash permitting, we'll be playing our long-awaited first u.s. dates next month in new york (june 14), los angeles (june 16) and san francisco (june 18).

acolyte is due for release june 29th via dangerbird records and is available to pre-order now at dangerbirdrecords.com/delphic, where you can also download "doubt" free.

UK dance-pop trio Delphic were forced to cancel their Coachella appearance (and surrounding dates) because of the above-mentioned volcano. Coincedentally, they also cancelled the show they were supposed to play around that time at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. I say it was a coincidence because it was cancelled way before anyone knew the volcano was going to happen that eventually caused the band to not make it to the USA at all.

As part of their make-up shows, the band will play Music Hall of Williamsburg on Monday, June 14th. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at noon.

They play in the UK and worldwide throughout the summer. Clips from recent live show in Paris and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Delphic attempting to visit again - 2010 tour dates "

"The Specials prove that old age doesn't mean you have to be boring. Dudes danced, ran, kicked, while playing for an entire hour." - A Thousand Grams

Ra Ra Riot @ Coachella - 4/16/2010

Traffic is moving smoothly outside the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as attendees make their way onto the grounds without any problems. Guests are slowly making their way through the front gate after earlier delays caused crowd members to become impatient. Staff kept running out of wristbands they hand out to indicate an attendee submitted a valid ticket to enter the event, Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said.

"As far as I know, it's moving right along now," he said. Bumper-to-bumper traffic continues to fill the streets surrounding the Empire Polo Club, although not as much as before. Traffic on Monroe Street is backed up to Avenue 48, while traffic on Jefferson Street is moving smoothly after being backed up to Interstate 10 for several hours. Police are monitoring everyone to prevent any criminal activity. As of 7 p.m., seven people were arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs, Guitron said. Meanwhile, officers caught about six people selling T-shirts without business licenses in the area.

"We're shooing them away," Guitron said.

Police learned at least two people, including a 16-year-old girl, were turned away at the front gate because they bought fake tickets from outside the area. [The Desert Sun]

Like Bad Lieutenant, Frightened Rabbit, The Cribs, and probably Gary Numan, UK dance act Delphic will not get to play Coachella this year due to the lack of flights caused by the Icelandic volcano. Delphic's only other US show, April 22nd at Popscene in San Francisco, is cancelled too.

As I type this, the not-live Coachella stream continues with a fine performance by Ra Ra Riot (pictured above). Yeasayer and Deer Tick (who played new songs, an MG&V song, and a ZZ Top cover while crowd surfing in a sundress) have been among those streamed too. The Specials played in real life and will be streamed soon.

Delphic's video for "Halcyon" below...

Continue reading "Delphic not making it to San Francisco or Coachella (where there are long lines & Ra Ra Riot & the Specials played) "

Wow...Public Image Ltd, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Grace Jones, Fever Ray, Devo, Hot Chip, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, Mew, Camera Obscura, Gil Scott-Heron, The xx, John Waters, Dillinger Escape Plan, Deer Tick, Gary Numan... Full Coachella 2010 lineup below....

Continue reading "2010 Coachella line up announced (Faith No More, Pavement, Muse, Gorillaz, Thom Yorke, Jay-Z, LCD Soundystem, ???)"