Grimace Federation, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, concert video, electronic music, Grimace Federation, Grimace Federation band, indie music, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, Local Philly Band

Grimace Federation magically combines live drums, computer samples and loops with live electric guitar and bass to compose a sound that will melt your face.  Jim, Wes, Chris, and Xack have a sound that is part jazz, part funk, part electronic, part rock and all parts awesome.  On November 21nd these Phillyites played a moving show for the KFN crowd with other-worldly sound emitting from the dark stage perforated with various light display.

The bands music is a fantastic listen and will move you heard live.  Aesop Rock has even taken to remixing it and rapping over the work.

We really wish these guys played more shows locally and look forward to seeing where they end up in 2012.  It is really good stuff and relating to it is effortless.  Their full 2010 release is available for purchase and preview on Bandcamp as is their 2008 release:

Some highlights from the evening were watching the math-rock like percussion, computer/guitar double duty and the switch off between, the layering of sounds to build both subtle and over-stated crescendos, and the flow between songs allowing for long, introspective groove lines.  Grimace Federation must have something special in the water they are drinking because this type of sound is few and far between.  Make sure you get out and support these guys when you have a chance and check out the two videos we caught from the evening (sorry for the quality: bad lights and infectious music made it hard to film)

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Zechs Marquise, Live @ Kung Fu Necktie

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bands to watch, concert video, indie music, kung fu necktie, live music, live philly concerts, Zechs Marquise, Zechs Marquise band

Zechs Marquise, like the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing character it’s named after, strikes fast and without warning. Their devastatingly good brand of progressive space funk moved like a tidal wave over the Kung Fu Necktie audience on November 21st. Wailing guitars, out of this world drumming and a keyboardist whose fingers moved at the speed of light amazed the crowded room.

The band hails from El Paso, Texas and is made up of Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez, Marcos Smith, Matthew Wilkson and Rikardo Rodriguez-Lopez. Their August 2011 release, GETTING PAID. is a study in the future of funk and needs to be heard:

The band provides a nice bio that we will borrow instead of attempting a re-write:

Zechs Marquise formed in El Paso, Texas during the spring of 2003 when brothers Marfred and Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez came together with childhood friends Matthew Wilkson and Marcos Smith. The group soon named itself after a popular Japanese anime character and hit the studio to record its first album during the late summer months of 2004. That studio effort was later scrapped and in June 2006 the band instead released 34:26, a live improved set that showed its great range of talents and influences. By fall of 2006, Zechs was touring the west coast consistently, sharing the stage with such eclectic acts as Daedelus, Busdriver, The Album Leaf, (DJ) Nobody, Daddy Kev, The Gaslamp Killer, and Totimoshi. July 2007 saw the band return to the recording studio. Having learned from the difficulties of their first attempt, the quartet decided to keep all of the recording in house, purchasing a mixing board, microphones, and Pro Tools in order to track all of the recordings themselves. After a few days in their studios, dubbed Castle Greyskull and El Morro, the members realized they had enough material for a full length album. The record, Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare, was completed in February 2008. Zechs Marquise then spent time on the road, auspiciously touring with Free Moral Agents & Blank Blue. In March 2009, the band made its first adventure overseas to Europe, opening for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, in which Marcel — then performing double duty — is also a player. During the overseas tour, Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare was released in Europe by RLP/Willie Anderson Recordings on CD as well as the first pressing of the album on vinyl. In May 2009, Zechs Marquise signed on to the prestigious management roster at Sargent House and will release Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare in the U.S. on vinyl and CD on August 25th through Rodriguez Lopez Productions.

The skills manifested on stage at this show were not lost on the crowd who were all very into the music – so much so, in fact, that this is one of the few times ever we have seen a set roll so far into an evening when a DJ was scheduled to attend (over 30 minutes into it). This band is amazing and the videos we have for you below do not do them justice. They must be heard live to be believed. Please, go out and catch these guys if you find it possible.

WU LYF, Live @ Voyeur

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bands to watch, concert video, indie music, live music, live philly concerts, Lyf Recording, making time, making time philadelphia, R5 Productions, voyeur nightclub concert, voyeur philly, WU LYF, WU LYF Band

The once clouded in mystery quartet from Manchester, England – WU LYF – played Voyeur Nightclub in Philly on November 5th.  Ellery James Roberts (Vocals, Organ), Thomas David Francis McClung (Vocals, Bass, Guitar),  Evans Kati (Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica) and Joseph Louis Harland Manning (Drums, Piano) incensed the crowd to frenzy with their Indie Post-Rock assault leaving no one untouched.  A show charged with immense energy from beginning to end, the WU LYF set was one for the ages and a true pleasure to witness.

Caught in a sea of people we watched as the band delivered songs as good as those pressed in studio and for some it would have been hard to tell the difference.  Whether or not this was concert-drunkenness talking we can’t be quite sure.  What we do know was that a giant WU LYF sign was perched prominently in the DJ booth.  Ellery had a sweet jean jacket on with the WU LYF detail emblazoned on the back.  They came with lights and graphics which were projected onto the screens above the main floor.  Smoke hung in the air as people lit up inside the club (smoking allowed) and was defrayed by the constantly moving beams of light from the venue’s light system.  Crazy stuff guys.  Add to that the sounds of WU LYF and this thing was classic.

We could go on about the band but instead present a series of videos we took from the pit as the masses swarmed and WU LYF dominated the stage: