February 02 2009
Gig Preview — No Age with Jay Reatard
posted by David Skipwith at 11:52 am
No Age, playing shows in Wellington and Auckland this week
This week, Wellington’s San Francisco Bath House and Auckland’s Kings Arms will host a double bill of acclaimed American indie rock acts – Los Angeles based DIY oddballs (and recent Grammy Award nominees) No Age, and the prolific Memphis garage rock songwriter and vinyl enthusiast Jay Reatard.
Both acts inhabit and rejuvenate the genres of punk and garage rock, bringing energy, vitality and, most noticeably, a relevance often absent among contemporary artists that sit under such well-worn banners.
No Age duo, guitarist Randy Randall and drummer Dean Allen Spunt, create a dynamic blend of melodic chaos, conjuring popular comparisons to the lo-fi sounds and styles of Pavement paired with the abrasive energy of Black Flag and the Misfits.
Spunt speaks of their fondness for diversity, saying, “Bands should be fun and exciting, and they should push all the buttons at the same time. They should make you feel like you are going to explode, and make you utterly confused and inspired at the same time…”
The duo emerged in 2005 after the demise of their previous incarnation Wives, and have since forged a rep as champions of All Ages shows and unlikely venues. Typifying their lateral approach and ideas, they recently held a free show on a Los Angeles riverbed and are regular supporters of Los Angeles all-ages venue/art space The Smell. Such endeavours have seen the pair receive credit for helping to resuscitate the city’s musical pulse.
Sub Pop, themselves in a stage of revival, picked them up and released last year’s Nouns. Internet opinion was overwhelming in its praise and the record continues to blow minds across the globe, hence the leftfield Grammy nomination.
On a very different tack is the career of the equally vital Jay Reatard, a man who outwardly appears as somewhat lackadaisical, reminiscent of early nineties Beck, yet this belies a work ethic that has seen him release more than 15 albums. The past two years alone he has pushed out the acclaimed album Blood Visions and a slew of singles that were ultimately compiled on two records – Singles 06 – 07 (through On The Red) and Matador Singles 08 (through, predictably, Matador).
These releases cover a spectrum of styles and are full of hooks and unexpected twists and turns, ranging from what he describes as “sub-two minute songs about killing people” to “drony psychedelic voyages through sleep”, all the while “doing exactly what is and what isn’t expected from him, ready to make the next step toward whatever sound catches his fancy next.”
Reatard’s pedigree is strong, with a 13-year stretch as a solo artist and instigator of a range of projects, such as The Lost Sounds and The Final Solutions. Currently at the helm of a trio, Reatard is working on material for a new album scheduled for an August release, again through Matador.
Interestingly enough for Kiwi audiences, both No Age and Jay Reatard cite New Zealand pop music – particularly the Flying Nun stable of bands – as being major influences on their own music. And it is clear through listening that, whilst very different artists, they do both share similarities in their aesthetic and approach to our most revered of indie labels.
The buzz surrounding these shows has definitely been exciting, with local audiences set for a real treat of contemporary indie rock music at its best. Do yourself a favour and get along to either show – Tuesday 3 February at The San Francisco Bath House and Wednesday 4 February at The Kings Arms. Don’t miss out!!
- David Skipwith