The Live Vault: Passion Pit

3 April 2010

Riverside Theater, Milwaukee

[On occasion, our far flung correspondents attend and review shows. Here's another installment.]

In 2007, LCD Soundsystem started the latest electronica wave in rock with Sound of Silver. The following year, MGMT's CD Oracular Spectacular was released to critical acclaim.

Then it was Passion Pit's turn to push the genre. The Boston outfit made numerous "best of" 2009 lists with Manners.

Enough of a buzz about the band has been created that their appearance in Milwaukee on Saturday night was moved to a larger venue, the Riverside Theater, and was broadcast live on local FM radio. And aside from a few hiccups, Passion Pit delivered a strong and emotional performance for the packed crowd, which stood from the set's opener "I've Got Your Number" until the obligatory closer, the underground hit "Sleepyhead."

The quintet consistently delivered danceable melodies and anthemic choruses, almost all drawn from Manners. Michael Angelakos is certainly an unlikely front man; but his childlike falsetto vocals and dance (?) moves reminiscent of Michael Stipe and fellow Bostonian Peter Wolf came across as genuinely sincere to this reviewer. The other four band members, surrounded by booming rhythm and synths, could fit into the cast of The Big Bang Theory. The sound filled the hall and created a sea of standing dancers from row one to the back of the highest balcony, literally making the building shake and sway with happiness.

Sure, some things didn't work, like the rote cover of The Cranberries' "Dreams." While it fit the scheme of singalong chorus, it was nothing special. And the mix was muddy at times, with the drums and bass getting lost among the sea of synthesizers.

It seems clear to this observer that Passion Pit is a logical descendant of New Order, Heaven 17 and The Human League. And while that time span may make it hard to fit in with the demographic the Bostonians cater to, it took no imagination to observe the pure joy that the band brought to the crowd during its exciting version of "Little Secrets."

So go ahead and dance. Yeah, it's 24 Hour Party People, alright. But for the 21st century.

SET LIST
I've Got Your Number
Make Light
Better Things
The Reeling
Moth's Wings
Swimming In The Flood
To Kingdom Come
Let Your Love Grow Tall
Folds In Your Hands
Smile Upon Me
Little Secrets
[ENCORE]
Eyes As Candles
Dreams
Sleepyhead

Ascending: Free Energy

[Ed. note: Here's the latest entry from our UK correspondent, Mr. Miles Gallagher.]

Every now and then, it happens: a band reaches out and grabs you. In my recent case it is an American band - a Philadelphia quintet via Minneapolis - called Free Energy, of all things. Bass, drums, guitar, no synth. And a producer of their upcoming debut album not known for his love of guitar, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem).

I've been lazering the bits of their tracks the last few days. Following is a primer:

Start with the cut "Dream City" from (surprise) NME's site (scroll down past MGMT).

Next, catch Free Energy in a studio session courtesy of Minneapolis' The Current.

And a final listen on Fader: try "Something In Common." Simple, straightforward, and optimistically in tune with the season.

Bonus encores:

Free Energy sings "Free Energy" on Late Night with David Letterman on March 19.

And here's raw home video of the boys rocking it out at the CMJ Festival back in October 2009:

Free Energy at CMJ from NOW Magazine on Vimeo.

2 April Update: Free Energy plays upcoming concert dates in Buffalo, Detroit, Madison (WI), Cambridge (MA) and Brooklyn.

New LCD Soundsystem Single Leaks

The yet untitled LCD Soundsystem LP won't be released until 18 May. but over the weekend head man James Murphy leaked the first single for public listening. "Drunk Girls," a hard driving rocker reminiscent of the playfulness of "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" - and that, of course, is a good thing - was dropped on the Pitchfork website. The lyrics are, um , interesting, reciting the attributes of drunk girls and the drawbacks of drunk boys. And that's rock and roll, kids.

In addition, a portion of another new track, "Pow Pow," was posted as well at Stereogum.

TNOP reported previously that LCD Soundsystem has scored the soundtrack to the new Noah Baumbach film "Greenberg," which opened this weekend nationwide in theaters. And they landed one of the plum spots at Coachella on 16 April.

31 March Update: Paste reports that the new album will be titled This Is Happening. View the cover art here.