DSS, Wartime Blues and LA Font at Mr. T's Bowl

DSS started off the evening in fine style with a varied set, welcoming a newly repaired acoustic (a cracked head repaired - insert your own punchline here...) and a freshly fixed volume knob, which was apparently repaired by having a blond sit on it (insert your own joke here...)  The acoustic in particular sounded quite wonderful and was put to great use on the poignant 'The Beach', 'Liquor Store' and set closer 'Civilians'... Of the electronic songs, it was good to hear a return of the Christian Bale sampling 'Additives' and the staccato clicks, glitches and rapping of the August collaboration 'Friends & Family'...

The 8 piece Wartime Blues were on tour from Montana. They had a big tour bus which probably dated from the 70's, so hopefully they make it home in one piece (or eight piece...) The music was alt-country, and although not the sort of thing I would listen to on a regular basis, it was catchy enough - some nice cello touches giving some of the songs an Arcade Fire feel... On the whole, the vocals lacked a little variation and they could learn some storytelling techniques from a band like Richmond Fontaine, who have less people in the band and probably a smaller bus...

I went from hating LA Font to liking them within the space of a couple of songs. Their MySpace page describes them as antagonistic cowpunk, but this is only part of the story. Their best moments push into Pavement and even Television territory, coupled with an anglophilic punky delivery akin to bands like Los Campesinos... Well worth seeing again...

DSS