CMJ: Day Four

Gang Gang Dance at Santos Party House

Recap:
The day began with a discussion panel of major label A&R reps who offered to provide insight into how they look for new bands and what they listen for on submitted demos. Unfortunately, they spent the first half of the time-slot name-dropping artists they had 'discovered' such as Fall Out Boy, the Killers, and Creed. They then admitted they were in the business of looking for hit singles and an overall image they could package and push. It became obvious that this was not my scene. It was also proposed that they'd listen to demos at the discussion and critique them in real-time. Instead of constructive criticism or honest opinions, the panelists would nod slightly and say things along the lines of "It was alright. I don't want to say anything without hearing more." It was disappointing.

On to shows. At Fontana's, an afternoon party was being sponsored by Pirate!, where I caught the raucous indie rock of Settle. I then swung by the SoHo Apple store once again to see a set by San Diego natives Delta Spirit. The evening culminated with a lengthy show at Santos Party House (Andrew W.K.'s recent and successful attempt at opening a venue), put on by the Social Registry label. The line-up featured Mike Bones, The Sian Alice Group, Psychic Ills, Growing, and head-liners Gang Gang Dance.

Highlight:
The highlight of the Social Registry set, and the day as a whole, was Gang Gang Dance. The Sian Alice Group was a very close second, but half of their set was plagued by technical difficulties and harsh feeback. Sets kept getting pushed back and GGD didn't go on until after 2AM, but it was worth the wait. They played more songs than at Tuesday's show, and the larger audience provided additional energy.

Honorable mentions go out to Delta Spirit and Psychic Ills. Delta Spirit put on a terrific set and brought to mind the likes of the Black Keys and Wilco, following in their footsteps to bridge the gap between indie rock and alt-country americana. For a San Diego band, they really do channel the 'delta spirit.' Psychic Ills play music that should be called 'trance' if that term weren't already appropriated. It's noisy psychedelic drone-rock that combines elements of shoegaze and experimental electronics.


Left to Right: Sian Alice Group, Psychic Ills, Settle