Sirens Wailed Part I

July 15th brings Coney Island its fifth Siren Festival, brought to us by the Village Voice. Their goal with this free two-stage concert is to reinvigorate this Brooklyn community by showcasing the strongest emerging indie bands (their words, sorta). local and not, the bands this year jump around a lot, in sound, style, vibe. There’s truly something for everyone, and maybe even everything for someone, but that someone would have to like dancey- indie - metal - croony - poppy - antipoppy - chillax music and the opposite as well.

Art Brut
I have yet to witness the Art Brut manic display, but I am fully interested. I don’t know what a ‘bloke’ really is, but I’m assuming that these fellas are kickarse blokes. It’s all very original and crackly, punk-pop driven rhythm tracks backing some of the soundest sounding off a singer’s pulled off in this last wave of late 1970’s NYC in current indie rock. ‘Modern Art’ and ‘My Little Brother’ are among my favorites. In ‘Formed a Band,’ singer Eddie Argos insists “Yes, this is my real singing voice. It’s not ironic.” Well, now it is. Art Brut is true to its name and as MOJO chimed, ‘every generation needs an Art Brut,’ we indeed did and do. I’ve heard their sets are consistent with exception to the vocal stylings, which spill differently most times. Do not be surprised if you hear and see about twenty five bands of twenty- five year olds and younger popping up with at least one song that tries for this bands free will.

Scissor Sisters
Bottom line is, if you like to dance or even like to watch people dance (though i don’t advocate it, get yr back up off the wall…dance, cmon!), the jumpy bounce funk/rock of SS will please ya entirely. Their live show is the jam of their jelly, though you’ll hear plenty of the studio stuff on satellite radio and in the podcast village. It’s a good time with Scissor Sisters, a spectacle to be seen, avoids the drab and droll. Shoe gazing is checked at the door, if you please. I believe there are capes involved.

Priestess
I like how Wolfmother’s ascent has splashed the indie pool much like The Darkness a few summers back. The trend of minimal instrumentation, stripped often to guitar and drums, coupled with original hard-rock tricks, like guitarmony and soaring melodies, paves the way for killer live bands to get their notice. Priestess has that bag of tricks, passed down the riff-rock daisy chain, chilled out a bit in Montreal. Solid solos and Bonzo drumming make up for where the vocals sit. Hear ‘Talk to Her’ HERE.

Dirty on Purpose
Their new single ‘Light Pollution’ is even steven, swelling at times but never changing directions. I don’t love it, but I can understand why some do. The vocals remind me of The Glands and Grandaddy but even more constricted, which always impresses in a live setting. I’ve seen DoP out of doors before, on a lovely afternoon, and it was the best I’d heard em sound. Check out the single video with light projections on their faces HERE.

Read Part II of Sirens Wailed HERE.

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