The Islands (with pictures!)
(Beat Kitchen in Chicago 12/2/5)
Click on the title of the blog to enlarge these pictures:
Hailing from Canada, the Islands includes former members of The Unicorns (Nick Diamonds and Jaime Tambour) certainly know how to put together a good show and construct a sense of tightness amidst zainy humor and chords. I was a fan of the Unicorns album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone? and I regretted never having a chance to see them play because of their short history but if the Islands album (which is supposed to be released early next year) sounds anything like the live set they played, I anticipate I’ll enjoy it even more.
The Islands have a fuller sound, perhaps because the band size has doubled to a sextet including two violinists, a keyboardist, two guitars (with Nick singing lead), one bass, drums, and saxist. Nick also reported troubled that they couldn’t locate their recorder and this seemed to plague him so perhaps that is also a crucial element to the songs. It sounded tight and dynamic without this though and I have to say, the songs have a good sense of timing with less down time waiting for something to happen. The violinists really added something for me and at one time the violins were played with even a bluegrass type style (most of the time it was with long serene drawn out notes though)
Lyrically, the darker idiosyncratic tendencies are still there. Nick sang with wispy vocals full of a darker udercurrent relating to a need to be treated sweetly, evil in one’s blood, the end of the world, genetics…you know, fun stuff like that. They also refused to stop playing when it was curfew for the all ages show and started playing over the house music.
Best of all was the banter and I feel, on average, Canadian bands just know better how to entertain (think Sloan or Broken Social Scene for example) When faced with initial microphone trouble, Nick requested “Bloggers in the house…go easy!” And I just love it when Canadians know more about this city than we do. Nick had a good time recalling stories and dedicating songs to a Chicagoan that tried to hold up a bank with a ham sandwich and an exploding baseball. I guess I should maybe start reading the Tribune instead of the this site (on second thought….nah!)
(now playing: The Unicorns: Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone)
December 4th, 2005 at 9:16 pm
[...] To finish off the day it was a show at The Beat Kitchen . We went to see “The Island” (who kirstie got some great pictures of during their set ) and since we never miss an opener also caught “Locks” and Make Believe . Starting off, “Locks” were ok. Musically they played tight and loud guitar and drum pieces, with loops and samples that created a dark atmosphere. Then they added lyrics which were quite chlidish and lame. After that it was really hard to get into them. “Make Believe” were ok and what I would expect from a Kinsella off shoot. He came on stage in a full winter bubble coat, wool cap, and dark sun glasses and they played loud and jerky rejected Joan of Arc songs. Finally, the Island came on. 2 of the members used to be in this band called The Unicorns who were so great they toured themselves into the ground on one record. As the Unicorns they wrote quirky, complicated pop songs and the Islands continue in that tradition but on somewhat more mature note. Islands are twice as large, ppl wise, then the aformentioned unicorns and so the songs have a lot mroe going on in them. Violin and 2 (sometimes 3) guitars, bass, drums, and keyboard all perfectly placed and sewn together perfectly. They were plauged with some sound problems and a lost recorder, but that didnt stop them from playing right up to curfew. Which is the only beef I have with AA shows, the band has to finish before 11:30 and so the house actually started playing music which the Islands just played over to start their last song. Here is looking forward to the new album in Jan and a full tour. • • • [...]
December 8th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
[...] Recently, Queen indeed came up again in my life as it was played at the Beat Kitchen when I went to see the Islands It was actually the house music before any of the bands went on with all the songs from the Greatest Hits collection I remember-same track order and everything. Now, let me specifically adress “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The song is brilliant. No, really. It’s an entire rock opera condensed into one song. Cinchel disagrees and he hates hearing it. To make matters worse, as soon as I even hear one or two chords or even just one of its many lyrics, I have to sing the entire song with complete emphasis from start to finish (I did mention I’m a little obessive-compulsive, right?) Just recently when we were going to a show at the Metro, a passing car was blaring it and I made him stand through a full Kirstie-style (ok so I’m a bit of a drama queen) rendition and then Fri. I couldn’t help hamming it up singing along. [...]