(Gibson Amphitheater; 6,089 seats; $300 top)

 

Presented by KCRW-FM; Executive producer, Nic Harcourt; producers, Liz McDonald, Mitchell Frank. Lineup: The Shins, Lily Allen, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Cold War Kids, Breakestra, Bitter:Sweet. Special Guest: Travis. Reviewed April 14, 2007.

 

Saturday's Sounds Eclectic Evening, the 6th edition of KCRW's annual benefit concert, was both a survey of the Santa Monica-based NPR outlet's recent discoveries (all six of the acts on the bill received their first U.S. radio airplay on KCRW) and proof of how the influence of the station's music programming has extended far beyond the range of its signal.

While KCRW's expanded web presence (including last year's launch of a 24-hour music site) and canny branding program (that finds the station promoting concerts around the country) have helped raise its profile, the lion's share of the credit goes to the DJs, who through their work as music supervisors on films, TV shows and commercials, have turned the music heard on KCRW's music shows into the aspirational soundtrack for the affluent hipster lifestyle. It's a testament to how deeply the station's sound has infiltrated into the mainstream that, while most of the musician's names might be unfamiliar, with the exception of Rodrigo y Gabriela's wildly propulsive world music/metal fusion, the sounds heard Saturday would be recognizable to most auds.

 

With their moody combination of electronics and live band, fronted by a breathily sexy warbler, Bitter:Sweet is the latest example of a sound that has been a KCRW staple for more than a decade; it's arty, apocalyptic party music. A string quartet and harpist playing alongside a rock rhythm section and a DJ/sampler/keyboardist gave their sound an elegant lushness, while singer Shana Halligan conflates love and death, cooing to a lover," Don't forget to breathe."

 

Breakestra followed with their upbeat, irrepressible funk. Their songs are built upon sturdy James Brown riffs, but they add some Latin flair and a hip hop attitude to give it a distinct Los Angeles feel.

 

The barbed soul of Fullerton's Cold War Kids is reminiscent of Ben Folds, but singer Nathan Willett's panicked vocals give an extra dimension to his songs' twentysomething anxiety as he tries to balance adult responsibilities with adolescent impulsiveness.

 

Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela were clearly the evening's highlight. Their mix of thrash metal and flamingo on their self-titled ATO album initially seems like a fool's errand, but it works, not in the least because both styles place a premium on speed. But while their solos are often exhilaratingly, it never comes at the expense of melody -- their instrumental songs are blazingly fast, but hug the curves and never hurtle off the track. Both guitarists inventively use their guitars as percussion instruments, thumping, slapping and drumming their fingers along the bodies and necks of the guitars, coaxing an impressive range of rhythms and tone from the lacquered wood. It was a stunning, jaw dropping perf and garnered the only standing ovation of the evening.

 

Surprise guests Travis had the misfortune of following Rodrigo and Gabriela, and they were just not up to the task; their stripped down perf, with minimal drums and mostly acoustic guitars, paled in comparison. One of the first of the tastefully understated British folk-rockers the station has championed (the most notable being Coldplay), the songs they previewed from their upcoming "The Boy With No Name" offered no surprises -- impeccably constructed, melodically Beatlesque pop that is as bland as it is lovely.

 

Lily Allen has made strides as a performer since she played the Troubadour in October. A less stiff presence on stage, she confidently flounces around the stage as she sings, a giggling coquette with an acid tongue and a flair for romantic revenge.

 

The Shins closed the evening on an anticlimactic note. While their new album, "Wincing the Night Away" finds the Portland-by-way-of-Albuquerque band working on a harder sound, they have yet to find a compelling stage presence. With the exception of the opener "Sleeping Lessons," the ringing garage rock of the closer "So Says I" and their recent single "Phantom Limb," James Mercer's evasive tales of post-graduate inertia remain inert; live, they sound less dynamic than their albums.

 

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933354.html?categoryid=1266&cs=1

We Hear It Live: Sounds Eclectic

 

 

Every year, music-loving Angelenos flock to KCRW's Sounds Eclectic Evening, a concert event that takes pride in wheeling out some of the best up-and-coming names from the independent music scene. When past performers have included the likes of My Morning Jacket, Norah Jones, and Coldplay it is easy to understand why the legions of fans turned out in droves for this year's show.

 

The night's first artist, Bitter:Sweet, stunned the crowd with the Morcheeba-like sexuality of their lead singer, Shana Halligan—she owned the stage in her form-fitting white nightgown. Second on the bill was L.A.'s Breakestra, whose perpetual energy gave the crowd an enthusiastic history of funk, and enticed every single member of the audience to get up and dance. Cold War Kids (who Pulse interviewed at SXSW!) followed, using beer bottles, mic stands, and the stage floor as instruments to enhance their already perfectly crafted rock songs. Lead singer, Nathan Willett's uncanny ability to channel Joe Cocker helped them deliver the most pulse-pounding music of the night.

 

Next up: Rodrigo y Gabriela, two ex-metal-turned-marichi guitarists who flat out stole the show. In a performance that would put Metallica to shame, this duo turned out a sonic tornado that whipped the entire audience into a frenzy. No one dared to leave their seats, afraid to miss the musical onslaught they would surely be telling their kids about. When was the last time you heard someone cover "Stairway to Heaven" and it left you absolutely speechless?

 

And we weren't the only ones blown away. When surprise guest, Travis, took the stage, they claimed they were so afraid to follow Rodrigo y Gabriela that they were contemplating suicide rather than coming out to perform. Despite their hesitation, Travis didn't disappoint. By throwing in some of their mammoth hits with catchy new songs, Travis kept the audience captivated. The evening's co-headliner, Lily Allen, not so much. She seemed to lack the charisma of those who performed earlier, and since most of her music was being played from a laptop, it felt like the British songbird was content on belting out karaoke versions of her songs rather than attempting to perform up to the night's standard.

 

After four hours, the big moment arrived when the Shins hit the stage. It was like watching the Beach Boys dripped through the mind of Andy Warhol. It was magnetic, that is until they suffered irritating feedback problems. While most bands would be hindered, the Shins used this to fuel their fire rather than extinguish it. Lead singer, James Mercer's vocal energy intensified, as he was determined to sing/scream through any audio difficulties they were experiencing. Even the simplified version of their cult fave, "New Slang" felt more alive and haunting than ever. The technical challenge made them stronger, proving why they were the band to see that night.

 

But the night wasn't over for those of us lucky enough to escape to the after-party. There, we were treated to hot chili and the "in your face" DJ stylings of The Pinker Tones followed shortly by the club maestro, Mocean Worker (pronounced like "Motion Worker"), who kept us dancing well until the next morning—thank god it was a Sunday!

 

- Jason Preston

 

http://www.genartpulse.com/archives/2007/04/we_hear_it_live_10.php