Madison’s The Frequency shook from wall to wall last Tuesday night. With a stellar lineup featuring Chicago’s Suns, Philly’s Bleeding Rainbow and New York’s headliner A Place to Bury Strangers, unrelenting rock was very much the heart of the night. I was fortunate enough to speak with members of all three groups about everything from touring to favorite Sonic Youth albums.
Chicago collective Suns gave the night a lively start. It’s important to note my labeling them a collective and not a band, as Suns are one of the tightest-knit groups I’ve met. Not only do they all live together (with the exception of one member) but some of them even work day jobs together, says singer Mike Russell. The point is that they’re on the same page, something quite apparent when they play. Suns, with credit to their dual drummers, are able to lock into a remarkable groove. Russell cites Talking Heads as a major rhythmic inspiration but overall Suns’ influences are tough to pin down. I hear Neil Young in Russell’s strained yelps, ’70s rock in the guitar work, and even some Animal Collective in their more frenetic moments — but it’s a well-brewed mix, never drawing too heavily from one source. Suns played the majority of their fantastic new album When We Were Us on Tuesday night. You can get When We Were Us at one of their shows or on their Bandcamp later this year.
Philadelphia noise rockers Bleeding Rainbow were next. A staunch DIY sensibility has led them on a ridiculous amount of touring this past year and Tuesday night was their third Madison show of 2012 (!). Enthusiastic singer/guitarist Sarah Everton has no issues reflecting on Bleeding Rainbow’s history but she would rather talk about their current incarnation, one she’s particularly psyched about. The band recently expanded from a duo to four-piece by introducing guitarist Al Creedon and drummer Greg Frantz, long-time friends of the group. The revamped lineup gives a new intensity to Bleeding Rainbow’s sound and lets their pop-minded songwriting shine. While many of their noise rocking peers have a tendency to get lost in the feedback abyss, Bleeding Rainbow are experts in balancing their sound. Moments of psychedelic noise insanity are seamlessly intertwined with moments of accessible pop. This fusion is something Bleeding Rainbow pay great attention to. To my surprise, they’re just as quick to talk about their favorite Beatles records (Revolver) as they are favorite Sonic Youth records (EVOL, Goo).
2012 has been a busy year for Bleeding Rainbow. The grueling tour schedule has been in preparation for the release of their third album (and first as a four-piece), the appropriately defiant Yeah Right. The record highlights a matured sound Bleeding Rainbow have perfected, but as unruly and noisy as they’ve ever been. Yeah Right is out January 29, 2013 on Kanine Records. You should buy it.
Last up was the headliner A Place to Bury Strangers. Their new album Worship presents a new take on APTBS’ heavy noise rock. Singer/guitarist Oliver Ackermann talks about the band’s freer approach to songwriting on Worship. He enthuses about having “no plan at all and just seeing what would happen.” While APTBS’ albums are consistently enjoyable, their sound is best realized live. They tour with a projectionist, who controls his trance-inducing toys from behind the scenes while APTBS abuse their guitars. The sheer power that these three dudes have while performing is unreal. They make a racket that most five-piece bands couldn’t achieve and they do it without any samplers or prerecorded tracks. The projectors and fog machines are a deliberate move to create a p”ersonal experience” for the crowd, explains Ackermann. He mentions the visceral experiences of seeing bands like The Ramones as a teenager and how this influenced his idea of what a performance should be. APTBS have tailored their live show to be one of the absolute best in indie rock today, and they killed at the Frequency on Tuesday night. Worship is the new record, out now on Dead Oceans.