Despite what most bands have the listener believe, rhythm does not always have to be some constant in 4/4 time. More than the foundation on which guitar and vocal melodies are built, it can also be integral to the melodic and emotional aspects of the music itself.
Polvo (Oct. 17, Cat's Cradle) showed how to put rhythm in the forefront (literally, the bassist was front and center) of a powerful set that still managed to stay catchy and interesting for 13 straight songs.
As pieces like "Right The Relation" from the group's first album in 12 years, "In Prism," work in patterns of complicated rhythmic subdivisions, the band's math-rock classification is well deserved. But Polvo is more representative of Chapel Hill music than a single, often-maligned genre.
Polvo's crunchy guitar sound was loud, but the resulting post-punk feel was too melodic to be heavy. Rather than just play loudly, Polvo's sound could be appreciated from a musician's standpoint, too.
Above everything else, the music Polvo performed was smart. It created an environment where the audience could enjoy trying to figure what transition would happen when. Even predicting the precise beat a song would end on was a challenge, and it felt good to have one of the most creative and fully developed bands from the '90s Chapel Hill scene back.
Speaking of intelligent musicians, Bradford Cox, aka Atlas Sound, (Oct. 16, Local 506) was one of five tempting performances in the Triangle that night. While not the only artist to use looping to create a more layered live show, Cox was one of the few to be creative to the point where it was unclear where some of the sounds initially came from.
When an audience member asked Cox what the difference was between his solo project and his main band, Deerhunter, Cox nodded at the harmonica around his neck, an instrument that never appears in Deerhunter, and giddily remarked "this is me time," and his all-encompassing atmospheric sound mixed with impressive guitar playing created a highly unique folk, indie and electronic blend.
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Pinback (Tuesday, Cat's Cradle) -- If underrated is defined by the number of people familiar with a band compared to the total number of people who would love said band, Pinback is a contender for the most underrated band currently on tour (if not of all time).
Pinback's sound is easy to get into, yet still unique. Few bands use the bass for such melodic purposes, and tracks like "afk" could easily be metal if played by a different band, but instead stay well within the realm of indie rock.
Most intriguing about Pinback is how the band's music never seems to get old. Pinback's 2004 album "Summer In Abaddon" is so readily accessible that any time one has a craving for music, this album becomes a serious contender, and this surely translates to a live setting.
The closest one could come to criticizing Pinback is to say the sound is too unconditionally sweet. While true, it is more a testament to Pinback's songwriting ability than it is a criticism to say that even its up-tempo, energy-charged pieces produce a relaxing, calming effect.
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Junior Boys (Thursday, Cat's Cradle) -- Electronica is not just a series of noises devoid of traditional melody and structure. Well, not always, at least. Junior Boys uses the powers of electronica for good, creating an ethereal but minimal feel with electronic sounds to back up a strong, ear-catching drumbeat and, most importantly, smooth, perfectly crafted live vocals.
Jeremy Greenspan's voice somehow draws its power from its intimate frailty in an innovative manner and, rather than juxtaposing this feel with the sound of a full band, Matt Didemus's beats and sounds work perfectly with Greenspan to make this Canadian duo a complete package. More importantly, it makes Junior Boys one of the most definitive pop-electronica bands.
J.J. Lang hits the high notes of the local music scene each week for The Chapel Hill Herald. Send e-mail to JJLang@email.unc.edu.
