Some artists come out of their bedroom studios only to return to the comfort of their four-tracks, and some emerge from the loft and never go back. Stuart McLamb, the creative force behind North Carolina's The Love Language, clearly falls into the latter category. Even when he was technologically limited, McLamb's indie pop has always been grandly envisioned and fervently executed with the resources available. The group’s latest album, Ruby Red, was recorded over two years with a large cast of players augmenting McLamb’s Spector-esque vision for a larger, more sweeping sonic statement.
To translate his studio ideas in a live setting, McLamb recruited a live band to join him on this tour, and together, they transform his songs into bombastic, fist-pumping anthems. McLamb shouts his vocals with a passion we hadn't seen in previous performances. Even the big, plastic Jesus they propped up on their amp looked impressed.
Midway through The Dodos KEXP session, a chant emerged from the packed audience at the Doug Fir Lounge, eliciting embarrassed grins from the Bay Area trio: "You're our favorite threesome!"
We end our broadcast during Musicfest NW today with another great lineup at the Doug Fir in Portland. Tune in today starting at noon for four great bands performing live on air starting with New Jersey indie punks Titus Andronicus, followed by melodic Bay Area folk-pop duo The Dodos, Portland's own…
Seattle's Beat Connection seem to evolve with grace. As is the case with most young bands, they've had plenty of that evolution in the last three years. Their journey from the early house-driven days of 2010's Surf Noir to the vast, green sound of their 2012 debut LP Palace Garden and even through …
As Americans we are no longer surprised by European artists who bring their amazing music to our humble shores. The Joy Formidable is another among the ever-growing list of impressive British talent that has taken the US by storm. In 2007, childhood best friends Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan and Rhydian D…
