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Buildings Setlist
Multicult Tour Dates
9/4 Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
9/5 Pittsburgh, PA @ Black Forge Coffeehouse 9/10 Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space Read More
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While the arteries of downtown Minneapolis hardened with the sweat and stink of hundreds of sports fans, the weirdos, freaks and noise-makers journeyed over to sister city St. Paul to that haven of musical goodness, the Turf Club. There on that colorfully lit stage graced three of the Twin Cities’ finest local bands (Animal Lover, Novacron and Buildings) and one East Coast institution that made us all weak in the knees, Multicult.
Animal Lover are doing some extraordinary things, folks. The Fargo-born, Minneapolis-based trio make music that defies category and their live shows are as captivating as they are confounding. Featuring Addison Shark on guitar and vocals, Evan Bullinger on bass and Nate Fisher on drums, the band is set to release their new album Stay Alive (on Forward Records) September 9th. There will be a special record release show on September 5th at Eagles 34 with Muscle Beach, Swimsuit Area and McVicker (which has members from Daisy Chains and EAR Electronics). So when you're done shoveling charred animal fat into your gullet on Monday, take a ride to south Minneapolis and show some love to Animal Lover.
Every time I get to see Shawn Walker behind a drumkit, I feel a little feverish, my pulse quickens and I get lightheaded. Maybe I’m coming down with something OR MAYBE I’m having a physical reaction to Walker’s exceptional musicianship. And when he joins forces with the talented likes of Apollo Liftoff (love his voice) and Adam Marx, heaven is truly a place on earth. Obnoxious hyperboles aside, Novacron is a formidable trio with a heavy, driving sound that reminded me of early Queens of the Stone Age. To say that their set blew my mind would be an understatement. If you aren’t hip to the other equally awesome bands these guys are involved in, check it: Apollo Liftoff hails from Hammerhead and Vaz, Adam Marx plays in Seawhores and Shawn Walker is best known for Gay Witch Abortion.
I hope you will forgive me, dear reader, for making a gross reference to a Meghan Trainor song, but really Multicult’s performance was all about that bass (OH GOD) Please, hear me out: Rebecca Burchette’s bass playing is sick - she creates a groove so dirty and grimey, it seeps under your skin and stays there for days and you might need to have a limb removed. There is plenty to love about this threepiece, but at the risk of playing favorites, Burchette and that corrosive bassline were probably the highlight of my night. No slackers themselves, drummer Jake Cregger effortlessly carved out a punishing tribal-punk rhythm for each song as Nick Skrobisz yelped and shouted over his guitar’s pleasingly atonal notes. The band dropped Position Release (on Reptilian Records) in August and shared several new tracks with the Turf Club crowd including the gritty “Coxcomb” as well as a good chunk of selections from previous records 2014’s Variable Impulse and 2012’s Spaces Tangled.
It’s hard to believe that a bunch of Steve Albini fanboys reignited my interest in the local music scene and my passion for live music but that’s just what happened. Buildings have created an accessible form of noise-rock, probably in spite of themselves; it’s aggressive, complex and, above all, loud, but it’s also super catchy. The band is ten plus years in and, with the wise addition of Mike Baillie on bass a year and a half ago, they are at the top of their game, especially live. Thursday night’s gig served to promote the release of Buildings’ new 12” split EP with Wisconsin-based Volunteer and although I’m tickled pink they decided to record their vicious cover of “Snake” by PJ Harvey, they didn’t play it. They did, however, treat us to the EP’s other two fantastic tracks, “Burlap” and crowning jewel “Something Better” a song that is slinky as f*ck and contains this stellar couplet: “Roam around for a while/go home and watch X-Files.” Buildings, they’re just like us! “Something Better” also showcases drummer Travis Kuhlman’s serious chops; he hits the drums with such violent intensity, it’s a pretty satisfying thing to watch. The band’s final tune of the night, “Mouth Gift”, turned out to be the ultimate test of skill when singer/guitarist Brian Lake’s guitar strap broke and the instrument fell from his hands. He recovered quickly, however, and carried on with the song - even nailing the solo, strapless. Then, as feedback poured out of the speakers, Lake extended the neck of his guitar into the audience, letting fans add their own dissonance.
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Animal Lover
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Novacron |
I hope you will forgive me, dear reader, for making a gross reference to a Meghan Trainor song, but really Multicult’s performance was all about that bass (OH GOD) Please, hear me out: Rebecca Burchette’s bass playing is sick - she creates a groove so dirty and grimey, it seeps under your skin and stays there for days and you might need to have a limb removed. There is plenty to love about this threepiece, but at the risk of playing favorites, Burchette and that corrosive bassline were probably the highlight of my night. No slackers themselves, drummer Jake Cregger effortlessly carved out a punishing tribal-punk rhythm for each song as Nick Skrobisz yelped and shouted over his guitar’s pleasingly atonal notes. The band dropped Position Release (on Reptilian Records) in August and shared several new tracks with the Turf Club crowd including the gritty “Coxcomb” as well as a good chunk of selections from previous records 2014’s Variable Impulse and 2012’s Spaces Tangled.
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Buildings
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Multicult at Turf Club, Minneapolis (01 September 2016) |
