Quick review: Make Out!

There was me giving high praise to this group not so long ago (or so it feels) and here I was attending their last ever show. In flux. 

Musically, while Make Out! are obviously influenced by girl punk groups like Mika Miko and Erase Errata, their percussionist, a member of the amazing PTTRNS (see review), adds that something to it that gives this group a distinct post-punk vibe and rhythmic edge and reminds me of one of my all-time favourites: Numbers. And who wouldn't want a local Numbers?

The show was fun, as last gigs tend to be: a packed room, confetti, a stage-diving singer, a lot of dancing and shouting - just some deserved mayhem.

So, sad that this group are no more, I have great hope for the future of the individual members and I am sure glad I did attend this last ever show. May the reunion happen soon.

PS: J. has found this flickr link for some really good pictures someone took at the gig.

Experimental Krake

For those of our readers interested in experimental electronic sounds: Krake Festival will satisfy your need for the unusual, starting tonight and running for a week. Check it out and enjoy.

Preview: the week ahead (6th Aug - 12th Aug)

Summer is coming to an end, at least if you are dependent on school holidays. For all others, summer remains here to enjoy. And there are some fine evenings ahead to really make the most of the long nights by hanging out at one of the following:

Monday

Ty Segall, 206 and Zentralheizung of Death at Festsaal Kreuzberg: The man Segall is back, this time playing it large at Festsaal. Read our review from last time and the time before and make sure not to miss out. This is going to be garage rock fun with a distinctly punk audience.

Tuesday

Father Murphy at bei Roy: Yes, Father Murphy are back for a last minute show at Bei Roy promoting their newest record. They play weird and sometimes sacral sounding experimental music that manages to be the opposite of catchy and maybe also because of that even more interesting. They recently toured the US and released a split 7" with Xiu Xiu. I'm really excited to see them again!

Listener at Cassiopeia: Listener are pretty cool. I saw them playing open air last summer and they were awesome. They somehow perfectly mix spoken word vocals with postrock music and manage to create an intense atmosphere that somehow keeps you staring and listening in awe.

Wednesday

BATALJ, Hure and St Genet at Knochenbox: We have written about BATALJ so many times before, I would be repeating myself if I praised them to you yet again. Just go to Knochenbox on Wednesday and be noise blasted in the finest of manners. Buy c* a soft drink while you are there.
Damien Jurado and The Dropout Patrol at Lido: Again, not the first time we are writing about Damien Jurado, a talented singer-songwriter, obviously heavily influenced by Neil Young and other great 70s folk musicians. It's a tad pop at times but the man is very likeable, plus you cannot deny the talent behind it. Support from our local starlets.

Chris Garneau and Susie Asado at Grüner Salon: "Chris Garneau is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Garneau's sound combines elements of folk, Americana, pop, baroque, and carnival music." Wikipedia can be useful. In my words: The man is a genius and if you are open to unusual singer-songwriter material, Eastern folk music the way Beirut incorporates it, Of Montreal and French film music, you will appreciate this wonderful music. A truly special night and the perfect venue for it.

Friday

Future Islands at Schokoladen: I don't really understand how this happened but Future Islands are playing at Schokoladen again. Even though this time they play open air at the Schokoladen yard, I'm pretty sure there will be lots of disappointed people having to leave a sold out venue. Last time Future Islands played at Schokoladen, there were so many people in front of the door that the queue reached the crossroad to Torstraße. After that Future Islands played shows at Lovelite and Berghain. Both being significantly larger than Schokoladen and suggesting that their fanbase didn't shrink immensely since their last Berlin show, we strongly advise you to be super early if you don't want to miss out on this awesome live band and what will probably be an amazing show!

Light Asylum at Festsaal: Former singer of !!! (Chk Chk Chk) with her dark dance project. We are not entirely convinced but we like those earlier !!! records and Friday night is dance night - and dancing is spelled in capitals at a Light Asylum gig. Which is why this doesn't start until 11pm.

Saturday
Micachu & The Shapes, Kwes and Urban Mutations at Festsaal: What an eclectic line-up! Mica Levi is playing with her Shapes group, mixing R&B with indie electro clash à la Le Tigre or MEN, deifnitely appealing to that audience, too. Kwes comes from a British hip hop and UK garage background and equally dabbles in performing and producing. Urban Mutations list UK Bass and Mutated R&B as some of their genres. It's all going to be bass heavy but also unusual and fun.

Sunday

Fair Ohs and Phi at Schokoladen: Another great Schokoladen matinée. Be there for 5:30 pm latest and dance to the Fair Ohs, who sound as if you mixed Vampire Weekend with PTTRNS. Yum and fun.

Mission of Burma in December

Nice, one of post punk's pioneers, Mission of Burma, will play at Festsaal Kreuzberg on December 12th. They originally broke up in 1983 and reunited again in 2002. Since then they released more records than during their original active time as a band.

Here's the Facebook event page for the concert.

Preview: the week ahead (30th Jul - 5th Aug)

It's getting hot in here, so take off... Berlin has gone a little hot and sleepy, deserted and touristy at the same time, and we love it. Relax by the pool, eat an ice cream and spend your evenings at one of the following events...

Monday

Ghikas-Walshe and others at Quiet Cue: Panos Ghikas of The Chap (see Thursday) has teamed up with Jennifer Walshe, "composer, voice artist and former cover star of The Wire" and others for a night of "Unreal-time performance: gestural material as a composed interface for improvisation. Electro/acoustic improvisation, involving voice, violin, viola, a kids drumkit and a specially prepared interface that allows the live manipulation of recorded gestures through the use of an e-drum kit." Curious.

Wednesday

Alpinist and Masakari at Köpi: A night of heavy and dark hardcore in the vein of crust bands like From Ashes Rise, His Hero is gone and Tragedy. Pretty sure this will kick several asses and Köpi ist just the perfect location for this package.

Thursday

Spectrum at White Trash: This has been moved from hbc. to White Trash due to large demand. "Sonic Boom, Spacemen3 mainman performs classic Spacemen3 and Spectrum material with a full band including longtime collaboraters; Will Carruthers, (exSpacemen3, Spiritualized, Brian Jonestown Massacre), Jason Holt, Roger Brogan." Sounds grand.

Puschenfest at Festsaal: Every year we wait in anticipation for the line-up for Puschenfest, one of the best live music events in Berlin's annual calendar. It's a good offering again this year, with the first night spanning across the genre of indie music with garage singer-songwriter Kurt Vile and his troupe The Violators, weirdo indie starlets Fenster, and experimental pop success The Chap.

Friday

Swans at Berghain: Of course there has been a lot of hoo ha about this post-punk group since there reformation in 2010, and we are joining into the excitement. There are not many bands like Swans. Period. Read up on it if you are unfamiliar.

Puschenfest at Festsaal: Second night of our treasured Fest. Tonight, David Pajo from Slint is performing with his project Papa M, psych-folk group Megafaun are mesmerising people with weird beauty, and Sleep Party People, another mask wearing group (bf says: "there is a lot of that around at the moment"), are playing post-rock, guitars and electronica mixed with sound effects and dreamy vocals. Arty and well worth checking out.

What's in store for 2012, pt II

A few weeks back the calendar announced half-time for 2012. Time to take a look at what the rest of the year has got to offer. And I am definitely getting more excited about what lies ahead compared to what has been so far. 2012 has not yet swept me off my feet in terms of live music events. The following selected offerings should change that. A lot of Yay and Yum!

Liquid Liquid (Soju Bar, August) - grandfathers of post-disco music à la !!! (Chk Chk Chk) DJ gig only.

Jonathan Richman (Festsaal, August) - folk singer-songwriter and comic genius that is sure to make you smile - cannot wait.

DIIV (Monarch, August) - atmospheric guitar indie pop on Captured Tracks

Black Dice (Festsaal, September) - experimental gods and ex-punk rockers return to Festsaal, oh how I love thee

Dead Skeletons (Kater Holzig, September) - atmospheric post punk in the vein of Dirty Beaches and the likes
King Tuff (Monarch, September) - 60s sounding garage rock that will let you shake your head in a hot Monarch, no doubt.

Fu Manchu (Lido, September) - gods of stoner rock at a relatively small venue in Berlin, go go Godzilla

Jaill (Comet Club, October) - wavey upbeat indie rock and my new discovery (yes, I do know they've been around, like, forever)

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead (Lido, October) - more rock at Lido, like with Fu Manchu, we are honoured to see ...AYWKUBTTOD in a relatively intimate venue.

Quintron & Miss Pussycat (Kater Holzig, October) - recovered from illness, this fabulous duo are likely to give us the gig of the year with a combination of soul, rock and puppet mastery

Liars (Festsaal, October) - our favourite ex-Berliners play it large at Festsaal, showcasing their amazing new contender for album of the year

Chain & The Gang (Festsaal, October) - supreme entertainer and political chief Ian Svenonius is back to give us the gospel yeah yeah and a party to go with it

Godspeed! You Black Emperor (SO36, November) - SO36 is no match for churches and other odd venues this group of musical geniuses will usually play, but it's two nights of atmospheric instrumentalisation you usually only get in a theatre with an orchestra.

Wild Nothing (Dazzle Danzclub, November) - the boy Jack Tatum, another Captured Tracks protegée, who got us into dream pop three years ago, is growing up fast and getting even better in the process. Magic.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Grafitti (Festsaal, November) - another Ariel Pink show in Berlin, another chance to party like there is no tomorrow.