When you are an up and coming indie band, it can be hard to stand out amongst other, more established indie rock groups, especially when they are playing gigs in the same town, on the same night. Such was the case with the recent show with Great Northern and Robbers on High Street in Houston. While Spoon and The New Pornographers were performing to a crowd of hundreds, these guys ended up playing to a crowd of about twelve. It’s a shame that more people didn’t make it out to the Backroom at the Mink, because both bands weren’t remotely phased by the lack of bodies in the audience. They provided witty banter and killer sounds making their performance one of those “Darn it! I knew I should have gone to that show instead of going to…” moments.
The evening started off with a clamor of noises provided by Houston’s own prog rock newbies The Television Skies. Though their sound was a bit of a mismatch with the rest of the night’s lineup, The Television Skies put on a pretty impressive performance. They have only been a band since the summer of 2007 and are already opening up for some notable acts. Their sound can most aptly be described as rowdy, raw, and rough around the edges and most certainly have the potential to evolve into an eclectic trio of thunderous proportions.
The atmosphere at the Backroom is cozy for the audience and somewhat cramped for the musicians. The tiny stage at the corner of the small room provides little space for some bands, like Great Northern, to set up and rock out to their full potential. Great Northern [pictured] is a sublime quartet comprised of lush vocal harmonies and ambient melodies that are shaped with the use of creative instrumentation. Their onstage arrangement was intricate and whimsical and definitely needed more room to breathe. Twinkling white lights adorned their instruments and soothing bursts of ruby red glittered from small lamps placed around the stage. The tranquil setting they created was the ideal backdrop for their equally serene sound. Songs like “Telling Lies” and “City of Sleep” were peaceful tidbits of the melodic simplicity of their new album Trading Twilight for Daylight. Rachel Stolte and Solon Bixler’s vocals played well off each other, and their somber rhythm had natural ease and fluidity. Though some of the key elements of their music were missing and their set ran a bit short, the members of Great Northern still gave the audience an appetizing slice of their oeuvre.
Every once and a while you come across a band whose sound is immediately pleasing to the senses; the notes unfold into a blend of instrumentals and vocals that mesh together with razor sharp precision. Robbers on High Street is one such band. Their music is clean, crisp, and layered. From the trombone to the keyboards, the instruments adopted their own subtle personality. Each one sang in concord with the other, while still maintaining their individual musical integrity, including Ben Trokan’s sturdy and charming vocals. The set list was long and varied and never once did the vocal or instrumental harmony falter, resulting in a consistently spot-on performance. Songs off their new album Grand Animals, like “Guard at Your Heel” and “The Fatalist” were indie rock gems that possessed all the right ingredients: powerful rhythm, thought-provoking lyrics, and enticing vocals.
Though they hail from opposite coasts, the music of Great Northern and Robbers on High Street’s compliment each other remarkably well. Despite the small turnout, both bands were in top form with their engaging personalities and delightful sounds.
-- Brigitte B. Zabak
