Jam Out

I dropped by The Piston on Monday to see a few bands, especially Army Girls who haven't played locally in a while. First up was OmHouse. This band was really trying to push the boundaries of indie rock. From non-rhyming lyrics, to odd drum patterns, to guitar riffs that did not adhere to typical chord progressions or scales, it made for unusual music. It wasn't entire successful for all songs, but I applaud them for trying.

Tasseomancy are two sisters immersed in goth folk: atmospheric effects, allusive lyrics, and a folk-song feel to their tunes. Tonight the nice sound mix made everything clear and pristine although there were a few muted vocals in the beginning. Sound guy: when a band has multiple singers taking the lead, let them decide on stage how loudly they should sing instead of fiddling around with the levels. Given their music, I was surprised to see the event listed them as a "jam band". In fact, they did jam. Not through extended guitar solos but through the layering of multiple sounds that transition in and out of harmony. It helped that they were multi-instrumentalists. It was a trance-y set that even quieted some loud talkers. I'm looking forward to their next album so I can get my hands on these great new tunes.

I would have stayed for Army Girls' brand of jangly rock but the late start to the music meant I had to head home to catch some sleep.