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Beach Fossils + Craft Spells – La Sala Rossa – 19.04.11

April 22, 2011 in Show Reviews

Beach Fossils are an American, Brooklyn-based, Indie rock band that has, (unsurprisingly) garnered comparisons as a less frantic sister alongside the recent Wavve of its lo-fi brethren. But before we tuck this band away in a list of bands that the internet (the Authorities, whatever) are starting to say all sound the same – let’s maybe take a moment to think about what we like about these bands. Furthermore, if stubborn reverberation, defiantly plucking at strings, and quietly conversing with the audience through a series of melodic vocals is wrong – than neither Beach Fossils, nor Tuesday night’s Sala Rossa’s crowd want to be right. Just look at them! Pleasantly cradling away to paced drums, and almost consciously ignorant to inaudible vocals. This is a date night.

Having unfortunately arrived late, I manage to catch the tail end of local opener Intensive Care’s set. However, an average turn out overall serves as a surprising delight to the headlining American band, Beach Fossils. On stage is a set of dreamy boys, taking their dream pop jams on tour, having recently released their latest EP, What a Pleasure. Head of the band, Dustin Payseur stands almost lackadaisical on stage, while simultaneously humbled to have crossed the border. “Well thanks for coming out! Montreal is so nice. Here’s what we do.” Title track “What a Pleasure” booms heavy with bass, and inaudible with vocals – an issue that will be immediately dealt with post-song. And as each dream pop jam concludes the crowd inches closer together, seemingly pleased with what’s happening on stage. “This is so much better than Burlington! Way more fun!” Payseur delightfully announces. Taking an upbeat turn, the crowd falls into the rhythm of older tunes, “Vacation,” “Sometimes” (A song that hints at the kind of variety Beach Fossils could soon come to offer) followed up by most recent tunes like, “Distance” and “Twelve Roses” which Payseur notes is, “a song about a big test.”

The real show-stealers however hail from Seattle; an Indie pop band called Craft Spells. On their first tour, promoting their recent release of Idle Labor, Craft Spells, as Payseur later remarks, are simply “killing it.” This is a band with an audible Cure influence, an inclination for melodic vocals, that’s found themselves grounded in a rhythmic bass arrangement. Among the frail and adorable Indie rock boys on stage, is lead, Justin Vallesteros. The band kicks off the set with “Scandinavian Crush” and immediately, a tiny but anxious dance party blossoms at the edge of the stage. For such a fresh new band it is fairly impressive to see girls already silently swooning as Vallesteros belts out sympathetically pathetic calls, “Am I coming on too strong / When can I see you please?” It is equally impressive to see the crowd visibly excited at having recognized the beginning of this seemingly unknown band’s single, “After the Moment.” (A noticeable hit, with its pronounced pop beats). When Beach Fossils later take the stage, Payseur will announce that “all the dudes from Craft Spells have already hooked up” – which makes sense, because first their lead singer scanned the crowd for, “pretty” and then they killed their set. First tour, indeed.

So to the tall couple standing in front of me, you owe the rest of your romantic night to both Beach Fossils and Craft Spells for offering an excellent soundtrack to all that flirting. And to the Craft Spells guitarist who’s name I don’t know – you really can keep the earplugs! I wasn’t using them.

- Sruti I