Concert Review: The Parson Red Heads @ Spaceland with the Movies (5.9.08)

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Last Friday at Spaceland was one of those bills that are becoming increasingly (and wonderfully) commonplace in L.A.: two powerhouses of local indie rock sharing a stage that either band could have headlined, with the joyous, multitudinous porch-sprawl of the Parson Red Heads colliding with the coiled snarl and mischievous theatrics of the Movies.

The Red Heads were celebrating the release of their newest EP, Owl & Timber—a collection of spiraling folk psychedelia combined with the rolling crush of howling guitar interplay, all melted down into a thirty-minute collection of The Basement Tapes blown forward into aughties indie; the Movies were, more than anything celebrating being the Movies—a ferociously talented live act bathed in a synthy haze of weary sleaze and winking, knowing lyrics, while simultaneously echoing the Bunnymen and remaining firmly, wildly original.

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The Movies had another reason to celebrate—their unreleased next album, copies of which were hurled into the crowd by frontman Timothy James, is, quite simply, ludicrously good (it also features two of WiF’s favorite Movies tracks, “Missed Opportunites” and “When I Was in Nam”). Along with the Airborne Toxic Event’s debut, it’s been at the top of our most anticipated releases of 2008 list, and it did not disappoint (keep an eye out for the review).

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Their set was an impassioned, alternately subdued and unhinged performance, as James whirled around the stage in a wild-eyed fever between bassist Jessica Gelt’s sinewy, rhythmic sway and the ambient wash of keyboardist Brian Cleary, demanding that audience members kiss to win copies of the new LP, furiously running in place, and riding the mic stand—once again proving that he is one of the funniest and most dynamic singers in the L.A. music scene (the man can croon, too). The Movies’ show spun between two poles: songs like the melodic, synth-stung “Get Your Macho Out” and the slow-motion whirlpool of “Creation Lake” were a down-tempo counterpoint to the warped snarl of “Autograph” and the glistening stutter-cool of “If I Had the Cash,” with the reeling keyboard intro and propulsive, howled choruses of “Missed Opportunities” unifying both ends of the band’s spectrum before falling into “When I Was in Nam”’s sleep-drawled slow groove of Caucasoid funk.

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The hydra-headed Parson Red Heads brought their nine-person implosion of roots-rock Americana next, proceeding to play the new, six-song EP in it’s entirety before moving on to older tracks. “County Line” began as a three-minute instrumental, a gentle rise-and-fall of graceful, near-ambient beauty, before launching into a bouncy rocker, driven by the pet sounds of Evan Way’s harmonized vocal and David Swenson’s elastic basslines; “Got it All” was a starburst of pop verses surrounded by the thunderous, marrow-rattling crash of circuitous guitar riffs; and EP closer “Crowds” featured the band’s golden vocal harmonies interweaving above a hushed acoustic churn and Brette Way’s looping drum fills.

Nine people performing on a stage could’ve collapsed into a messy spatter of musical disorganization, with songs and time signatures Jackson Pollack’d across the set; it’s a tribute to the Red Heads’ skill that their live show is equal to their recordings, if only a bit louder and fueled by a rougher, sweatier energy. They’re also more than the sum of their influences—though often mentioned in the same critical breath as the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds, they’ve forged their own brand of country-and-harmony-inflected L.A. rock, one that continues a tradition instead of just standing upon it.

Like the recent spate of shows featuring stellar lineups—last month’s Radars to the Sky residency, as well as residencies by in May by the Mezzanine Owls and Le Switch—the Parson Red Head’s EP release party was a glowing Wurlitzer of Los Angeles rock, which is cause enough for celebration, new releases or otherwise.

May 12, 2008 | Filed Under Concert Reviews, Exclusive Features 

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