photo by David Vann

Noise Pop 2005

by Margaret Pitcher

Noise Pop can be a bit overwhelming with so many good-looking shows and bands to choose from during the six-day festival. It can also be a mixed bag: Each bill features four acts of various degrees of hype and skills, so you might go to a show for the headliner and be surprisingly impressed with a supporting act, or you might walk out wishing you'd checked out a whole different scene altogether. I decided to focus on Bay Area bands I had heard of but never seen live and fortunately this strategy paid off. Going in with a fresh perspective I emerged exhausted at the end of the weekend, but with a renewed faith in the Bay Area music scene.

I've heard a lot of buzz about female-powered post-punk group Erase Errata, a band that's been much celebrated and somewhat maligned in the alternative press. Although the Noise Pop program indicated that they were to perform with a male vocalist, they emerged on the Bimbo's stage as an all-estrogen trio: vocalist/guitarist/trumpeter Jenny Hoyston, drummer Bianca Sparta and bassist Ellie Erickson. Good vocals, solid skills, catchy yet thoughtful songs – it's refreshing to see women who can hold their own on stage. Hoyston did a very brief freestyle bit and introduced a new song as "the first blues number we ever wrote," throwing yet another wrench into the ongoing effort to define/pigeonhole their sound. At Noise Pop I saw several bands use heavy distortion, which can convey a welcome rawness to the sound but more often detracted from the music and left you wondering "What are they trying to hide?" Not with these ladies, however. They came on strong and furious yet polished. I’m not sure what the future plans are for the band but I believe they’d do just fine as an all-woman power trio.

Bluesy-folk-punk duo Two Gallants has been getting a lot of ink and attention, which I can understand after experiencing their show at the Independent. Looking like young brothers, singer/guitarist Adam Stephens drummer Tyson Vogel command the stage with passionate playing and smart lyrics. They draw you in and hold you rapt with haunting narratives, though this was lost on some in the room who cheered after a lyric about a man dumping his wife's body in the "Frisco Bay" (presumably they were excited about the geographical reference). Nevertheless the duo connected as much with their audience as with each other. Stephens, who exhibited some excellent guitar playing, broke out the harmonica and even whistled for a spell, has a vocal delivery that suits their material well. He can be tender or borderline screaming depending on the song, and I swear he did not mess up one lyric the entire show. Vogel is a sight to watch – while most drummers tend to sit up straight and let their arms do the work this guy throws his whole body into his playing, bending and flailing over the kit while maintaining a solid rhythm and contributing back-up vocals. Gives you a bit of hope for the youth of this country, knowing that some not only learn and absorb their musical history, but from that can create a very unique, very genuine voice.

Contrary to its threatening namesake, pop-rock quartet Rogue Wave has a dreamy, infectious sound. But don't be too fooled, for there's something menacing about their songs, for example when they juxtapose a sweet lovely melody with the line "Everything was perfect 'til you came along." Fueled by a rush of positive reviews for its debut release, this band was clearly excited to play a packed show at Slim’s. Though Rogue Wave is primarily the creation of guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Zach Rogue (nee Schwartz), he and his current bandmates - bassist Evan Farrell, drummer Pat Spurgeon, and guitarist/keyboardist Gram LeBron – blended naturally onstage and delivered a tight set with pleasing harmonies. You can certainly hear the Beatles and other '60s pop running through their veins, which the band reaffirmed with a cover of The Association's lite-FM song "Never My Love." At times the drunken yammering at the back of the room seemed to echo over the softer musical moments, but in the end the band got the last word. Their final number started nice and mellow before leaping into a rocking, joyous chorus that ended the night on a triumphant note.