Under Byen @ Mercury Lounge & Inside The Rockers Studio
It's been a busy day, but we're not letting it go by without telling you that our recent-crush Under Byen were phenomenal last night. Hey, any band featuring a saw player gets a thumbs up from us! (This includes Amina.)
So, let us just say Bjork. And Sigur Rós. Sorry -- we're contractually obligated as music nerds to reference those Nordic stalwarts when describing this Danish outfit because, in all honesty, they're inescapable reference points. Indeed, there's a lot of sonic similarity: tortured, dramatic, and animated vocals over pulsing rhythms, urgent dynamics, and that sense of Scandinavian surreality.
But you need go no further than the instrumentation to see distinctions. For example: Under Byen no likey guitars! You won't find a single six-string on that stage; it's all keys, cello, violin, bass, saw, and not-one-but-two drummers. And despite the size of their crew, Under Byen brought their light projector across the Atlantic, bathing the stage in flowery patterns of white light, catching the performers' faces just so, to create a dramatic (and difficult to photograph) visual.
"Pilot"'s smoldering skin-smashing was an instant mood setter, while "Den Her Sang Handler Om At Få Det Bedste Ud Af Det" (imagine that with a double-word score in Scrabble) -- with its 3 bass-note vamp under acending, dissonant-then-driving strings, and ending with a descending chromatic run under a repetitive piano figure -- sucked the fucking wind out of our lungs. Other highlights included "Tindrer," which was inescapably awesome (and inescapably Sigur Rós -- sorry, there it is again), and the title track to their latest, greatest record At Samme Stof Som Stof.
Henriette's hot enough just in her dress and holding the mic, without the writhing and hip pumping (a bit of a mismatch with the epic, dramatic crescendos and pulses), but we didn't see any guys complaining. It added to the mood.
For now, what we saw was the only scheduled US date. It's rare to see such a powerful, well-rehearsed, and effective band in Mercury's tight-quarters. From there, we watched LOST, and all of this made for one of the better nights we've had of late. Thanks for playing our show, Under Byen!
And before we sign off, here's a particularly fantastike Rockers Studio, featuring "favorite word" responses in both English and Danish! Let's hear it for bilinguality.
UNDER BYEN
1. What is your favorite word?
IN DANISH IT'S "KÆTTER" I THINK. WHICH MEANS "HERETIC," BUT THE SOUNDING IN DANISH IS GREAT. IN ENGLISH "AARDVARK" IS COOL, SO IS "INAPPROPRIATE" AND "EERIE."
2. What is your least favorite word?
IN DANISH, IT'S "PØLSE" -- CAN BE TRANSLATED TO "SAUSAGE" OR "POOH." IN ENGLISH, I THINK MY LEAST FAVOURITE IS "SHRIMP" OR "REPUBLICAN"
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
UH, HARD ONE. BEING IN A BAND, CONVERSATIONS, PAYING NOTICE TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND YOUR STATE OF MIND. WE'RE NOT A RELIGIOUS BAND IN ANY SENSE BUT SPIRITUALITY CAN BE PART OF NATURE OR CITY WHICH THEN AGAIN EFFECTS YOU EMOTIONALLY.
4. What turns you off?
CREATIVELY? WHEN WE'RE TALKING MORE THAN PLAYING. WHEN THERE' S ACERTAIN AGENDA FOR REHEARSING.
5. What is your favorite curse word?
IT'S PROBABLY "RØVGUITAR" (ASS GUITAR) OR "FEDE LÆS." IN ENGLISH, IT MIGHT BE "SOB" OR "BULLSHIT."
6. What sound or noise do you love?
BABIES CRYING, NOISE OF THE STREET, NOISE IN GENERAL, ACTUALLY.
7. What sound or noise do you hate?
CATS FIGHTING
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
ARCHITECT OR ZOOLOGIST
9. What profession would you not like to do?
REMOVAL MAN OR TOUR MANAGER
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at
the Pearly Gates?
"COME ON IN. DYLAN WANTS TO MEET YOU."
Posted at 7:29 PM in Concert, Inside The Rockers Studio
Tags: Under Byen
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The band was VERY well-rehearsed and together... but the Euro-industrial music (which is what it sounds like live) came off sounding a little forced and there was no subtlety to their performance. The band's stage presence was also lacking... Danish or not... you could at least say "thank you" to the fans. Interesting show, nevertheless... thanks!
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I thought they were great.
The instrumentals melded really well...the distortions wailing sounds from the stringed instruments and the saw, the keyboard, two drum sets, and hell even the visuals all added up to one awesome and unique experience.
let's not forget that it was a rare and free show. And about acknowledging the audience, they actually did all line up and take a bow to say thanks at the end of their set.
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"Rovguitar" - don't think I've ever heard that one before :-)
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Stytzer (& stereogum for that sake):
Its acctually written "Røvguitar" in danish :)
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It was a fun concert and getting in for free made it all the better. The saw definitely kicked ass! Lack of any onstage banters or even a "hello" did make for some awkward quietness between songs. Though, I still ejoyed getting to know a new (to me) band!
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Norway - I was just quoting the post - Being Danish I'm quite familiar with the letter ø :-)
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was such a good show, hello/thank you or not, i hope to see this band in new york again very soon. thanks for the free tickets!
tracy.
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was such a good show, hello/thank you or not, i hope to see this band in new york again very soon. thanks for the free tickets!
tracy.
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David Byrne was at the Under Byen/Joanna Newsom show in Montreal...read David's comments here on his web journal: http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2006/10/10306_montreal_.html
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Great photos from the gig. The band looks fantastic! :-)
I wish I had been there. And also at the gigs with Giant Sand where Henriette and Nils also played with them.
Anyway, I have this little site about the band in case you need more info than there is at the official site...
www.larsdideriksen.com/underbyen
And if you're part of the torrent site www.dimeadozen.org go there and download some of the many nice live recordings. There are 13 shows there right now. And there are more out there (check the Bootography on the "fansite").
Gabba-hey!
L
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