Ravenna Woods Promo Shot ::: Photo via lord fotag

Three Bands. Three solid sets. I will not take part in any gimmickry or unnecessary angles in writing this review. Usually that sort of nonsense will pollute my head and manifest itself into my fingers before I can even protest. People, it is Wednesday and I know you’re not a “Hump Day Person.” I want to make this an easy read while you slowly digest your mid-week malaise and trudge through your Super Bowl hangover. Who am I kidding? You don’t even watch football unless it’s the World Cup. Stupid Yanks, always changing the name of things.

I’m never at the Rendezvous. In fact, I’m never in Belltown unless I’m planning on playing pinball or thinking very highly of myself. Quietly admiring yourself gets old, luckily I had three enjoyable bands to help me focus my attention elsewhere.

MKspeeddial started the night off with a twin telecaster attack that churned out some crisp, clean tunes. If the Pixies met at a tropical island hotel/resort instead writing music in the midst of nor’easters, I’d still be another writer making an uncalled for Pixies comparison. These guys write some catchy “indie pop songs,” whatever that means. So, if I hear the ridiculously infectious and memorable “Hey Keri” in the Valentine’s Day movie trailer, does that mean this song can no longer be classified as an “indie pop song?” Would I now have to call it a “delightful tune of mass appeal?” I want to know who makes the rules on these things. Gentle reader, shed some light on the subject, I want to hear from you. There are plenty of “indie pop” bands in this town and truth be told most of them are pretty wretched. MKspeeddial is not one of those bands. I like them just fine.

A preview of what I’m going to spend a decent amount of time doing in 2010:

“Blah..blah…blah Ravenna Woods…!*@$! Ravenna Woods…Comment-allez vous? Avez-vous entendu Ravenna Woods? C’est magnifique!”

Ravenna Woods is a band to watch in 2010. You heard it here first. I promise not to over-hype and ruin a good thing, scouts honor. Chris Cunningham, from the much under-appreciated Navigator vs. Navigator, has harnessed the energy from the aforementioned project and unleashed it in the form of melancholic beauty. As an album, Demons and Lakes is a fantastic listen. Though the instrumentation doesn’t change too much, the songs never seem repetitive or boring. And as gorgeous as they seem on compact disc, they burn bright with great fervor and intensity when they are laid out before you. “War Percussionist” Matt Badger’s beats arrive frenetically on time. Brantley Duke might be the greatest xylophone player of all-time, plus his backup vocals compliment Mr. Cunningham’s wonderfully. Gentle reader, you know me. I go running in a Pig Destroyer shirt. I wouldn’t mind seeing Capitol Hill Block Party replaced by Monsterfest or even Hellfest. This kind of genuine awe-inspiring songwriting usually goes unheard by these deaf ears, worn out by continuous abuse at 165 beats per minute. I’m having trouble choosing which pretty poison is my favorite. At first I thought it was the guitar hero workout of “In the World” with its army of pull-offs and sing-along chorus. But after Saturday’s oh-so-memorable performance of “Simple Fates,” I have a new favorite song on this record. If all our everyday problems could be lifted off our aching shoulders in a manner as delicate as possible, this would be the celestial song to do it. Ravenna Woods, if I had a heart, it would belong to you.

After Ravenna Woods retreated off stage, Strong Killings ransacked it. Vikings of punk rock, the Strong Killings were trying to get some of that “go fast.” Admittedly, I don’t know what that means, but I enjoyed this band very much. The lyrics from their song “Tigerstyle” describe their rock n’ roll manifesto in a no-nonsense concise manner. “I want to break this glass, I want to lose my voice, I want to see your fingers bleeding, you’ve got no choice…and that’s the way it is.” So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. There’s nothing ambiguous about that. Strong Killings had me laughing and rocking out during the entire set, something I appreciate greatly. Singing songs about stuff that we all can relate to: “How are we going to pay the rent?” The highlight of their set, was a song called “If you’re too cool, fuck you” which sounded like a mix between “Institutionalized” by the Suicidal Tendencies and “High Fiving Motherfucker” by Local H. Good stuff.

If the Rendezvous continues to have shows this good, I’m going to need to reserve a booth there.