Deck the Hall Ball

The Joy Formidable, from Wales – I hadn’t paid attention to this band much before the show, mostly I just enjoyed the single they played a lot on 107.7, Whirring. These guys were so incredibly energetic, and props to them for playing in a half-empty stadium. The show started at 3pm and went until 11pm, so people slowly trickled in, and they made the whole thing start with a bang. So much guitar, and an awesome female lead vocalist. I would suggest more songs by them but I haven’t spent a lot of time with their album yet.

Of Monsters and Men, from Iceland – With two beautiful voices (and people) as lead vocals in this folk rock band, I couldn’t help loving them. I first heard their single, Little Talks, at a club in Glasgow (of course it’s not really something you’d expect in a club), and it was amazing to see it live. I suppose since they’re mostly acoustic, it’s no surprise they sound so much like the album. Another of theirs that they played a lot on 107.7 was Mountain Sound. A couple they played live that were just amazing were Dirty Paws and Six Weeks. And Lakehouse. I love the whole album.

GROUPLOVE, from Los Angeles, CA – I was a bit surprised by this band, I hadn’t really cared for their music, and then heard them live and fully enjoyed it. Loud and passionate. You can just tell from their sound that they’re from California, I can’t really pin down why. Their big hits are Itchin’ on a Photograph and Tongue Tied, but I actually like Colours (with the British spelling) a lot, and Slow is my favorite of theirs at the moment. There are others on their album that are good as well.

The Lumineers, from Denver, CO – Another folk band that just sounds gorgeous (and looks it). A bit quieter and more intimate than Of Monsters and Men. Their big, fun hits are Ho Hey and Stubborn Love. Flowers In Your Hair is beautiful, too. A lot of their other songs are slower and good to cozy up with on a slow Sunday morning. They were amazing live, really got the crowd involved in the music, clapping and singing along.

Passion Pit, from Cambridge, MA – These guys have been around for a while. Upbeat, a bit of an electronic vibe, different. They released a new album recently, which has taken some time to grow on me, but I really enjoyed their first album. They played quite a few hits from their older album, including Little Secrets and Moth’s Wings, my two favorites. The single from the new album is Take A Walk, which I do like but has been overplayed a bit on 107.7. The show itself was great, and for some reason that night they all looked like they could have come straight from MIT, a bit geeky. In a good way.

AWOLNATION, from Los Angeles, CA – This band was by far the crowd pleaser of the night. You have perhaps heard Sail, their big single, and their next best is Kill Your Heroes. Both awesome. The lead singer even had us do the wave! During the singing of All I Need, he asked for everyone to get out their lighters and phones, and the sight was unbelievable in a venue as big as Key Arena. He said the view from the stage was incredible, and he’d never forget it. I’m not likely to, either. Their sound ranges from almost metal–there was definitely headbanging, from everyone in the band at times–to funky and upbeat, like in Guilty Filthy Soul. They’re loud and passionate, like GROUPLOVE. Maybe that’s what LA sounds like.

Metric, from Canada – This has been my favorite band for a long time, and is actually the only band I’ve seen at a show like this before. Surprisingly, I’ve discovered I’m not a huge fan of their live performances. I wish Emily Haines would engage the audience more. But their music is excellent. Great beat, great guitar, even keyboard at times. Instead of linking to their big singles that you might know, Breathing Underwater is the one 107.7 plays all the time that is very good, and Clone is my favorite off their new album. Check ’em out.

M83, from France – A bit of trivia: their name comes from the spiral galaxy Messier 83. Their sound is very synth-heavy, and largely instrumental. I wasn’t sure what to expect from their live performance, but truthfully I thought it was the most amazing of them all that night. They brought an insane light show onto the stage with them, complementing the music so well. I had to stand up in my seat for a few of them, just to fully experience it. The two main vocalists have amazing voices, and they use a style called shoegaze, where their voices are indistinguishable from the sounds of the instruments. Their big songs, and my favorites, are Midnight City and Reunion. The latter is my favorite, but really, their whole album is worth a listen.

The Killers, from Las Vegas, NV – This was my favorite band a few years ago, and it was amazing to see them live. They were the headliners of the night, and their show was great, with a big video screen and a light show to rival M83’s. If you know anything about popular music in the last 5-10 years, you’ve heard one of their songs, like Mr. Brightside. They played quite a few favorites from their old albums, which definitely pleased the crowd. I don’t know if I like their newest album all that much, but the singles from it are Runaways and Miss Atomic Bomb. It’s good music, just not a style that I’m in love with these days. Wikipedia describes them as “heartland rock” which sounds about right, especially about their newest album. But boy, do they know how to put on a hell of a show.

Seeing a big show like this by myself allowed me to really be absorbed in the music, and not wonder about whether the people I’m with are enjoying the show as much or as little as I am… I’d highly recommend doing it someday, if you never have. Hopefully I’ve got you hooked on a few new songs.