March 28, 2010 8pm
The Summit
2210 Summit St.
(614) 268-9377
$5 adv
Ages 18+ - Under 21 pay $2 surcharge at the door
Javelin
http://www.myspace.com/hotjamzofjavelin
As Javelin, cousins Tom Van Buskirk and George Langford perform what seem like lost dance anthems from an unkempt disco—a little poppy, a little arty and irredeemably goofy. Although at a glance the local duo’s songs scan like ’80s novelties, the band is a thoroughly modern construct, melding samples with original material, while flirting with an iPod’s worth of genres. The musicians’ practice of recycling pop ephemera extends to their visuals: In concert, they perform behind a stack of boom boxes that function as a homespun PA system, with the music broadcast through a short-range FM transmitter; a self-titled 12-inch released last fall on Thrill Jockey came wrapped in 500 unique covers, each one a thrift-store-excavated jacket with (JAVELIN) silk-screened across the cover. Next month, the duo will release a second 12-inch—this time, listeners are invited to submit their own LP jackets—to be followed by a full-length on Luaka Bop. Javelin plays House of Yes January 30, Music Hall of Williamsburg February 9 and Glasslands Gallery February 18. - JR, Time Out New York
DJ Moxy
http://www.djmoxy.com/
Based in Columbus, Ohio. Moxy Martinez has been making a mark on the electro scene with flashy dj-ing and solid sets since 2002. Creativity rules when producing and dj-ing. A musician since 1988, Moxy has moved into the eclectic world of electronic music. Using Reason, Ableton, Cubase, and various Kaoss pads, Moxy brings together life and experimental elements of what makes the soul move and glow.
Black Love
http://www.myspace.com/blacklovecolumbus
Closing out the night was Black Love. Glenn Davis, Dylan Meister and Travis Hall used to haunt the house-show circuit as the core members of TI-83 Plus, a supremely catchy ensemble reminiscent of Say Hi To Your Mom’s synth-laden janglers and - in a common thread with Maza Blaska - the Islands/Unicorns school of exotic indie-pop. Black Love reunites them under a new banner with new songs and a more down-tempo disposition.
I never saw TI-83 Plus, but I enjoyed their MySpace tracks and considered myself a fan. In principle, I dig Black Love’s blend of crisp, minimal electronics and loosey-goosey Paul Simon guitar pop too, but I’m not totally sold on the band, mostly because it all feels way too cutesy, especially when Davis sings like Kermit the Frog (shockingly and unfortunately often).
In the context of the old band’s big, bold bundles of fun, the cuter-than-thou approach was a lot more tolerable, but over softly syncopated guitars and understated drum programming, it sounds disingenuous: all wink, no conviction. - Chris DeVille, Alive