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I'm a Boston based photographer/writer/videographer. This is my blog. You also can check out my Portfolio (Joe Difazio.com) or My Twitter @JLDifazio

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Show Review for Freep






Wednesday night on February third One In A Million Media (a.k.a. Jillian Santella’s entertainment blog) put on the Kem Pa Sote show. The show was Haiti relief benefit for Partners in Health, a Boston-based Haitian relief program.The show boasted some local bands and D.J.s

The night started off with the band Aloud who is amidst recording their third album. The Boston-based band sounds like a really awful version of Tilly and The Wall minus all the tap-dancing and hot babes. The band is fronted by Henry Beguiristain and Jen de la Osa. Their vocal trade-offs sound like all the bad parts of Americana that liberals warn you about loving too much. Their messy train wreck of a set consisted of songs mostly from their sophomore effort Fan The Fury. I use effort here very loosely. They seemed to be having fun, but the few people who were there stood like zombies. At least their rhythm section was at least mediocre.

With nowhere to go but up Aloud was followed by another Boston-based band The Lights Out. They sort of sounded like their name would implies they would, truly miserable. They sound like they formed a band to make “stereotypical” rock for truck commercials. The lead singer really tapped into some Scott Stapp vibrato while showing off how sweet he was by doing the rock and roll sign between guitar licks. If for nothing else they were very tight and had a lot of energy. The guitarist jumped off the stage at one point and played in the growing crowd to the delight of at least a few people.

Actual relief came in the form of Pretty and Nice. They a local act to keep an eye on. Their idiosyncratic pop-rock never ceases to amaze me with its precision and imagination. Despite playing a calmer show than usual, they were nothing less than gloriously manic. Their set borrowed heavily from their latest record Get Young including fan favorite “Tora Tora Tora” and the slower ballad “Peekaboo.” My favorite thing about Pretty and Nice is tempo. All the stops and breakdowns and sharp bursts of double time keep you glued to them. They were definitely the highlight of the night.

The show ended with the always-lovely You Can Be A Wesley. They sauntered through their set with their usual nonchalance. They play surf-rock east coast style-rocky, cold, and a little sad. Lead singer Saara mesmerizes you with her sweetly melancholy voice. They too played a lot of their newest album Heard Like Us. The gem of the set was their song “Creatures”. Complete with Joy Division guitar riffs and a giant sing-along chorus, it is always a crowd pleaser.

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