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Hollands @ Fontana’s, New York – July 9, 2009
It’s a Thursday night on the outskirts of Chinatown and I’m walking down a grungy narrow staircase in the back of Fontana’s. I come to a thick red velvet drape, part the curtain and step into the dark subterranean performance space. Already the room is vibrating with the sounds of Decostra, the opening band in tonights full line-up. The crowd is scant at this point and once I settle in I’m not surprised given the light, paltry, cliché lyrical posings being offered on stage. This is not to say that singer song-writer Paul Decostra is completely void of musical skill, but his sound just doesn’t penetrate and his musicianship, though decent, is not enough to keep any real level of intrigue afloat. Heartfelt and genuine, yes…but without some semblance of originality what difference does it make?
Luckily, the next act offers a little pick-me-up. California natives, Permanent Ability, with their twangy, bass-slappin’ rhythms help to rev up the room. A band most definitely influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Permanent Ability provides an interesting combination of alt-rock and funk but falls short of their inherent potential due to somewhat simplistic, uninspired lyrics.
But the night proves to be a diverse mixture of sound as the next band, Venice is Sinking, takes a completely new turn, away from fast and upbeat rhythms to a much more mellow and introspective sound. Hailing from Athens Georgia, this band offers up ambient experimental tunes that hypnotize and penetrate the ear and mind. Moody, slow, enticing crescendos that never really explode but rather arrive in sturdy valleys of melodic humility. A song settled within itself. With measures that are somewhat intense, Venice manages to deliver symphonic techniques without getting marred in the heaviness that often accompanies such music. Here we are given all the taste, complexity and balance of a full orchestra scaled down to a size that confronts the pop/alternative audience with a much needed organic, thought-out musical menagerie. A hard act to follow. And while the next act up, And The Revellers Fell, is a fairly grooving rock n’ roll band that have earned their chops with an impressive mastery of their instruments and solid musical form, their safer brand of music is somewhat of a let down, seeming to lack a creative edge after hearing their predecessors. Walking bass lines, twangy guitars, and a bit of the jam band element characterizes this essentially subdued rock band.
By now crowd has picked up and a few girls have made their way up to the stage in anticipation of the final act. The room is soon filled to the brim with sounds of Hollands as the front man, wearing wire-framed glasses, begins a solid yet unassuming melody that takes on importance and credibility with time. Hollands can be described as emo meets alternative meets pure rock; a Weezer, Wilco, Local H reminiscence. Their track “Strong Arm” is a perfect example of where their talent lies. An unrelenting beat runs just below the surface of a well thought out, provocative lyrical landscape. With Hollands one can feel the tension and love in the fabric of their subtlety. A relationship between artist and audience that works only if the latter is willing to be patient and keenly observant. And for Hollands, we definitely are.
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the few girls had been dancing up front the entire time And The Revellers Fell were playing. That's because their groove was solid the entire set. And since you weren't listening, almost all thier tunes were in odd timed signatures. It's a testament to their tightness that people don't notice this–their drummer is sick! so I think they're much more progressive sounding than your characterization here.
Regarding Permanent Ability lyrics….less is more, and there is a deeper meaning behind the lyrics. Did you even see their live performance???? ROCKED!
The sound engineer blowed too.