Apache Beat, 8PM, Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2

by Kelsey Paine

New wave/indie rockers Apache Beat offered up atmospheric indie-rock mixed with a large dose of style during their set at Rockwood Music Hall last night. The five-piece band oozes that certain 'cool factor' that all bands aspire to, but only few actually possess. This is due mostly to Australian front woman Ilirjana Alushaj, a dark-haired beauty who was declared one of the most stylish New Yorkers by Time Out New York and even edits The Pop Manifesto, an online culture magazine. Writhing around the stage, twisting the mic cord around her lithe black-clad body, Alushaj belted out the band's new single “Another Day” a soaring new-age dance pop gem, and the ominous drum-heavy “Let It Go” with an ethereal and erotic presence that lit up the space's small stage. Look for Apache Beat's just-released debut album, Last Chants, for even more of the band's eclectic mix of punk, pop and psychedelic new wave.

Sun Airway, 9PM Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2

 by Kelsey Paine

Bliss-pop outfit Sun Airway created a beautiful environment on the Rockwood Music stage last night. Shifting and pulsating lights scattered across front man Jon Barthmus' face, lending the room a dreamy quality in perfect accompaniment to the band's light electro beats and Barthmus' earnest and heartfelt vocals. Tracks like “Infinity” and “Put the Days Away” sound a lot like indie-outfit Animal Collective with their blend of throbbing beats and indie-pop sensibility. The Philadelphia-based band's stand out was “Waiting on You,” a bittersweet love song, where Barthmus' voice reaches into the depths of longing and the heights of his vocal range. Although their name seems odd, after seeing the dreamy live show, it becomes oddly appropriate. Their debut album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, is out next week.

Crayon Fields, 10PM Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2

 by Kelsey Paine

Australian four-piece Crayon Fields kept the dreamy romantic feeling of the evening going with their beachy indie-pop. The band's soothing harmonies bring to mind a more hipster version of the Beach Boys with their euphoric melodies and front man Geoff O'Connor gentle croon. The crowd swayed along to tracks like “All the Pleasures of the World” and “Mirror Ball," the naïve lyrics, chiming tambourine and light hand claps echoing around the room. There's no pretense to Crayon Fields, just good old-fashioned pop, refreshing and uplifting in it's simplicity.

Morning Teleportation, 11:30PM Public Assembly

by Kelsey Paine

A five-piece psychedelic band from Portland, Oregan, Morning Teleportation threw the crowd back into a hazy mix of high energy rock, like a dance party on acid. The band's yet-to-be released debut album was produced by Modest Mouse front man Isaac Brock and will be released on his own record label, Glacial Pace Recordings. The crunchy, flanel aspect of the guy's Pacific Northwest upbringing was obvious in their ironic clothing choices and long unkempt hair, but it was their mix of banjo, synthesizer, trumpet and talk box vocals from lead singer Tiger, that help Morning Teleportation create their own brand of wildly diverse rock. With psychedelic artwork swirling all around them, Morning Teleporation had a lot of fun bouncing around the stage, bumping into each other and rocking hard on their guitars and the crowd had as much fun watching them.

Oh Land, 12:30AM Public Assembly

 by Kelsey Paine

Danish electro-pop chanteuse Oh Land created her own little glittery universe on stage last night. Pink balloons and blinding white lights illuminated Oh Land's lovely complexion, leaving the rest of the stage in a shadowy darkness. Wearing her hair pulled back into a taut bun and donning a black poofy capelet, Oh Land danced around the stage, banging her pink drumsticks, asking the crowd to sing-along to tracks off her recently released EP. Crowd favorite “Sun of a Gun” was playful and biting, but it was “White Nights,” a song Oh Land says she wrote for New York City, that was the perfect combination of scratchy drum beats, romantic lyrics and Oh Land's lightly accented and sweet voice that really soared.

 

Snowden, 1:30AM Public Assembly

 by Kelsey Paine

Atlanta based indie rockers Snowden changed the mood a bit after Oh Land's gorgeous and uplifting set, bringing the crowd back to reality with their gritty and intense bass lines. The songs are bleak, although Jordan Jeffares' voice and the hidden guitar stomps lighten the gloom a bit. Snowden sounds like a southern-based Interpol, with a similar dense orchestral sound and monotonic vocals. Although there wasn't a lot of stage banter and Jeffares' seemed a little too concentrated on his guitar and robotic stage movements, many members of the crowd didn't seem to care—they were all too entranced by the band's emotional lyrics and swirling, hypnotic sound.