Another day, another killer Missoula band we get to announce and it's...NO FANCY. They're one of the newest, most stellar local trios operating right now. For reference, let's just say they kinda remind me of The Magpies in one sense, perhaps without the latter's serious wall-of-noise, but with that same propulsive garage-y nod to 90's indie rock. No Fancy is a little moodier, I think, and that's one of things that sticks out for me. I love those moods.
Some other things you might be interested in knowing: No Fancy has been hard at work and (last I heard) is nearly done with recording their first album via Missoula's recording-brain-trust Black National. The first result of which you can hear below. Ray, No Fancy bassist extraordinaire (the guy with the mustache) is also a member of Missoula alt-country-faves The Best Westerns. Dude is a talent. Hell, all three of these No Fancy folks are talents and man, I'm really excited they're playing Total Fest XIV.
I think Vanek sums up Missoula's
Magpieshere, where he leads with "The Magpies
are one of those bands that you're certain you've heard before the
first time you hear them. They've got that built-in familiarity, and
kind of walk the well-worn streets of slacker mode
independent rock that all kinds of great bands have."
It's a solid review. What's
subtlety sitting behind it is this quartet hones that slacker
vibe with some superb musicianship. Tolan, Sam, Hank, and Jamie
continually impress me with not only how much they grow between each
song, each show, and each record, but also how they constantly tweak
everything. They're never satisfied. I can't say when I first saw
Magpies, but I can say that before I had, it was prefaced with "You
have to see them!" and "Why haven't you seen them?"
and "How haven't you seen them yet?" The "how"
was particularly puzzling because these cats play almost every chance
they can. They practice, record, and tour like most of us make coffee
in the morning -- it's what oxygenates their brains.
So .... the first time. I was
impressed, but I think there was something lacking for me. It wasn't
anything they weren't doing or anything they were doing that didn't
sit right. The energy is always there, and for a time my favorite
thing was watching Sam and Tolan adjust to different drumming styles
after the Daver hung up his sticks (so to speak). Tolan and Sam have
a definite chemistry that's palpable in all things they do. Shit,
they could coax a herd of cats to keep time for them. Add in Hank
and, eventually, Jamie, and everything is coming up tornadoes.
Tornadoes is a perfect metaphor for
them. It's a controlled, well-harnessed, sustained burst of chaos
that appears to meander effortlessly with its explosive force. The
guitars are pitch perfect as they lead and underscore the vocals,
which, given Sam and Tolan's dynamic, weave together two voices from
opposite sides of the spectrum; punctuated by the seemingly
deliberate but always powerful and fluid drums, Magpies confidently
move between songs, allowing for the music to do the work for them.
In the end, isn't that what every band wants? From my perspective,
they get the best of both worlds. There's the tireless, yeoman effort
attached to the celebration and fun of creating and living their
music, and we're all the better for it. Check out this video created by Hanks son, Cade:
Hey, you pseudo sumo wrestlers, who's stoked to go to the Bauhaus Montana show at the Palace tomorrow? We are. It's gonna fucking rule, that's why! Seriously, one-night only, a long-rehearsed tribute show to the 1979-1983 period of Bauhaus by Volumen/Humpy/JuvenilesMagpies/Skin Flowers/Capricorn Vertical Slum/Shahs members.
Total Fest's own organizator Colin Johnson beatin' skins, Hank D. and Dave P. guitarring, Shane Hickey bassing and Jon Richter singing. It gives a new meaning to the played out words "supergroup" when musicians who care as much about this group come together for one night to pay tribute to it. They've put in a ton of work learning something like 36 songs and you know, dress goth, bro. Or don't. $5. 21+. Saturday, October 26.
Harteis is more the goth (Vanek writing), but I'm always up for learning and honestly, my appreciation for the depressive arts has only increased since seeing the Funeral and the Twilight in August.
That's right, Total Folks. We're posting the final batch announcement of this year's Total Fest line-up. Not that we've saved the best for last, but this batch is a gut punch combo: old heads, well worn travelers, noisy weirdness, hefty stoner, playful pop, psych fix, and riff ration. A few strands are still lingering, but we'll have you caught up by the week's end. As with the last two announcements, we'll expand on each of the bands in the following days. Stay tuned.
