Crystal Stilts and Wavves | The Shank

Crystal Stilts

The great lo-fi revolution of 2008 has leaked into 2009 with two of the bands on this bill, Crystal Stilts and Wavves, catching much of the attention, especially in Europe. They’re like more popular than Barack Obama and boiled dinners in parts of Germany and the Czech Republic these days. You hear a bit of the Velvet Underground in Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts sunny garage-pop. Layers of psychedelic guitar and bouncy drum fills make these tunes infectious and danceable, which is sorta surprising given the band’s minimal aims. Wavves is the bedroom creation of Nathan Williams, a San Diego dude who sounds a lot like Spenser Pratt when he talks. His songs are full of harmonies and surreal beach imagery—three of which are titled  “California Goths,” “Summer Goth” and “Beach Goth,” if that gives you an idea.  With These Are Powers and Grooms.

More concert photos: Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Santos Party House | Chris Cornell at Webster Hall |  Steel Panther at Canal Room | The Roots at Highline Ballroom | Katy Perry at Irving Plaza | Cut Copy at Terminal 5 | Les Savy Fav at Brooklyn Masonic Temple | Lilly Allen at Bowery Ballroom | Cold War Kids at Mercury Lounge | Animal Collective at Bowery Ballroom | A-Trak at Studio B