Summer is definitely here. Unfortunately, the reason I know this to be true is because I was stuck at a sold out show at The Knitting Factory during the awkward period of time when no one is really sure whether or not it's appropriate to turn on the AC. Here's a good rule of thumb: if you run a music venue/bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that frequently attracts unemployed hipsters (i.e. those not necessarily prone to showering) it's NEVER too soon.
It's a good thing the show was so good. Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino is undoubtedly the breakout star of March's SXSW music festival. She has yet to release a full-length album (one is set to drop later this year) but she has already garnered abundant praise for her various EP releases. Her brand of lo-fi surf rock melded with 60s girl group pop is simple and catchy - always a perfect recipe for songs that you just can't get out of your head. Joined on stage by Bobb Bruno and Vivian Girls drummer Ali Koehler, Cosentino ushered in my summer concert season with songs I'm sure I'll be playing on repeat for four months straight.
Like almost all bands dubbed with the generalizing "lo-fi" adjective, Best Coast recordings feature heavy reverb on the vocals. The absence of this crunchy effect during the live show reveals Cosentino's lush and very "pretty" voice. This girl has the chops; she's not trying to cover anything up with that distortion. Cosentino played new songs, including "Boyfriend," a tune that has generated internet buzz since she debuted it at SXSW. She also played all the familiar ones, ending with the sunny "When I'm With You." The official music video for "When I'm With You" was released a few days ago and it's pretty much a visual love letter to all things just East of the Pacific Ocean (must sample In-And-Out Burger when I go to California for Coachella).
All in all, Best Coast definitely doesn't disappoint in a live setting and it's refreshing to see a down homegirl (can I say that?) grab a guitar and perform songs about boys with such gusto and talent. I feel like Bethany and I could be best friends, which is something I think all musical artists should strive for when trying to market themselves. We'd just have to get past the arguments over who's got the better hometown.
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