Playlouder - Music is the Network

Percussion was the star tonight.

Wildbirds and Peacedrums - a couple - just drums and vocals. Loud, resonant, crisp, expressive drumming which fills the venue; captivating vocals, sometimes percussive often soulful. A track with (I think!) a zither, played about as raw as one can play a zither. A stripped-down tribal energy to the songs which comes across best live. Brilliant.

Born Ruffians - a Warp signing from Toronto (my girlfriend, a native, corrects me - she likes them, but they hail from "some hick town outside" the big T.O.) Why? On myspace I could just about see it - 'decent indie rock with some twists' - but live they come across bland. Perhaps since recording those songs, they've seen fit to jump on Vampire Weekend's college rock bandwagon, but they lack the songs to pull it off. Plodding drums, a bassist who would do well to say more with less notes, and a singer/guitarist who sounds like he's listened to a lot of Weezer. There are moments that hint at something more - but come on Warp, you can do better than this.

Caribou - need no introduction. These people are incredible percussionists, multi-instrumentalists. Regularly two drummers going at once, glockenspeils, recorders, guitar pedals, keyboards, samplers, everything. I was amazed at how much of their sound they're able to replicate (nay, improve on) using live instruments.

If like me, you found their last couple of albums a bit of a so-so followup to their debut, go see 'em live anyway. It all works brilliantly. Melody bathed in white noise and incredibly intricate, well-orchestrated percussion. They play quite a bit from Up In Flames, too, which pleases me. Really quite a phenomenon and best seen live.