Lord Huron + Milo Greene Live at The Troubadour LA 5.14.11
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 8:00AM
Visible Voice is stoked to welcome yet another new contributor - world domination marches on! Please welcome Mary Broome who will be covering the sound of the LA underground (and hopefully sharing some sunny vibes with those of us out east). First up Lord Huron and Milo Greene, two bands you need to know!
Lord Huron at The Troubadour in Los Angeles (photo by Max Kramer)By Mary Broome
I’m a sucker for a promising band with a gracious attitude. LA’s Milo Greene is exactly that. The fresh-faced quintet warmed the Troubadour with now familiar Local Natives– esque vibes, boy-girl harmonies and instrument switches. Their set was marked with bookends “Don’t You Give Up On Me” and crowd pleasing “1957.” Keep an eye out for these kids who are poised to play bigger venues soon.
The Union Line was up next, and they jammed out to a handful of psychedelic folk rock songs. Since I know nothing of their catalog besides what I heard at this show, I’m moving along to LORD HURON, a band I fell in love with at first listen. I went to a gig they did at the Autry Museum in January and was excited to see how far they’d come since, with a busy SXSW and national tour supporting Rural Alberta Advantage under their belt.
Frontman/pioneer Ben Schneider stood quietly at the mic during soundcheck, waiting to set fire to the stage. How fitting that they opened with a new song about a girl leaving no trace, followed seamlessly by “Into The Sun,” letting their calypso-Caribbean beats shine. “The Problem With Your Daughter” found Ben bobbing his head while wailing: “I am not the problem, YOU ARE.” Special guests The Calder Quartet joined them for another new one that had me swooning. I didn’t expect it to be chased by “The Stranger” (watch the incredibly dark video). I also didn’t anticipate audience participation. They rounded out the set with bittersweet “When Will I See You Again” and “We Went Wild,” where Ben and co. fulfilled their prophecy, getting rowdy in a ferocious frenzy of emotion.
Coming back for an encore, Ben launched into a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s classic “Nebraska.” He said: “Thanks for putting up with that one,” even though he nailed it with help from his insanely talented percussionist. They finished with “Mighty,” perhaps the most fitting word I could attach to this group of trailblazers.
At times, I wonder if Ben isn’t bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders like some indie rock yogi voodoo poet Atlas. Lord Huron should be at the top of everyone’s best of lists this year. They are playing Lollapalooza and Outside Lands in August: Grab your wagon and GET THERE.
Ed.'s note: I highly recommend checking out the Lord Huron and Milo Greene bandcamp pages for their excellent EPs, and a few free downloads. Also, watch Lord Huron's video for "The Stranger" below -- beautiful song, creepy (but great) video:
Reader Comments (1)
I've been loving that Milo Greene song all week. And of course Lord Huron is amazing. All I ever hear is great things about their live show. Now if only we could get that show in Boston! Nice write up Mary.