Fuck Buttons & Caribou @ Paradise Rock Club 3.26.08

(All pictures in this post provided by Alex Burack; Contact Alex at alexATprmphotoDOTcom. To see more of Alex’s pictures from this show, visit the Pitchfork post)

I knew going into the week that I was going to see at least two shows so when I found out that the first show of the week was going to actually start at 8:15 and not 10 pm, I was pumped. Thank you Paradise.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Fuck Buttons (sorry dad but normally my language isn’t this vulgar), they recently hit the scene with some props from the overlords in Chicago. I got my hands on their upcoming release, Street Horrsing, about a month ago and have popped it in on various occasions. Usually right after I come home from work and I need to, um, relax. I paused for a reason for if you’ve had the pleasure to hear their music, you’ll know that most human beings probably would not have the capability to relax. However, for me, this style of noise electronica can be soothing. Especially when their native chants and drum beats take over. If there is one thing the F-Buttons should be known for it should be their conscious effort to squeeze as much noise into one song as possible.

This rings true during their live show. I have some pretty nice ear plugs and they weren’t even doing the trick. For the first fifteen to twenty minutes of the show I wasn’t too impressed. The trance like feeling I got while laying in my bed, contemplating my recent work day, was not felt. Instead I found myself wondering why I’m staring at two guys pushing buttons on a computer. When the drum was hit a few times I got excited but then the drum was looped and took a backseat to more noise. I was a little bored to say the lease. But after those first twenty minutes they turned it up a notch (Not the volume. I don’t think it could go up any louder). More melody started to creep in and the beats began fluctuating. In fact, my head even started to bounce.

They ended the show after about 45 minutes of straight noise by basically unplugging their instruments during the hight of what I’m assuming was a song, creating this empty feeling in the audience. I suspect that this is something they do at all their shows; go all nuttso on you for a long period of time with loud and crazy noise, at times throwing in some melody, and then, just as you start to feel the music taking a new turn, they shut down all communication and walk off stage by essentially telling the audience, “you’ve just been ‘f-buttoned’”.

Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/fuckbuttons
Official Website: http://www.fuckbuttons.co.uk/
Listen: “Bright Tomorrow” (Download this MP3 and others at HYPE Machine)

[audio:http://www.hip2besquare.net/audio/05%20Bright%20Tomorrow.mp3]

Continue on after the jump to read the Caribou review

Since seeing Caribou for my first time last week, I’ve been telling everyone that Dan Snaith is my hero. Not only has he been producing some of my favorite music for the past couple years (longer for those die hard Manitoba fans), but he also subscribes to the philosophy that while music can be produced in the studio by one man, it takes a group to produce that sound on stage. To make as much of the melody, beat and noise exist in real time is something I highly respect. It’s one of the reasons I love Hot Chip so much. The best parts about Caribou’s set was first, the fact that there were two drum sets and second, the background light show made me feel like I was standing on the edge of the Ed Sullivan stage during the late 60's.

When Dan saddled up to his kit he laid into every drum beat with such force it made your heart feel like it was about to jump out of your chest.

If you’re new to Caribou, start off with Milk of Human Kindness. Once you’re finally digging that album, cause for some it can take a couple listens, pick up his latest masterpiece, Andorra and finally, when you’re feeling adventurous, explore Up In Flames which was an album he put out when he was still called Manitoba. Legal issues forced him to change his name to Caribou. Manitoba, Caribou, Jack of all trades, what ever you want to call Dan Snaith, one thing is for sure, he’s a genius. No really, he is a genius. He has a PHd in mathematics. Any fan of his music should not hesitate for one second to see him live. It’s well worth your time and money.

Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/cariboumanitoba
Listen: “Shim Shimmer” (Available on Tour CD only. Download MP3’s from HYPE Machine)

[audio:http://www.hip2besquare.net/audio/06%20Shim%20Shimmer.mp3]