You might not imagine what Warpaint sound like by simply looking at them. Most bands that make you dance have a keyboardist. Not Warpaint. They're different. They use the traditional guitar, bass, and drums to effectively make your body move. They have more of a jammy-dance feel. But their music spills elements of post-punk, magical melody, dream pop, psychedelic, and rock. They play beautiful, delicate, and may I say pretty sexy music.
The drummer keeps a steady beat and the almost noodly guitar is magical. They remind me of Brooklyn instrumental band, Each Other's Mothers. It was hard to see the band being amongst hundreds of others. Though I was only a few feet behind the band I couldn't see over the crowd. There were several amazing views of the band though. The folks who were in the front, the folks who were outside looking at the band through the glass and those on the second floor looking down. Though the band was playing a museum the vibe felt just right. They performed on the floor, a rather intimate affair, and there really wasn't anything around them make you think it was a museum.
Many of the Warpaint's songs are ones you can get lost into. "Beetles" is the prime example. The seven minute jam showed off some great guitar and the band's ability to flawlessly shift to a lighter sound. The lyrics are sensual:
The drummer keeps a steady beat and the almost noodly guitar is magical. They remind me of Brooklyn instrumental band, Each Other's Mothers. It was hard to see the band being amongst hundreds of others. Though I was only a few feet behind the band I couldn't see over the crowd. There were several amazing views of the band though. The folks who were in the front, the folks who were outside looking at the band through the glass and those on the second floor looking down. Though the band was playing a museum the vibe felt just right. They performed on the floor, a rather intimate affair, and there really wasn't anything around them make you think it was a museum.
Many of the Warpaint's songs are ones you can get lost into. "Beetles" is the prime example. The seven minute jam showed off some great guitar and the band's ability to flawlessly shift to a lighter sound. The lyrics are sensual:
Let's get naked and rip down the wall that makes me crazy/ tell me how/ Someone hold my hand and give me lessons 'cos I wanna
It was nice to see an all female fronted group playing this type of music. Something different in the indie world where bands are either to loud or too soft. I think Warpaint is just right. They don't overdo it. The band closed with "Billie Holiday," half of a cover, many of the lines are taken from Smokey Robinson's 1964 song "My Guy," (a hit for Mary Wells, also performed by The Supremes). The song is a much slower version of the original. I was nearly in tears it was so beautiful. Couples could be seen holding each other and locking hands. It was easy to close your eyes and just fall in love with the song. What a way to close off a set.
See the video footage below for proof.
Beetles
Elephants
Billie Holiday
Very accurate description of Warpaint. I went to the Whitney show after seeing them at Lollapalooza.
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