Rock bands that will melt the snow right off your boots are coming Saturday night to Bowdoin College. WBOR is bringing three of the most exciting new rock bands to play right smack in the middle of Smith Union: The Secret Machines, Moving Units and Autolux. These bands have sold out New York and L.A. venues and are stopping by Bowdoin on their world tour which starts off January 27 in Boston, takes them across America, over to England, Ireland, France, Belgium and ending back in Tennessee on June 10 for the Bonaroo festival. Here is a quick bio of each band to whet your appetite:
The Secret Machines
"Did you get your heart ache and your head rush confused?" bemoans Secret Machines front man Brandon Curtis as he wails over a distorted electric guitar and a slow pulsing rhythm. This band may have been influenced by rock veterans like Led Zeppelin and the Flaming Lips, but the Secret Machines create a catchy lo-fi indie rock sound of which they take full ownership. The Secret Machines hail from New York City by way of Texas and Chicago. They released their sophomore album, Now Here is Nowhere, in 2004. That year they went on tour with New York Darlings and Interpol, and just a few months later they graced the stage with The Killers at the MTV2 $2 Bill Show. These boys are on their way up?catching them in this intimate venue will be a truly profound experience.
Moving Units
Los Angeles post punk band Moving Units released their debut album, Dangerous Dreams, in the fall of 2004 inciting nothing short of a dance riot in cities on both coasts of this fine country. They opened for Sonic Youth at this year's CMJ New Music Marathon kick off concert in NYC. Moving Units bring a party, so make sure you are ready to dance when these boys take the stage. It's like the Rapture and Blondie made rock star babies together and sent them to Bowdoin to entertain us! Amazing.
Autolux
Los Angeles-based band Autolux shoe-gazes and noise-pops like My Bloody Valentine or Sonic Youth straight out of a late-80s/early-90s time warp. However, the music on their debut album, Future Perfect, places the alternating male/female vocals more at the fore than MBV, and is far more instantly accessible than any of Sonic Youth's experimentations. The mood has dark undertones, while the catchy melodies and lush arrangements even out the pounding drums and occasional outbursts of distortion-saturated guitars. If you like Blonde Redhead or Radiohead, make sure to get to the show early to catch this opening act.
Saturday January 29th, Smith Union. 9pm: Autolux; 10pm: Moving Units; 11pm: The Secret Machines. The show is free and all ages, open to Bowdoin students and the public.