Pics of Mount Sharp, Owel, Hey Anna at Asbury Lanes, 9/26/14

Owen were just one of the bands I finally got to see live last night.

Checking Some Things Off

It was Friday, so that meant soccer practice until 6:30. Then it was pizza after CoolMom got home. By the time I got into Asbury Lanes, Estella had already finished their set and Mount Sharp were setting up.

Mount Sharp, whose Weird Fears I really enjoy, was just one of the bands I was looking forward to checking out last night. Scotch LaRock has been raving about Owel, and Hey Anna are one of those bands I've been trying to see for a while now. It was, basically, one-stop shopping for bands I've been meaning to see. Convenient.

All three were impressive.

I feel like Mount Sharp's live set is a little louder, more "wall of sound" even than the EP. Standout tracks "Crazy Eyes," "Icarus," and "Turing" were also standouts last night.

NJ's Owel drew the biggest crowd of the night. Their ambient, orchestral post-rock combined with the lighting setup the band brought to create a pretty majestic effect onstage. Scotch LaRock knows his stuff.

Hey Anna took the late slot, and I was happy that I finally got to see them. I'd been trying to make it to a show of theirs since back when I went to Northside Festival. It just worked out every time that I was out of town or had a party to go to or some other obligation. They were worth the wait as their infectious indie pop kind of blew me away. I listened to their 2013 Pompette EP a couple of times on my ride home.

Here are highlights from all three sets. There are lots more if you click on the "Galleries" tab up top.

Mount Sharp, Weird Fears, 2014

EP Review

Brooklyn via Maine trio Mount Sharp say that they write songs about "science and bad decisions." That's a pretty accurate description of the songs on the band's current EP Weird Fears. They touch on subjects like relationships with some, let's say, less than well-adjusted partners and the tragic story of British codebreaker and mathematician Alan Turing.

"Crazy Eyes" opens the set. Its Jesus And Mary Chain-style, reverb-drenched, distorted guitars accompany a story of how too much red wine can lead to crazy texts and restraining orders. "Serial Killer" could almost be a companion piece dealing with what happens when you succumb and don't break things off with Crazy Eyes.

"Turing" starts quietly -- "Broke Enigma. I won you the war." --  but eventually bursts into some swirling distorted guitars as guitarist / vocalist Sarah Wood sings, "So I took the shots, and I took all your pills. That's not science, boy, and I'm not ill."

Ryan Zumsen's bass anchors single "Icarus." The song reveals some of the classic indie influences -- Modest Mouse, Built To Spill -- at play in Mount Sharp's approach. It's a catchy late-summer single, with its images of flight and the sun, that will play well into the fall and beyond.

Weird Fears is a collection of quirky, well-crafted pop songs bathed in most of the sounds that I always find so very appealing. You can stream / buy it now over at Mount Sharp's Bandcamp page.

Mount Sharp have the release show for Weird Fears tonight at Piano's in NYC. You can also catch them when they come to Asbury Lanes on 9/26 as part of a loaded bill that also includes Owel, Hey Anna, and Estella.