Day two brought the heaviness. Could be the warmer temps, or the hangover, but everything we craved on Saturday -- aggression, adrenaline, pulverizing energy -- came tidily wrapped up in Warp groove-mutants Battles and their alien, conceptual mindfuck maelstrom. For those having lived through a Helmet phase (guilty), seeing John Stanier bash his four-foot-high ride is a slice of beat-geek heaven. Blend that with Tyondai's extraterrestrial singalongs ("singing is fun ... oh-way-oh..."?), the quartet's shape-shifting tempo workouts, and their clockwork like plow through the excellent Mirrored and you have yourself a party. The only sad part of a Battles set is that all you want to do is dance ... but you look like a fool trying to move in seven. On the plus side, Battles don't. (Apparently metronomic mastery comes with the ability to make spastic, odd-timed body contortions look enviably cool.) Nerd rock for chops-lovers, with enough "heavy" and "melody" to keep your neophyte friends in the game. The first words of the set came with some Tyondai's apologies for technical difficulties (a theme on the day), but following a potential momentum-killer with one of the fest's truly special moments -- a killer "Atlas" -- was a set-saver. Close out the show with "Leyendecker" and "Race:In" and call it game, set, match -- Battles.
The band's got a free show coming up in NYC at the South Street Seaport Music Festival on 8/31 (with Deerhunter!). Pack your metronome and be there, take the jump for plenty more pics and MP3.
BATTLESWEAT
Battles - "Leyendecker" (MP3)
And watch the ever-awesome "Atlas" vid here.
