hippy
ONE<br>love, blood, life
[SIMG] http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/16762frames-sml.JPG[/SIMG]
by Luke Pimentel
2007.09
Things have changed a lot for The Frames since their lead singer became a movie star.
Though Frames-buffs might remember Glen Hansard’s turn as guitarist Outspan in Alan Parker’s terrific 1991 film The Commitments, it’s safe to say he is not generally known for his acting chops. So last year, when the charismatic redhead accepted the lead role in a little indie musical called Once – under the direction of former Frames bassist John Carney - he probably was not expecting it to be a skeleton key for breaking the U.S. market.
Of course, things don’t always turn out the way one expects: Once became the sleeper phenomenon of 2007. It has garnered almost universal critical acclaim, grossed several times its tiny budget in box office, spawned a hit soundtrack (showcasing several tunes also recorded by The Frames), and been named-dropped as an inspiration by no less than Steven Spielberg.
All this has dramatically raised Hansard’s profile, and radically changed the fortunes of the band he founded in Dublin some seventeen years ago. After years of knocking on the door, the Frames have finally graduated from “Little Irish Band That Could” to “Alt-Rock’s Next Big Thing.”
The change was readily apparent on September 5th, when The Frames played a sold-out gig at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Normally a venue reserved for indie scenesters, the appearance brought together a diverse mix of fans ranging anywhere in age from teenager to pensioner, and composed of equal amounts male and female faces.
“Last time we played this room,” Hansard remarked early on, “it seemed huge. Now it seems really small.” Then, with a chuckle and a shy grin, he implored the audience: “Is that good?”
(Photo credit: Luke Pimentel)
Regardless of how good or bad success may be, The Frames’ sound has always been bigger than the halls they play. Their music is anthemic, all about The Big Crescendo and The Big Emotion; they are to heartbreak what Radiohead is to alienation.
What separates them from a slew of lesser acts with similar aspirations is taste and maturity. Their quiet-to-loud song dynamics – borrowed from Pixies proto-grunge, and grafted to the rhythms of slowcore and electronica – are hard to top when applied to the band’s impeccable production sensibility and penchant for catchy pop hooks.
Hansard’s octave-scaling vocals specialize in quivering whispers and passionate screams. It’s a technique long rendered annoying and false by many an eighteen year-old emo hack, but by adding a bit of restraint and a lot of sincerity, Hansard has somehow maintained it as a palatable form of vocal expression. Listening to a song like “Rise” or “Keepsake“, one can actually believe Hansard has experienced a few of the things he is singing about, which – naturally - adds an important layer of credibility to his already fine songwriting.
(Photo credit: Luke Pimentel)
Wednesday night, it was easier for Hansard to cut loose and go big on the emotion, since his vocals were constantly challenged by the power of the band. Rob Bochniks’s meaty guitars blended seamlessly with Joe Doyle’s bass and backing vocals (Doyle even got a brief but impressive showoff solo, by request from the audience), and Johnny Boyle’s energetic, Pete Thomas-esque drumming added just the right amount of whip-crack intensity to the attack.
Layered on top was perhaps the band’s most formidable weapon: Colm Mac Con Iomaire’s mesmerizing electric violin work. His playing suggests folk influences while still sounding completely contemporary, and his lovely contrapuntal melodies – weaving gently in, around and between the driving guitar hooks – were damn near enough to induce trance.
(Photo credit: Luke Pimentel)
The evening’s set started out fast and vigorous, rarely pausing for breath as the one-two punch of “Song for Someone” and “Falling Slowly” – high-profile tunes from current release The Cost - set the tone for an evening heavily reliant on recent material.
That tone quickly changed, though, when it became apparent the crowd wasn’t just interested in hearing familiar comforts. The pace loosened and took a deeper tone as the band became more comfortable, reaching into their back catalog for a selection of older tunes that punctuated the second half of the main set.
Hansard led several fine improv jams, particularly during superlative reads of “Revelate” (off of 1996’s Fitzcarraldo) and “Santa Maria” (2001’s For the Birds), even going so far as to drop in a knowing tease of Pixies tune “Wave of Mutilation” during “Revelate”. There were numerous singalongs, too, and when the call-and-response moments went well, Hansard would give the crowd a thumbs-up and smile like a giddy swimming coach.
It’s unusual to see a band get genuinely excited by its own performance, but The Frames do, particularly when they discover new territory in an old song. It happened a lot on Wednesday night, and by the time the inevitable encore came, there were few people in the audience not tickled by the band’s charms.
After a show-stopping version of “Red Chord” closed the encore – with repeated shouts of “YEEEEAH!” filling the venue - the band left the stage to thunderous applause and footstomps. They quickly re-emerged, with Hansard confessing, “Logic says to just leave the gig there,” but instead the band launched into a rollicking cover of AC/DC’s “Gimme a Bullet,” a hot burst of testosterone on a night filled with sensitive introspection.
It was a slightly perverse, but very fun, way to end one of the year’s more memorable Bay Area performances.
For more information about The Frames, please visit the official website at http://www.theframes.ie.
by Luke Pimentel
2007.09
Things have changed a lot for The Frames since their lead singer became a movie star.
Though Frames-buffs might remember Glen Hansard’s turn as guitarist Outspan in Alan Parker’s terrific 1991 film The Commitments, it’s safe to say he is not generally known for his acting chops. So last year, when the charismatic redhead accepted the lead role in a little indie musical called Once – under the direction of former Frames bassist John Carney - he probably was not expecting it to be a skeleton key for breaking the U.S. market.
Of course, things don’t always turn out the way one expects: Once became the sleeper phenomenon of 2007. It has garnered almost universal critical acclaim, grossed several times its tiny budget in box office, spawned a hit soundtrack (showcasing several tunes also recorded by The Frames), and been named-dropped as an inspiration by no less than Steven Spielberg.
All this has dramatically raised Hansard’s profile, and radically changed the fortunes of the band he founded in Dublin some seventeen years ago. After years of knocking on the door, the Frames have finally graduated from “Little Irish Band That Could” to “Alt-Rock’s Next Big Thing.”
The change was readily apparent on September 5th, when The Frames played a sold-out gig at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Normally a venue reserved for indie scenesters, the appearance brought together a diverse mix of fans ranging anywhere in age from teenager to pensioner, and composed of equal amounts male and female faces.
“Last time we played this room,” Hansard remarked early on, “it seemed huge. Now it seems really small.” Then, with a chuckle and a shy grin, he implored the audience: “Is that good?”
(Photo credit: Luke Pimentel)
Regardless of how good or bad success may be, The Frames’ sound has always been bigger than the halls they play. Their music is anthemic, all about The Big Crescendo and The Big Emotion; they are to heartbreak what Radiohead is to alienation.
What separates them from a slew of lesser acts with similar aspirations is taste and maturity. Their quiet-to-loud song dynamics – borrowed from Pixies proto-grunge, and grafted to the rhythms of slowcore and electronica – are hard to top when applied to the band’s impeccable production sensibility and penchant for catchy pop hooks.
Hansard’s octave-scaling vocals specialize in quivering whispers and passionate screams. It’s a technique long rendered annoying and false by many an eighteen year-old emo hack, but by adding a bit of restraint and a lot of sincerity, Hansard has somehow maintained it as a palatable form of vocal expression. Listening to a song like “Rise” or “Keepsake“, one can actually believe Hansard has experienced a few of the things he is singing about, which – naturally - adds an important layer of credibility to his already fine songwriting.
(Photo credit: Luke Pimentel)
Wednesday night, it was easier for Hansard to cut loose and go big on the emotion, since his vocals were constantly challenged by the power of the band. Rob Bochniks’s meaty guitars blended seamlessly with Joe Doyle’s bass and backing vocals (Doyle even got a brief but impressive showoff solo, by request from the audience), and Johnny Boyle’s energetic, Pete Thomas-esque drumming added just the right amount of whip-crack intensity to the attack.
Layered on top was perhaps the band’s most formidable weapon: Colm Mac Con Iomaire’s mesmerizing electric violin work. His playing suggests folk influences while still sounding completely contemporary, and his lovely contrapuntal melodies – weaving gently in, around and between the driving guitar hooks – were damn near enough to induce trance.
(Photo credit: Luke Pimentel)
The evening’s set started out fast and vigorous, rarely pausing for breath as the one-two punch of “Song for Someone” and “Falling Slowly” – high-profile tunes from current release The Cost - set the tone for an evening heavily reliant on recent material.
That tone quickly changed, though, when it became apparent the crowd wasn’t just interested in hearing familiar comforts. The pace loosened and took a deeper tone as the band became more comfortable, reaching into their back catalog for a selection of older tunes that punctuated the second half of the main set.
Hansard led several fine improv jams, particularly during superlative reads of “Revelate” (off of 1996’s Fitzcarraldo) and “Santa Maria” (2001’s For the Birds), even going so far as to drop in a knowing tease of Pixies tune “Wave of Mutilation” during “Revelate”. There were numerous singalongs, too, and when the call-and-response moments went well, Hansard would give the crowd a thumbs-up and smile like a giddy swimming coach.
It’s unusual to see a band get genuinely excited by its own performance, but The Frames do, particularly when they discover new territory in an old song. It happened a lot on Wednesday night, and by the time the inevitable encore came, there were few people in the audience not tickled by the band’s charms.
After a show-stopping version of “Red Chord” closed the encore – with repeated shouts of “YEEEEAH!” filling the venue - the band left the stage to thunderous applause and footstomps. They quickly re-emerged, with Hansard confessing, “Logic says to just leave the gig there,” but instead the band launched into a rollicking cover of AC/DC’s “Gimme a Bullet,” a hot burst of testosterone on a night filled with sensitive introspection.
It was a slightly perverse, but very fun, way to end one of the year’s more memorable Bay Area performances.
For more information about The Frames, please visit the official website at http://www.theframes.ie.
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