UK Subs docks at The B-Side
Despite achieving only minor commercial success in the late 1970s, the
UK Subs remains one of the most important bands in the punk rock movement, largely because of its loyalty to the punk-rock ethos.
Or as the band members call it in their 2002 25th Anniversary DVD, “the fire and anger” currently lacking in today’s “limp modern world of photo-
genic, manu-
factured pop karaoke artists.”
Formed in 1976, the UK Subs had a few hit singles in its homeland and made attempts at cracking the U.S. charts during the early ‘80s with albums “Brand New Age” and “Crash Course.” But the Subs’ popularity took a back seat to the public’s newfound interest in new wave/synth pop.
But unlike its fellow UK punk rock pioneering brethren (Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned), the Subs never ceased touring and never broke up (although at times singer Charlie Harper was the only original member onstage).
And now, hordes and hordes of albums later, the UK Subs is embarking on what is being billed as its last U.S. tour.
Regarded as one of the best live spectacles in the history of punk rock, the UK Subs docks on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. at The B-Side, 230 W. Riverside Ave. Locals Piss, Yardsail and Ladykillers open the show. There is an $8 cover.
High Tide
Crosstide always has been classified as indie-emo-pop, but the Portland quartet’s latest release sounds more like pop-emo-indie, putting the emphasis on the pop.
The gruff guitar grinds and lo-fi-ish production found in the band’s earlier work has been morphed into cleaner melodies and a much slicker recording.
What remains is Bret Vogel’s charismatically sweeping vocals.
Everything else on Crosstide’s new self-titled EP sounds almost like a different band. It seems the guys in Crosstide are outgrowing their emo-indie roots and seeking a more mature sound.
Even though the overarching emo dynamics and guitar screech have been toned down, traded out for straight ballads and piano-driven melodies, Crosstide still manages to deliver a solid batch of music, albeit a bit on the mushy side with most of the CD’s six tracks sticking to the subject of love and heartbreak.
The album’s standout closing track, “Still Hold Still,” is a melancholy, slow-building tune that speaks more to the band’s emo roots. The track is also a re-release of an earlier self-recorded demo version.
While the guitar is sparse, synth and piano lines lead the way for Vogel’s vocals, which escalate in intensity as the song progresses.
This is Crosstide at its best.
Hear Crosstide live when it makes its latest outing tonight at 9:30 at Mootsy’s, 406 W. Sprague Ave. Strength and The Divorce open the show. There is a $5 cover.
Club hoppin’
• A genuinely bluegrass trio from Vermont, Devil Makes Three stops Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at The Shop, 924 S. Perry St. The Dearly Departed opens the show. There is a $5 cover. Also at The Shop, Missoula singer/
songwriter David Boone appears on Thursday with guest performer Caleb Roloff. Showtime is 7 p.m. Donation suggested.
• Moscow’s Oracle Shack hits Blue Spark, 15 S. Howard St., on Saturday at 8 p.m. Cover to be announced.
• Featuring five-, 10-, and 32-string kanteles (Finnish-Karelian harps), accordions from Russia and Germany and various instruments of the same ilk, the Karelian Folk Music Ensemble appears Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 1428 W. Ninth Ave. Tickets are $15 at the door, $12 for Spokane Folklore Society members.
• Local punk favorites The Creeps, Dee Farmin Army and The Dead Ones play Saturday at The B-Side. There is a $5 cover.