Micachu & the Shapes - Pianos 03.25.09

via Music Snobbery

It’s true that euphony cannot exist without dissonance, but sometimes noise, even when deliberate and carefully executed, is still just noise. I hadn’t completely bought into Micachu & the Shapes prior to seeing them at Pianos, but glowing reviews from the fathers of music blogging and my favorite person on Twitter convinced me to put aside my skepticism for a night. After last night, I think I’m in the camp of people who think Micachu is mostly hype, as much as I do enjoy some of their songs.

Perhaps I’m missing some glaring point, but I’m fairly confident that I “get” Micachu’s music. No note, yell, crash, or jangle is a mistake or slip; every piece is intentional. Seeing Micachu & the Shapes in person makes this meticulosity even more apparent. They confront chaos and embrace it fully, making for a one of a kind listen. In the end, my thoughts on Micachu come down to my personal preferences for musical styles and ideas. Last night at Pianos, I realized that about 80%+ of the music was rough discordance, which is not what I expected. Maybe because I’m drawn to the more melodic songs of Jewellery like “Golden Phone” and “Vulture,” I thought the set would be more along the lines of those songs. “Golden Phone” is an incredible song that is both fun to listen to and unlike anything I’ve heard before. It’s playful and like a musical riddle, as the song bounces around different degrees of consonance and dissonance. Most of the time, the lines between the two are blurred, which only makes the listener want to hit the back button in order to figure it out. But, when the melodic snippets were removed from Micachu’s music, I was left a little confused. It’s like a joke with no punchline. I needed more melody to balance out the noise. Judging by the faces around the room last night, I don’t think I was the only one who was a little puzzled.

So, I didn’t exactly like Micachu’s final show in NYC. But, don’t let this deter you from listening to Jewellery, since there are definitely some tracks worth checking out. I’m not ready to make abstract listening a regular activity, but kudos to those of you who do. For now, I will stick with my Grizzly Bears.

Jewellery will be officially released on April 7. Pre-order it here.

Golden Phone - Micachu & the Shapes | Alternative Link

Vulture - Micachu & the Shapes | Alternative Link