Rattled by the Rush Hour: LIVE: P.S. I Love You/Diamond Rings @ Red Palace 2/22/11

P.S. I Love You made my favorite record of 2010. No contest. Meet Me at the Muster Station combines basically everything I love about rock music. Great melodies with awesome J. Mascis-style guitar solos all wrapped in a warm layer of fuzz. I know, right! What could make this better? An unusual instrument! In this case it’s called a Pedal Bass. (Well I've never heard of it!) It's a small, organ-like keyboard that gets played with your feet. I currently believe this to be the best instrument on the planet. I wish my parents had insisted on Pedal Bass lessons instead of piano. Then there are the yelping, frantic vocals that slowly reveal interesting stories and thoughts upon repeated listens. There's a song about a bank robber. Always nice. All of this combines into a fantastic collection of ten essential rock songs. Not one lame duck in the bunch. When I first downloaded it from eMusic, I listened to nothing else for three days, which in today’s no-attention-span, click-your-mouse-for-10-new-records world is a long time. Then I bought the CD. I still do that. It makes it feel more real somehow. (Vinyl collectors are laughing at me right now!)

In a CBC radio interview (they're from Ontario), Paul Saulnier described his guitar playing as really "digging in," playing notes really fast, breaking strings, and turning up the amps. In the same interview, Benjamin Nelson says he likes to drum fast and tight. And that Pedal Bass I mentioned, "gnarly, kinda nasty, and good." Sounds pretty rad, right? It is and they brought all of that to the Red Palace on Tuesday night.

This was my first trip to the Red Palace. Based on this single show, I have to say I'm a fan. Raised stage, great sound, no frills. Just you and the band. I got there ten minutes before the show was supposed start and, to my amazement, I was alone. The bands were there, a couple of their friends, and the bartender. I was worried that the show would get cancelled. Thankfully, more people showed up and the show started about 30 minutes "late."

Despite the smallish crowd, the band put on a great show with plenty of energy. Benjamin told me later on that DC was the first night of their tour. If there was any rust, I couldn’t tell. It's amazing to see these guys in action. With hair in the eyes, Paul never hit a sour note and somehow found the right pedal every time. Benjamin keeps a wicked fast pace, but the two of them were always together. It was loud, but not for the sake of being loud. These songs are meant for volume. Neck hairs stood on end and I turned into a bobble-head. Their ability and creativity come through both in sound and technique on stage. String break? No problem, Paul adapts. Why hit the skins when going to town on the rims would sound so much better? Damn skippy, dudes.

Some people seem surprised I like the record as much as I do. It just hits a sweet spot for me. It pleases both sides of my brain. I can say the same for their live show now. I bought the guys beers after they were finished. It was the least I could do.

Here's a few tracks. If ya dig, check out their myspace page for more. Then buy the mp3s. Then buy the CD.

From Meet Me at the Muster Station (Paper Bag, 2010)
Breadends
2012
Facelove

Next time, Diamond Rings - a pleasant surprise. More pictures after the jump.