No Such Thing As Love

Reading this blog, you might get the impression that I go to a lot of shows. Unfortunately, very few of them are shows by local bands. That's something that I've been planning to change, but so far I've had little luck. I once, long ago, mentioned Encyclopedia Of Fun, a local band whose song "Hole In The Ground" was permanently lodged in my brain last January. Other than that though, there's been far too little local love 'round here.

I took my first step towards remedying the situation last week. A young Olympian band named Palisades were opening for Mount Eerie and Damien Jurado at a venue called Yes Yes. This was a show I had every intention of catching, but a lame-ass friend caused me to be late and miss Palisades' set. I did manage to snag a copy of their self-titled EP though, and I've been listening to it frequently since. At first I thought, "Okay, this is alright". Most of the songs fell short of being memorable the first few times through, but apparently they stealthily worked their way into the recesses of my mind because this afternoon I was listening to it and not only completely digging it, but singing along at points.

I first heard about Palisades from band-member Elijah Wood, whom I once took a class with. I snooped around online for more information about the band and saw that someone somewhere compared them to Modest Mouse. It's a convenient touchstone that I've used myself to explain them, but I regret it now because I think Palisades are significantly different overall. Mostly they're too tender and earnest to really fit that comparison, but I say that without having heard Modest Mouse's early work. Basically, Palisades have a very vulnerable sound that creates almost immediate intimacy within me as a listener, which is fucking cool. And if you do need an entry point, they say they want to sound like Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Will Oldham, Peter Gabriel and Sonic Youth, among others.

Anyway, small-talk aside, please lend an ear to Palisades. They're a band from my hood that I think have the potential to enrich your day, maybe even your life. Check it:

Palisades - "This Is How I Lay"

Palisades are at their best when they're at their catchiest, as they are on this song. The chorus is a perfect burst of ecstatic energy, pure pop goodness.

Palisades - "Consuming Fire Live On"

This appears to be either a demo or a live take on the EP's best song, "Consuming Fire". The version on the EP is a little more fleshed out, about as slow, and with the same heart-tugging melody better sung. This isn't bad though, and it was on their website so hopefully it'll make you want to hear the EP version.

Palisades - "Architecture"

If you're feeling these songs, stop by Radio Is Down and order the EP for a measly six dollars...that's a dollar per song, ya heard! Also visit their Myspace page, where the songs above came from. Their label's site, Masa Records, appears to be down at the moment, but I think there are more songs there. Put Palisades down on your bands to watch list, 'cause they should have a bright future ahead.