17 October 2007

Cut Off Your Hands! @ the Indaba Loft - 16 October 2007

Yesterday Cut Off Your Hands! played the first of many Indaba Loft shows happening during CMJ this week in New York. I hate to be the (likely) only person in New York willing to tell you this, but they stunk. And I can't imagine a different venue helping very much.

Generally EAR FARM has taken the "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all" approach, and I'm not wavering from that. That's how I do. But I also "call 'em like I see 'em." And when these two adages collide, continents shift and sparks fly. Or so (I'm guessing) most people are going to claim is what happens when Cut Off Your Hands! plays a live show. If they do tell you this, run far away from these people. They're lying and bowing down to group-think inspired by band energy and familiar sounding music.

Basically, Cut Off Your Hands! jumped around, played simple angular tunes that were derivative and uninteresting, acted super pissed off and diva-esque, played a relatively short set, and dressed like dudes trying to revive '80s post-punk chic who didn't get the memo that '80s post-punk chic was revived and then killed off again 4 years ago.

I tell you this because I could see this band being one of the bands to come out of this year's CMJ Festival and I wanted to go on the record with my impression of their live show. None of this is to say I didn't have a great time and enjoy seeing them (hey, on pure energy alone they succeeded where most bands fail), I just ultimately didn't care for it. That happens. But do see them for yourself so you can make up your own mind. Sometimes the taste of music bloggers just can't be trusted.

See Cut Off Your Hands! live - CMJ dates:
17 October - Brooklyn Vegan Party @ Pianos (12pm)
17 October - Gothamist House @ White Rabbit (2pm)
17 October - New Zealand On Air @ Delancey (4pm)
18 October - Fader Party @ 146 Orchard (4:30pm)
18 October - French Kiss Showcase @ Pianos (8:30pm)

Listen:
"You And I"

Watch:
"Expectations" live (from this show) on YouTube | download QT

See more pictures of Cut Off Your Hands! (from this show) HERE.

Visit Cut Off Your Hands! on MySpace.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love it. more calling it like you see it! unless you think we suck on saturday night, that you can keep to yourself.

Anonymous said...

i agree! after seeing them at the Fader party

Unknown said...

Man we must have seen different bands. I thought fader was amazing. they're not reinventing the wheel but they have catchy songs and put on a really good live show. I dug it.