Real Estate/Frontier Ruckus – Birmingham Hare and Hounds 16/05/2010

Read their blurb on myspace, and, amongst a number of other things, it will tell you that Frontier Ruckus have:

“Catalogued and internalized the apparently permanent fixtures of a cherished locality until our bodies have in fact become either physical extensions or microcosmic containers of these landscapes: arms kinking in unbroken strip-mall chains, gaping mouths mimicking the enormous vacancy of an evacuated sports dome.”

Nice. But lets take a couple of steps back, and try to decode what any of that actually means.

As far as band blurbs go, it’s a goodie.

A shining example of the awkwardly pompous “21st Centruy – Post – Bright-Eyes – Faus – Alienated – Surburban – Middleclass – Whitekid Rhetoric” which has flooded Myspace since its inception, or at very least its subsequent metamorphosis into a medium for sharing music over the internet.

What it doesn’t tell you, is very much about the kind of music which Frontier Ruckus make. Not to worry though, that’s why I’m here. Hold my hand, and we’ll try to work it out together.

Any ideas? No?

Well, what I think it means, and I’m glad you asked, is that Frontier Ruckus write spine tingling alt-folk ditties, which draw heavily on the classic bucolic imagery of the great American song book, carefully side stepping cliché by incorporating the modern day experiences of young men who have grown up in inner city Michigan.

If you had another suggestion as to what it means, then your wrong, because I went to see them last weekend, and let me tell you, my description is pretty much spot on.

As a live band, they are incredible. Effortless vocal melodies and snaking Banjo lines, perfectly complement a whinnying one man horn section through out, but the skeleton pirate jig of Rosement St is a particular highlight. I did a little bit of googling and it appears to be available as free download. Why not treat yourself?

Next up, Psychedlic surf pop straight from the heart of the Garden State, courtesy of New Jersey’s very own Real Estate. Real Estate are a super group of sorts, proudly counting ex members of Ducktails, and Silver Futures amongst their number, last year, media Pitchfork gave their self titled debut 8.5. Interesting stuff, but, a lot to live up to.

For the first half of the set all I’m hearing is a lazy Pavement pastiche. The room is full of hipsters nodding along. I’m frustrated it’s Sunday, I’m tired. I’m a whiney little bitch at the best of times, but tonight I’m starting to come down with a cold. Things are not looking good for Real Estate. I’m just about to give up, and shut down my ears for the evening when things start getting interesting.

By this I mean Real Estate start playing the excellent collection of songs which make up their Reality EP. They are simply stunning. So good I lack the words to properly do them justice.

The closest I can get, is “Bossanova-era” Pixies as played by a really great Shoegaze band, with “Stroke-sy” art rock, razor wire guitar jabs.

With every bone in my body I urge you, if you care about music at all, beg borrow or steal some money so that you can go out and buy this EP.

Or listen to it on Spotify, which ever works best for you.