Continuing with trying to venture outside of Tel Aviv for shows, I got a lift down to Maaxan 7 in Beer Sheva (South Israel) to celebrate the release of their 2nd EP by post-punk rock trio, Jeronimo. Two classic rock trios, MAGA and Lion's Den, and experimental rock duo, Elephant Hive, have also come along for the fun on the evening that also happens to be Lailah Lavan (White Night - not a racist thing) in Beer Sheva.
MAGA
Starting off the proceedings as soon as they arrive, Tel Aviv's MAGA play through their set of classic style blues-rock. Taking in elements of late 60s/early 70s bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream and even Black Sabbath, the trio play catchy numbers with all the energy of their predecessors. With some songs being more uptempo and simply structured (e.g. Did You?) and others introducing more groove and experimental tangents (e.g. Again), they have a varied enough repertoire to be considered entertaining. It's incredibly difficult in this day and age to play this style of music and come off as original, so there are no real surprises here. However, they are convincing enough, both in look and in sound, to make one believe that you are somehow watching an actual 70s band.
3.5/5
Elephant Hive
This is either my second or third time seeing Elephant Hive. I can't remember, although I've definitely already reviewed them. Having set themselves up with their own drum kit in a position more central of the venue, the Tel Aviv duo still play short blasts of experimental, jazz-tinged rock but with some different songs to their previous set(s). They seem to have added pieces with more structure. The drumming and guitar riffs sit perfectly well together and everything sounds more controlled and song-like. One song in particular is reminiscent of Primus' Shake Hands With Beef. It has a similar low-tuned, funky groove and even the same quirkiness. They certainly have impressed me more this time than before but I still think they currently cater to a pretty niche demographic. 3/5
Jeronimo
Although it's meant to be their night, Jeronimo hit the stage as the penultimate act. As the band plays a few tracks from their first EP (the ORANGE one), all 3 tracks from their latest EP (the PURPLE one) and some as yet unreleased tracks, it's obvious to hear how their sound has matured.
They are a band that states to have a Fugazi influence but it's the side of Fugazi that I, personally, don't quite connect with. I like the Fugazi with funky bass lines and angry punky vocals, whereas Jeronimo take more from the intense, progressive side of Fugazi's post-punk sound. It is still enjoyable and really showcases their musicianship. Bassist Auriya provides us is with some groovy yet subtle licks on tracks like Lions Suspended in Air and their self titled track. It is drummer Itamar who especially shines through; his overall steady timekeeping and ridiculously tight drum fills are impressive and a joy to watch. Guitarist and co-vocalist Yonatan also gives a great performance, even going amongst the crowd during solos.
The band do have a few good riffs and some fun moments but, sadly, I think it just goes over my head a little. They are doing very well for themselves and working incredibly hard and that deserves great respect. 3.5/5
Lion's Den
Finishing off the night is hairy Tel Aviv trio, Lion's Den; one of those few bands whose look reflects their name. The band tends to be closely linked to the previous mentioned MAGA but their styles are actually quite different. Although there is a hint of similar classic rock and blues influences, the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden come to mind as I watch and listen to them. There's a mixture of laid back and funky grooves met with some low, grunge-like outbursts. Along with the bare chests and long curly hair, I can't help but think that these guys would've been great on the Seattle scene.
The chemistry between guitarist/lead singer Yoni and bassist Yoav is strong however drummer, Itay, is not always quite on the same wavelength. He still does a great job, playing with full energy. I'm definitely glad I've finally seen Lion's Den, as their mix of Seattle grunge and classic blues rock has pleasantly surprised me. 3.5/5
Some years back, I was impressed by a fairly unknown band called Jeronimo after seeing them play a show (pretty much to no-one) at Koro. A few years, one EP and hundreds of shows later, the band are just moving up and up. They recently won the Kochav Met (A Star Is Dead/Dead Star) competition and are soon (I hope) releasing some new material. Instead of waiting for the next release, the film crew of Dybbuk Studio and the Garage rehearsal room in Tel Aviv bring to you Jeronimo playing 3 of their latest songs. Despite having a more garage rock feel on their self titled EP, the band's newer songs really showcase the band's more post-punk influences, adding more groove, jazzier chords and an all round darker edge. Dear Tee 'O almost touches upon stoner rock, with a massive pounding groove which suddenly involves into a more progressive sound while still being punk rock. Fast Walker manages to start off in a Fugazi fashion, with a solid bass line and shouting yet veer off into Muse-like operatics, courtesy of bassist and joint vocalist Auriya. Final song, Lions Suspended In The Air, is an erratic number, as it goes from being crazy to trippy and laid back, then to being more aggressive again.
Jeronimo have definitely evolved musically, garnering a maturer and more experimental sound. It's not all my cup of tea (just because I don't really like long songs too much) but they are certainly a band to look out for.
Back in December, I went to a show at the Koro to see three bands I had never heard of before. One of them was the young band Jeronimo. I was impressed by these guys' rock riffs and energy that I even put them on the first Punkalovich show, which unfortunately they had to pull out of because of personal issues. The band are back on track again and released their long awaited self titled EP. Opening track, Aircraft Boneyard, starts off heavy and quite epic. Drummer Itamar's spacious fills over guitar feedback followed by a tribal rhythm tell us that we're expecting something big. We're then hit with a cool riff that leads us into full throttle mode similar to the likes of Kyuss et al. I definitely remember this as one of the ones I liked when I saw them. The chorus is catchy and will have you singing "THEY'LL BRING YOU DOWN" along with them. However, the song feels like it is a little bit longer than it needs to be. The mid-section and solo in particular feel like they could have been cut short. It is all well-played, though. Next track, Scratch, has that similar hard hitting feel. The opening riff is reminiscent of something you might hear in a Disturbed song. Don't get me wrong...the song itself sounds nothing like Disturbed. That's just the best comparison I can come up with for that riff. The song itself is pretty rocking but the vocals bug me a tiny bit. I'm not expecting Israeli bands to sound exactly like American or British bands but when an accent is a little bit too strong, it can throw me off a little bit. Guitarists and vocalists Auriya and Yonatan share singing duties throughout the record and it's at the beginning of this track that the Israeli accent really shines through. Torch Torture takes the tempo down a bit. Compared to the first two tracks, it has more of a Alt. Rock vibe. It slowly dawned on me that it sounds a little bit like Kool Thing (Sonic Youth) only a fair bit slower. What really sticks out on this track, possibly due to the weird mixing of the EP in general, is the bass playing. Throughout the song, and especially in the chorus, bassist Eilon does some pretty crazy runs which sound great. The track really picks up near the end when the band turn up the volume a bit more for a heavy instrumental section before rocking out on the final chorus. Next track Jeronimo is, I guess, almost meant to be the band's theme song. This is definitely one of the main songs that got people moving at their shows (when there were people). It runs on a bit of a repetitive riff throughout a good part of it but we do get a break in the song which builds to a continuous proclamation of "JERONIMO". Stabbing Sound comes across as something heavily influenced by the British Invasion of the 60s. It has a simple yet rocking main riff and a catchy chorus. Final track Zero Kills' riff has Queens Of The Stone Age written all over it, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. With Auriya's raw vocals, the song takes on a more grunge feel. There is some wonderful musicianship all round from the middle part right up to the end. As I already knew from their live shows, Jeronimo are very competent musicians but some of the songs sometimes feel like their lacking something. It could be because of the accents, the tempo being too slow on some tracks, or how certain instruments and vocals sound too high or even too low in the mix...but whatever it is, the EP is still enjoyable. In a way, the flaws do give it a raw quality. The overall subject matter of the EP is still a little bit lost on me, however that doesn't necessarily spoil the enjoyment. Musically, Aircraft Boneyard is my favourite, with the emotional chorus of "You feel OK" and instrumental finish on Zero Kills making it the stand out track. 3.5/5
Tonight, I have come to one of Tel Aviv's more trendy "nightclub" type music venues, Radio EPGB. I have been here before for a couple of shows and there tends to be a mix of locals who come in for the bar's ambience and showgoers coming especially for the bands. Tonight is the same sort of thing. As soon as I pass the bar, I can tell that the American Taglit crew is in. A whole group of American girls telling the Israeli barmen how much they love Tel Aviv, despite having only been here for 5 hours.
Jeronimo
After a bit of a wait, young rock band Jeronimo take the stage. For those of you who follow my blog, you may have read a previous review of this band when they headlined at Koro. Despite impressing me and the handful of other onlookers that stayed to watch them that night, it was a disappointing night for them. The other acts they watched and enjoyed left without even apologising. I think we can all agree that's not on! Even if I have to leave early for whatever reason when performing or watching a show, I would explain why to the acts I was missing and try and see them at another show. I am here seeing them again because they are a good band and deserve the support. There are luckily a few more people here tonight, not just the Americans surrounding the bar. Starting off their set with the slightly new wave sounding Doubt, there are a few people actually gathered paying attention and some of them were even dancing a little bit. As time goes on, more people are actively watching them and the venue itself fills up a bit more. We are treated to an array of fairly heavy tracks tonight including old skool rock number Scratch, groovy 'new' track Fast Walker and the full throttle rock track Aircraft Boneyard. The latter 2 both have dynamics within the song which help show the band's song structure abilities and that they're not just your average boring rock band. Frenzied track Geronimo doesn't quite get the reaction it should; a lot of people just standing around when they should at least be jumping or nodding their heads. The band were playing well. Bassist Eilon didn't always sound precisely on point but he was moving about a fair bit. When a musician is physically involved in the performance, you have to allow the odd bum note or being out of time. Guitarists/vocalists Yonatan's and Auriya's shared vocals help set them apart from most other rock bands due to the difference in tones. Auriya has quite a British new wave sounding, raw vocal where Yonatam has a nice clean rock tone. Drummer Itamar sounded pretty flawless and kept the band together; played a few epic big finishes. Hopefully everyone here tonight enjoyed their set but I have been getting the feeling that a majority of people here tonight are here for the next band. 4/5
Bones Garage
Having not done any prior research on Bones Garage, I was surprised by the beginning of their set for 2 reasons. Opener A.D.D. starts with dreamy guitars and a pounding rhythm that eventually picks up the pace; has that 65daysofstatic vibe. Had a really nice guitar melody. Then out of nowhere, this girl arrives on stage and starts singing. I didn't see anyone else on stage so I assumed one one of the guitarists was going to sing. Ariel is the band's front woman and as soon as she starts we are treated by quite a low, mature voice coming from someone looking quite a lot younger than the voice suggests. It has an almost Nico (Velvet Underground) quality about it. At first, I was a little bit put off by her accent....but it grew on me. As the song went on, it grew into something more than just dreamy indie. Drummer Dor was banging out some trippy dnb type beats. Those familiar with my blog or who know me personally will know that I'm a bit of a sucker for these sort of beats. Anything danceable gets my vote. It was a great opening track, as my and most probably everyone else's attention was grabbed.
The rest of their set is full of dreamy guitars with sweet and catchy melodies, the odd noisy guitar effects, pretty dual vocals and moody vibes. They have a bit of an 80s sound with a hint of that of...well...more modern bands who are heavily influenced by the 80s. There are some catchy songs such as Equals, Losing Myself and Seasons Breaks which have you humming (if not singing) along. Stand out track has to be the song which sounds almost "horror punk" but softer....which is funny because it turns out to actually be called Horror Show. There are some beautiful vocal harmonies between singer Ariel, guitarist Edan and, although I couldn't see him, the magical extra voice coming from drummer Dor. A singing drummer...that's another plus! The band did have a full house but it is not entirely clear if everybody there REALLY understood the band. I was pleasantly surprised by the band's mixture of styles. As interesting as the vocals were, it did seem a little off key at times. I did see Ariel cough a few times, so she may have not been on top form tonight. I hope to see them again on a bigger stage where they can have a bit more movement and where I can see the whole band. 3.5/5
Today, I come to Koro for one of the earliest shows I've been to in a while that was not some sort of "all-dayer". All 3 acts on the bill, all Israeli, I have not heard of before or seen live. If making this blog has encouraged me to do anything it is to get myself to shows I wouldn't normally go to. To discover acts aside from those playing alongside bands I already know. This can already be seen in some of the reviews I've done already and after today, I hope to keep seeing new acts or acts that I had no previous idea of.
Behemut HaAhava (The Beast of Love)
A band called Krokodil Popular were meant to be playing today. For whatever reasons I wasn't properly explained, the band itself could not make the show. However, one of the members also performs solo as Behemut HaAhava and he stands in as replacement. At first, I didn't even realise it was one of the actual acts of the night. I didn't know that the band had pulled out and thought this was just maybe a random guy or a friend of the band who was maybe allowed to play a few tunes. As he plays, I soon realise this isn't just your typical "open mic" type performer. This guy has the "gift of the gab". Maybe it is because he knows a good amount of the (very small) crowd, but even so, he is talking to us, making people giggle, mostly purely by his charm. His first song sets the tone of the evening with a grunge rock feel. The song is in Hebrew and seems to be generally about "rocking out". I'm still not great at making full translations of Hebrew songs that I'm hearing live, but that's the general gist I got. He also name-dropped some legends like Jimi (Hendrix) and Kurt Cobain as examples of influences. The song is mostly the same chord over again but then changes riff at the end. This guy exhibits his charm once again through his expressive vocal delivery. Moving from soft range to roof-raisingly loud, he knows how to use dynamics to great effect. Most of the set stays along a 90s rock theme with a hint of blues here and there. You tend to get a lot of people doing this sort of stuff but his songs just seemed to have a better structure and more interesting vocal melodies than what I've heard before. He is also a more fun performer than other acoustic artists. He makes a few jokes and makes pretend that he's going to play the drums but just turns the snare off that was vibrating throughout his set. He encourages crowd participation with clapping etc... but also asked us all to talk before the 4th song. That actually worked as a great intro. By the end of his set, I am sure he had gained some more fans such as myself. 4/5
Sug Bet (Type B/Second Class)
Next up are Haifa based rock outfit Sug Bet. Not being funny, but the name is quite fitting for the band. Throughout their set, the band pretty much come across as a bit of a college band. They play fairly grungey/90s alt rock but nothing really hits the spot. The songs are likable and get a bit of dancing from....I'm guessing, friends. The guitarist and singer Uriah plays some simple yet effective solos which help give the songs a little more umph! As a whole, the performance just seems very static. The bassist (Gil) is barely moving at all. I guess he's putting all his strength into moving his fingers that it's forgetting to go to his hips and legs. The drummer's (Tomer) fills also seem pretty sloppy which is off putting at times. In addition to their own material, the band do 2 covers; Nirvana's Aneurysm and The Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog. The Nirvana cover lacks the slow tempo swing that the original has. It just does not have any real backbone behind it. The Stooges' cover was a little better but probably because a) it's a classic and b) they were joined by a sax player. I looooooove the saxophone. I believe that the saxophone can make anything amazing. Seeing someone actually join in on sax for this was pretty cool. The sax player was jumping around and musically running up and down the scale which gave the performance a little bit more life. No other songs really stood out for me in this set and they didn't really leave a lasting impression on my mind. Hopefully with time, they might expand upon their work and learn to play more expressively. This could have just been an off day, too. You never know. Both Sug Bet and Krokodil Popular (as long as they don't cancel again) will play at Syrup in Haifa on Saturday 20th December. 2/5
Jeronimo
Finishing off the night is Tel Aviv based rockers Jeronimo. These 4 guys were definitely the right band for this position. They start off with heavy rocking number Geronimo (spelt the right way) and I see/hear straight away that these guys know how to play. As a refreshing change from...well, the last band, the drummer is doing some great fills. Both guitarists partake in singing duties which makes the band more interesting. They have quite different singing styles; one having more of moody talking style and the other quite a more traditional rock voice. As different as their voices may sound separately, they manage to make some cool sounding, albeit creepy harmonies on their second song. Their third song of the set, said to be a 'new one' (it's all new to me, basically), is possibly my favourite of the set. It starts off with the drummer doing a typical a swing rhythm and then slowly builds to a heavy riff with a cool groove. Everyone who knows me knows that I love me some groove. This tune had me headbanging and almost busting a move, if it wasn't for trying to write as many notes as possible.
The rest of the show continues along the same lines with great riffs and energetic playing. The guys come off stage and started rocking out on the venue floor. It is such a shame that ALMOST NO-ONE IS HERE! I don't know where they all went but they aren't here anymore. Not that it started out with a lot of people, anyway. Jeronimo were definitely the best of the night and I'm hoping to hear some good recordings soon. Their recordings on YouTube are not all that impressive. They might even have a different drummer as the drumming on the recordings are nowhere near as good as what I witnessed live. Jeronimo have the songs and the charisma which will helpfully get them more recognition in the scene. Like Sug Bet, they still come off a little college band-ish...but only a little. Keep an eye out for them. They have a show at Syrup in Haifa on Friday 19th December and also a show at Radio EPGB in Tel Aviv on Sunday 21st.
