[Imc-events] Awesome indie shows at the IMC this week!!!

[Jennifer Stewart]

Tonight, the show is JUST starting as we speak, is Early Day Miners (on
Secretly Canadian Records), The Like Young (members of Wolfie), The
Signalmen (on Parasol Records here in town), and St. Monroe (from
Chicago). Cover is only $5.
If you're sitting at home waiting for Saturday Night Live to come on,
c'mon down to the IMC and have yourself a much better time with some hot
cozy coffee and a pleasant tingle in your ears!

 For info on the bands playing...
Early Day Miners (playing at 10:30pm tonight)
Some of the old-school Midwestern post-rockers remember the under-rated
band Ativin, who made some noise on the Polyvinyl label before closing up
shop. Dan Burton and Rory Leitch were the driving forces behind Ativin,
and afterwards the two stuck together and dove right into Early Day
Miners, who have released a few singles in addition to a previous
full-length all while Ativin is still somewhat active (releasing Interiors
earlier this year).

On Let Us Garlands Bring, Early Day Miners explore the explosive slow core
angles that reside within the songs of bands like Explosions In the Sky,
but they do it with a more orchestrated approach, the plotlines unraveling
over expanses of restraint. Although they have that same Low infection
that made Best Boy Electric so soothing, Early Day Miners aren't afraid to
flex their collective muscle, letting the spring uncoil with decisive
force as they do on the album's third track, "Offshore." The taught snare
cadence propels the Giant Sand/Neil Young overtones into an explosive
pace, eventually grinding out a rocker as convincing as I've heard in some
time.

Early Day Miners took advantage of the options afforded them by working in
Burton's home studio, fleshing out the basic elements of the rock and roll
quartet with layers of cello and violin, although the band performs live
as a four-piece. While the basic elements are sound enough to carry the
song live, stripped down, the strings ad a subtle flair to the album,
eerily introducing the meat of "Offshore" and adding texture elsewhere.

Although there are artistic elements elsewhere on the album that may merit
more recognition, it is the placement of the eight-minute "Offshore" as an
early peak that makes the composition as a whole successful. The early
introduction to the more overt but invigorating elements of the track keep
the listener attentive throughout the remainder of the album. Once it
snaps you to attention, Let Us Garlands Bring doesn't really let go.
Beautiful, sweeping, vulnerable and gallant all at the same time.