The Next Round - Episode 7: Splashh

I first heard the NZ/AUS/UK band Splashh when they were opening for Generationals at Bowery Ballroom.  I was hooked immediately by their volatile, grungy take on shoegaze.  The day after a rare US gig at the Brooklyn Bazaar, I caught up with frontman Sasha Carlson at the Gibson in Williamsburg.  We had some beers and discussed what's next for the band.  Hint: a new album recorded right here in New York.

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Sasha Carlson Debuts Two New Splashh Tunes at Brooklyn Night Bazaar

Last year saw the inaugural run of the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, a holiday pop-up festival in Williamsburg featuring food, music, and art.  Its latest incarnation, located at 165 Banker St, is no longer a seasonal event, but a permanent attraction.  Regrettably, it has become much more sterilized and streamlined, primarily focused on artisanal foods from the usual suspects like Arancini Brothers, Ample Hills, and Fatty Cakes, than arts & crafts.  One improvement from last year, however, is a dedicated concert area that has already seen a number of local and international acts.

One such act was the London-based dream pop band, Splashh, who performed this past Friday and Saturday.  I went Friday night, and quickly realized that this wasn't the normal lineup I'd witnessed at Bowery Ballroom earlier this year.  With the rest of his bandmates still in the UK, lead singer/guitarist Sasha Carlson brought along two of his mates from Australia to assist on keys, bass, and programming.  As they dipped into "Lemonade" with help from a drum machine, it was apparent that this wasn't going to be the wall of guitars approach that has come to define Splashh's live show.  A crowd gathered by the picnic tables to watch, not yet ready to commit.  Complemented befittingly by a backdrop of animated spirals, "Headspins" followed, and Sasha's screams of "Yeah yeah yeah" sliced compellingly through the haze.  The tune assured the shy spectators that this was an act worth moving closer for.  "This song's a brand new one," echoed Carlson, the reverb effect still heavy on his microphone.  Built around an electronic loop, "646" culminated in repeated strains of Carlson crying the three digits of the title.  Screechy crackling from the programming console marred the beginning of "All I Wanna Do," but the issue was resolved by the song's middle.  "Sorry about that hectic feedback and shit," Sasha apologized.  They wrapped up the brief set with "Sandy's Dream," another dreamy noise-drenched track to add to the Splashh canon.

I spoke with Sasha before his Saturday Bazaar performance, where he shared the exciting news that the band's remaining members plan to join him next year in NYC to gig regularly and record their second record. The interview will be on The Next Round, so stay tuned.

SPLASHH - 12.06.13 - BROOKLYN NIGHT BAZAAR (27 minutes)

SET -

Lemonade / Headspins / 646 / All I Wanna Do / Sandy's Dream

Generationals Sell Out Bowery Ballroom & Splashh Make a Splash

I got to last night's sold-out Generationals show at Bowery Ballroom in time to see a few songs from Pepi Ginsberg's new band, Companion.  Their penultimate number, "Swimming/Wave," was my favorite, with the rhythm section hitting a danceable groove as effects-heavy guitars swirled around on the surface.  It was the shining moment in a set where Ginsberg's vocals often went over the top.

"This is our first time in America.  We're really fucking excited to be here," admitted Splashh's frontman Sasha Carlson, looking quite young with his Snoopy t-shirt and floppy haircut.  His bandmate, Toto Vivian, donned a Sonic Youth longsleeve, and as they embarked on their guitar-centric first tune, the London band displayed a strong Daydream Nation-era SY influence.  Over the course of forty minutes, Splashh tore through nine feedback-drenched songs that some critics have pegged as shoegaze, but it's shoegaze cranked up to 11.  And cutting through all the noise, a strong pop sensibility that at times recalled Oasis.  An incredibly solid debut performance on this side of the pond.

Arrested Development's "Mr. Wendal" ushered Generationals onto the Bowery stage.  Speech dropped out, and the band dropped into the jittery "Ten-Twenty-Ten."  Generationals play the kind of music that makes you just sort of give up on the genre field in iTunes and resort to typing "Indie."   Put Phoenix, the Cure, and New Order in a blender and set it to "pulse."  I preordered their latest album, Heza, and though I hadn't listened to it much before yesterday, it gets better on every repeat.  I can see it becoming one of my go-to's this summer if it ever gets fucking warm out.

In front of an alternating web of Christmas lights, which gave the whole thing a slightly Winterfest of Lights vibe, they played several tracks from Heza.  Most got a good crowd response, especially harder rocking ones like "I Never Know."  It was a bit of a challenge to come down after the powerhouse of Splashh, but once Generationals settled into their back catalogue, the fans and the band fired up.  "Angry Charlie" and the crowd-pleasing "When They Fight, They Fight" were followed by a cover of Frank Black's "Headache," though that was lost on the mostly hipster audience.  They recovered with "Faces in the Dark" and "Trust."  "This is our first show at Bowery Ballroom.  We'll always remember this," said a gracious Ted Joyner before they left the stage.

Applause brought them back for an encore, Ted saying, "There are a couple more we could do, so thank you."  Then they played their best song of the night, "You Got Me" from the new album.  Synthesized claps blended with human ones from the crowd as Joyner sang, "Every single night, you got me aching all the time."  A nicely placed bit of maraca from their drummer gave it that little extra push into greatness.  Sometimes it's the little things.  Next came the juicy synth sound of "Yours Forever," which had fans singing and bopping along so much that it had to be the last song.  At its finish, I looked down to my phone to note the show's end time, and then peered up to see Joyner strapping on his guitar.  "We're gonna do one more for you guys.  This has been a very special night for us.  This is first song, first record," Ted announced, plunging into "Nobody Could Change Your Mind."  At the song's end, the band walked offstage.  Without skipping a beat, Biggie's "Hypnotize" came on over the PA, and the dancefloor erupted.  The effect was that someone had taped over your "best of hip-hop" mixtape, but instead of being pissed off, you had a new summer mix and a story to tell.

I went down to the merch table, where I found Toto from Splashh sitting on a chair.  "What time is your show at Pianos tomorrow?" I asked.  "It's early.  7:00.  But you should come," he said with a smile.  "I don't think I'll be off yet," I said, lamenting my new job.  "If not, we're playing Shea Stadium at 10:30 or 11.  Do you know that place?"  WHAT?!?  I'm a little ashamed to admit that I got all the way home before remembering that the Mets now play at Citi Field.  It turns out there's now a venue/recording studio in Bushwick called Shea Stadium.  Generationals will be at the Rock Shop in Park Slope tonight.  Go see either band.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

GENERATIONALS - 04.22.13 - BOWERY BALLROOM (1 hour, 1 minute)

SET -

Ten-Twenty-Ten / Put a Light On / Lucky Numbers / I Never Know / Awake / Spinoza / Angry Charlie / When They Fight, They Fight / Headache / Faces in the Dark / Trust

ENCORE -

You Got Me / Yours Forever / Nobody Could Change Your Mind