Ultimate Set List: Thrice

The other day I mentioned to a really good friend that Thrice was going back out on tour and we both got very excited. Thrice is also, based on their social media posts, have been hard at work on a new album. Hopefully they share a new song or two on tour. Throughout their career, Thrice has been one of the few bands to try to make their set lists different and fun for the audience. The past few tours, they’ve set up an online portal for fans to vote on what songs they want to hear. The end result is always interesting since, so many people have yet to see them live so the most popular choices are always front and center. For me, I’d rather have some deeper cuts so, that’s why doing these Ultimate Set Lists are so much fun.

As usual here are the rules:

Rule 1: What line up of the band would it be

Rule 2: Where would you want to see the show

Rule 3: maximum 25 songs (In order of how the set should go)

Lineup: Dustin, Teppei, Riley, Ed

Venue: Fonda Theatre

Set List:

01) Hurricane
02) Silhouette
03) The Grey
04) Yellow Belly
05) Wake Up
06) Like Moths To Flame
07) Under A Killing Moon
08) Only Us
09) Beggars
10) Just Breathe
11) The Earth Will Shake
12) Blinded
13) Hold Fast Hope
14) The Dark
15) Promises
16) Black Honey
17) Don’t Tell And We Won’t Ask
18) Red Sky

Encore:

19) The Artist In the Ambulance
20) Where Idols Once Stood
21) To Awake And Avenge The Dead
22) Deadbolt
23) All That’s Left

Deep Cuts: Thrice- The Flame Deluge

One of the best things about putting your iPod on random is the ability to rediscover songs you forgot about. The other day while driving home from hanging out with a friend, a song came on that was perfect for the drive. Thrice has long been a favorite band of mine since I first heard The Illusion Of Safety. The song that hit me was “The Flame Deluge” from their Alchemy Index, Fire album. This song is the closing track on that part. It’s quite a beautiful song, and it channels some really cool influences from the likes of Isis and Pelican (which isn’t a surprise since Thrice has toured and played shows with them through the years). I’d personally love it if one day at a show of their that I’m at, they played this one. It would be quite an epic one for sure.

Thrice- The Flame Deluge:

 

Band Of The Week: Holy Fawn

Every so often, a band and album comes out that you hear about but, forget to check out in a timely manner. That happened to me over the course of the last few months with the band of the week. A while back, I saw Riley Breckinridge of Thrice raving about the new Holy Fawn album Death Spells. I put it on my list of things to check out but, for some reason, I kept missing it. Well, that was a mistake. What a tremendous band they are, and their album is superb. This Phoenix, Arizona based band is quite possibly one of the best things Arizona has ever exported. Their blend of shoegaze, 90’s reverb rock, ambient tinges and crushing noise is captivating and hypnotic. There is a real depth to their songs and albums that has anyone listening stand at attention and feel compelled to get lost in the music. There’s an element of danger to this band that when you listen, you can tell they are about to erupt with a sound that is devastatingly beautiful. Their album Death Spells is definitely one of the best of the past decade and worth putting in any collection. Holy Fawn has also released a 3 song EP this past January entitled The Black Moon and it’s pretty damn fantastic as well. Holy Fawn is a band that should be on your radar and should be checked out live to get the full effect.

 

Holy Fawn- Death Spells:

 

Holy Fawn- The Black Moon:

Album Review: Thrice- Palms

Thrice has never been a band to repeat what they did on their last album. They’ve always pushed forward and tried new things. Sometimes those experiments worked (Vheissu) and others not so much (Beggars). Now on their tenth studio album, Thrice have returned with Palms, a record that picks up where To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere left off. Palms is chock full of those signature Thrice moments from the riffs, lyrics, melodies and rhythms that makes Thrice a special band.

There is no doubt that when Thrice writes a “heavy” song, you know that it’s going to be a favorite. Rather than go all out heavy on the first track, “Only Us” starts it off with a very subtle mid tempo track that is heavy but full of melody. Then on track two with “The Grey,” they step it up a bit more to really push the album further. “The Dark” then takes it back to the melodic with it’s dark brooding body. Dustin Kensrue, really shines on this song. “Just Breathe” which features guest vocals from Emma Ruth Rundle, is another stellar track that shows a bit of a different side of the band. As the album continues on with songs like “Everything Belongs” and “My Soul,” Thrice explores a bit of their ballad side, then they bring it back up tempo with the distortion heavy “Hold Up A Light.” Closing out the album is “Beyond The Pines” a very stark and haunting track that continues on the bands experimental path but doesn’t stray from the overall sense of the album.
Overall, Palms is very much a Thrice album. They aren’t trying to sound like anyone else but themselves. The experimentation works for these songs. Since the band returned with To Be Everywhere, you get the sense that Dustin, Teppei, Ed, and Riley are feeling inspired again and have something more to say. The playing and performances on this album are top notch and hark back to their early days, when making music was fun and full of life. The only complaint I have about Palms, is that the mix on this album is pretty weak. Often times, the drums are buried, the bass just becomes a rumble, the crisp/bright guitars are often lost amongst the distortion, and the vocals at times seem to be too compressed. But if you look past these things, Palms is a very enjoyable and full album. Thrice have really pushed themselves to not repeat the past and on Palms, they achieve that and show their collective maturity.

Overall Rating 8.5/10

 

Thrice- Palms:

New Release: Thrice- The Dark

Thrice’s new album Palms comes out this Friday (September 14 via Epitaph Records). They’ve already premiered 2 stellar songs from the album, “The Grey” and “Only Us.” Now, they’ve unleashed “The Dark” on us all. This song has an interesting history. Thrice asked fans to be a part of the song by sending in audio and video of them singing a specific part, and they would be included in the final version of the track. This song definitely has a “vibe” to it that’s very Thrice.

 

Thrice- The Dark:

 

Thrice- The Grey:

 

Thrice- Only Us:

New Release: Thrice- Only Us

Thrice has released a new track, “Only Us” from their upcoming album Palms (out September 14 via Epitaph Records).  “Only Us” is Thrice experimenting a bit but not losing sight of what they do best. The song is full of lush melodies and emotion. “Only Us” is the type of song that when played live will be a beast. Check it out!!!

 

Thrice- Only Us:

 

Thrice- The Grey:

 

Live Review: Less Art at The Echo

One of the best things about being a music nut is the feeling you get when you hear an album, and while in the midsts of listening you start to imagine the band live and how much more of an impact the songs have when played live. Last night I got to witness that amazing feat as Less Art took the stage and stole the entire show. The forceful magnitude in which they played and performed left me and the rest of the audience in a state of awe.

Performing songs from their stellar debut album Strangled Light, Less Art was everything I had hoped they would be live. The intensity of each member as they played through songs like “Diana The Huntress,” “Optimism As Survival,” “Pessimism As Denial,” ” Wandering Ghost,” and my favorite track “Shapeshifter” was impeccable. Riley, Ed, Ian, Jon and Mike all proved that this band is a serious venture in the way they played and performed. I wish they were able to play longer, that’s how good they were.

Being a fan of all these guys other bands, it’s a very cool change of pace to see them get their creativity out in a band like this. Less Art is different and a very welcome kind of different. They have created an album that stands out in the post-hardcore genre. I really hope that they have the chance to make another album and tour again. If you are a fan of post-hardcore music, you MUST SEE LESS ART!!!

 

Less Art- Strangled Light (BUY THIS ALBUM!!!!!!):

 

 

Album Review: Less Art- Strangled Light

There is something to be said for taking the time away from a main project and really letting yourself get fully immersed in something new. The members of Less Art have done just that and have made an album that stands out among all the other work they’ve done and then some. Their debut album Strangled Light is a fully inspired and influenced album. Riley and Ed Breckinridge of Thrice, Jon Howell and Ian Miller of Kowloon Walled City and on vocals Mike Minnick of Curl Up and Die have paid their respects to their influences but, taken that and turned it into something all their own.

Throughout the 9 song album, Less Art lay the foundation for heaviness and maturity. Each song feels like they spent the time to really hone in on a vibe and feeling. With each listen, you tend to pick up on a different emotion that puts you in a different headspace, in a good way. The moment the first song “Optimism As Survival” begins, the shivers begin up your spine. There is also a brutality to the album that is carried over from their main bands. When you listen to songs like “Diana The Huntress,” “Mood 7 Mind Destroyer: Guilt,” Pessimism As Denial,” and “Crushed Out” you can really hear their hardcore roots show through. Then there are songs like “Wandering Ghost,” “Shapeshifter,” What Is In It Man?,” and the closer “Strangled Light” that really show who Less Art really are. Their sheer knack to remain heavy but, at the same time vulnerable is what makes them special.

Something really intriguing about Less Art is, Ed Breckinridge is playing guitar rather than bass (as he does in Thrice) on the album. This move has really allowed him to shine as a player and writer. And with him and guitarist Jon Howell, they play off each other in a way that fits the feel of the song. The rhythm section of Riley Breckinridge and Ian Miller builds on the mold of great post-hardcore duo’s. Vocally, the emotion, pain, thoughts and ideas of Mike Minnick are beyond stellar.

Less Art’s Strangled Light, is an album that is very much needed. There is a sense of hope to these songs that when you grab a hold of, you won’t let go.

 

Overall Rating: A

 

Less Art- Strangled Light:

 

Band Of The Week: Less Art

Since Less Art was announced, I’ve been looking forward to hearing music from them. Made up of Riley and Ed Breckinridge of Thrice (on drums and guitar) along with Kowloon Walled City’s Jon Howell and Ian Miller (on guitar and bass) and Curl Up and Die’s Mike Minnick (on vocals), you knew that the music these gents would release would be something substantial. Their debut album Strangled Light is shaping up to be a righteous slab of post hardcore with a bit of a shoe-gaze vibe. The first song released “Pessimism As Denial.” is everything you want it to be and more. Obviously with Thrice, back and going full steam, this is a side project for Riley and Ed but, I can tell that they are really dedicated to this. Check out Less Art, you’ll thank me later!
Less Art- Pessimism As Denial:

 

Pre-Order their album HERE

 

LESS ART on TOUR
Aug. 4 — San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern
Aug. 5 — Oakland, CA @ 1234 Go! Records
Aug. 6 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room