Alex G at Palisades (February 5, 2015)

This Thursday night I made my first trip to still relatively new DIY Bushwick venue Palisades to catch a solid show headlined by the hard working and hot rising Alex G. The rest of the bill was solid from top to bottom, with opening sets from Teen Suicide, Eskimoux, and Sam Cohen.

Sam Cohen is no stranger to the music scene. Formerly of Apollo Sunshine and current Yellowbirds member, Cohen is now releasing a record on its own. It’s called Cool It, and it’s out on April 28 via Easy Sound. His material was a blend of trippy psych-rock that reminded of both Tame Impala and Pink Floyd. It was an impressive set, one that I wouldn’t mind catching again.

Local group and Epoch member Eskimoux was up next. It’s the project of Gabrielle Smith, and is joined my Sharpless’ Jack Greenleaf on bass. She has a done of material released on bandcamp, but hearing the material played with a band live is a fully rewarding experience bringing her material fully to life. Their new album OK will be released this spring via Double Double Whammy. Stay tuned for more.

Maryland-based Teen Suicide is the recently reunited project fronted by Sam Ray, who you may know more recently for his work as Ricky Eat Acid. The band is back at it again, playing fast-paced emo-indie rock tunes that had all the youngsters that had filled in at Palisades pushing and shoving. A girl who didn’t quite look 21 found her way to the stage and shared a flask with their bassist. This youthful chaos pretty much summed up the show experience.

I finally got to catch Philadelphia singer-songwriter Alex G last December where he and his band opened up for Cymbals Eat Guitars at The Knitting Factory. I had enjoyed what I heard from the vast collection of home recordings that fill up his bandcamp space, but getting to see him live put it all in a new perspective. Witnessing the amazing fanbase that he’s gathered online is rather impressive, proof that all an artist needs is the space to share his music. If the tunes are good, they will do the work for you.

Alex G’s tunes are more than good, they’re instantaneous and universal. He has a natural knack for songwriting, crafting tunes that you feel like you’ve known your entire life. Live, he breezes through his material at a breakneck speed, never allowing them to overstay their welcome. His material is like a happy blend of Elliot Smith and early Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin + Built To Spill. He has a easy going demeanor on stage, an effortless confidence that transpires through his playing. He delighted the crowd at Palisades with a fantastic set that had me totally transfixed, while an oddball looped clip of Lord Of The Rings continued to play like a endless vine.

If there’s a songwriter that you need to get excited about, it’s Alex G. See him live at these tiny spaces while you can. Once he’s able to record in a proper studio with possible backing from a label, he’s going to take over in a major way.

Sam Cohen: