Tuesday September 27 2005

WHY? / THE BELLS THE BELLS / GRAND PRIX '86 / HOOFUS @ the marquee

Indie-hop meets folk-pop meets psych-rock, with the full band version of Why? who operate out of the Oakland Bay area of San Francisco under the bold banner of the Anticon collective. At the band's helm is Yoni Wolf, who-with his candytime-dissonant, singsong-suicide style-has recorded under the name Why? for the best part of six years.

After meeting fellow Anticon Records tribesman Adam Drucker (AKA Doseone) in art school and subsequently dropping out, Yoni developed his signature sound over several projects: the lo-fi thought-rap of Greenthink (with Doseone), the critically lauded dreamscape crunch of Clouddead (with Doseone and Anticon DJ/producer Odd Nosdam), and the hushed bedroom aesthetic of Reaching Quiet (with Nosdam). Yoni left the Midwest in 2001, went solo for two Why? EPs and one brilliant full-length (2003's Oaklandazulasylum), and now he's found a permanent home in his Berkeley bandmates.

Yoni writes and sings mainly, but he's also known to dance, play any instrument he can get his hands on (piano, keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, harmonica), sample, and occasionally beat his chest like a gorilla. Doug (or "Death Metal Dug," as the others prefer) is the utility man, maneuvering such heavy machinery as pianos, guitars, samplers and turntables. Josiah plays drums, teaches drums to little kids, eats drums for breakfast, and sleeps drums at night. Driven by brotherly competition, he also plays anything that Yoni plays. Matt sticks to his guitars. Despite Yoni's proclivity for rampant collaboration (he's worked with Hood, Fog, DJ Krush, Boom Bip, Sole, Dept. of Eagles, and 13+God), Why? is, and will continue to be, his first love. The band counts among their admirers such respected gentlemen and ladies as Boards of Canada, Múm, Stereolab, Danielson Famile, the Notwist, TV On The Radio, and Mogwai.

Support comes from two of Norwich's most exciting new bands - The Bells The Bells and Grand Prix '86 (replacing Fun! Yeah!), plus electronic wizard Hoofus.

* The Marquee, Cattle Market Street, Norwich. Doors 8pm, admission £6.

www.anticon.com
www.thebellsthebells.co.uk
www.myspace.com/grandprix86
www.hoofus.com