Live Music Review: Architecture in Helsinki

Brian Battle NBC5 Street Team

They could’ve named this show “The Bands With Unnecessary Names” Tour ’06. New York-cum-Philly “indie” success story Clap Your Hands Say Yeah headlined, along with Australia’s Architecture in Helsinki and Brooklyn-based Takka Takka.

Sandwiched between the two NY rock bands were the delightful Architecture in Helsinki. The eclectic group dressed the part–six members (an abridged touring lineup) took the stage looking like a mishmash of high school sterotypes… spaz, jock, hippie, Cure fan, etc, etc. Shirking the deliberately childish sounds of their first release, Fingers Crossed, AiH’s entire set was blissful, endearing and downright danceable.

Swapping vocal duties and instruments between nearly every song, the band bounced through newer material and brand-new stuff, smooshing genres and song structures as they went. The abrupt endings and mid-song tempo changes which make their albums a peculiar experience created an exhilarating live show — keeping the audience guessing… and clapping… and jumping around a bit.

The extended segue into a funk-friendly “Do the Whirlwind” got people bouncing, while the delightfully quirky Jamie Mildren (right) stole the show belting out her vocals on “Wishbone” – the hap-hap-happiest pop gem you may ever hear.

Clad in a well-loved Ryne Sandberg jersey (a move Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch has pulled in Chicago before), singer Cameron Bird delivered his so-called Love Ballad From The Outback, “Maybe You Can Owe Me” with the equal parts whimsy and sincerity.

Before it could get too cute though, Bird got back to groovin’ — hitting the drum machine and rocking out with such abandon that the instrument was knocked hard to the floor. Overall, the new stuff sounds great, one sounding an awful lot like Rusted Root (ha, in a good way) and the whole set giving off a exuberant twee-meets-Stop Making Sense rumpus. *Full Review Here*

Architecture in Helsinki – “Do The Whirlwind (Metronomy Mix)”

(Photos by Pegs. Thanks Pegs.)

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