Sigh’s Smell of Farewell, the Cocteau Twins tribute night at the Smell, was also a night of interesting musical collaborations, as every single performance was an amalgamation of musicians. First up was Life Group, a project featuring co-organizer Scott Cornish, and former member of Veer Right Young Pastor, members of Soft-Boiled Eggies, and current members of Devon Williams’ band. They remained faithful to the original tracks instrumentally, but featured all-male vocals that lent a punkish bent to the tracks. Next was the premiere of QUeUe, a new project with members of VoicesVoices, howardAmb, and dubBUMBA, with guest vocals by Leila Adu of New Zealand. With an array of drum pads, synthesizers and a q-chord, they took immediate ownership of the songs with a very original set. ParallaxTwins, an offshoot of former BlackBlack member Luis Naranjo’s solo project, ParallaxScroll, working alongside former Hello Astronaut Goodby Television bandmate Danielle Elowe was heavy on the industrial end, with a bass heavy performance built around synthesized beats. Magic Johnson returned to LA from Portland for the show, employing their signature male/female counterbalanced vocals. They played a tight and hard-hitting set with the addition of their original bassist, as well as a guest appearance from his current VietNambla bandmate on drums for Wax & Wane off of the Cocteau’s debut album. Upsilon Acrux performed with Tes Elations’ vocalist Barrie Rose. Backed by two drummers, their set was dynamic, powerful, and loud enough to drown out even a semblance of thought, yet Barrie’s vocals remained elevated above everything else, and she best captured the glossolalia effect employed by Elizabeth Fraser. While there were many great performances this evening, their closeout cover of Donimo may have been my favorite. The idea of an Abe Vigoda/Dunes super group on it’s own is tantalizing enough for most people, and given the comparison to Cocteau Twins that Dunes has already drawn, I was looking forward to their interpretations quite a bit. They delivered a high energy, albeit chaotic set which culminated in a dance party led by Kate Hall of Dunes to Iceblink Luck. Much like the Crass tribute at The Smell several months prior, the night was a beautiful way for a community of musicians to celebrate their mutual love of a common influence.

—Walt! Gorecki

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Abe Vigoda
M. Women (Seattle WA)
Dunes
Protect Me

The Smell
247 S. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA

Doors at 8pm
5 Bucks

M Women Link: http://www.myspace.com/medievalwomen
Dunes Link: http://www.myspace.com/dunestheband
Abe Vigoda : http://www,myspace.com/abevigoda
Protect me: http://www.myspace.com/protectmeprotect

—Billy Gil