Sometimes, when I get in my Way Back Machine, I can remember eating Atomic Fireball candy. What I remember is always getting way more flavor than I was expecting from a little ball of sugar. That and having to hold the feather plucking thing in my hand for most of the day because it was too spicy hot to just leave in my mouth.
If this is the case with all things atomic, it seems as though Atomic Square is aptly named. If you’ve been exposed to just a few of this experimental indie band’s songs, you should prepare yourself to get way more flavor than you expect upon further sampling. However, I can’t vouch for the need to hold them in your hands all day because they are too spicy hot.
Actually, no, I take that back…they are spicy hot. And by “spicy hot,” I mean unique, creative and progressive. They are the trifle of bands…each tune a different layer of something new and delicious. (It’s entirely possible that I should not write these blogs on an empty stomach.) Just when you think you’ve got them figured out, they go from stylized and ethereal to upbeat indie pop to pure long form jam. And all good trifles have jam.
Being unique and experimental makes it difficult to compare Atomic Square to other bands you may know and love. So my untrained ear and I will reach into my Random Band Comparison Generator to perhaps provide a musical frame of reference. The RBCG tells me that at times they can feel a little bit Sonic Youth and a little bit Kings of Leon and a little bit early Coldplay. But this is just for brief moments and then you are eased into another layer and they’re completely and delectably different.
Suffice it to say that Atomic Square is their own brand of musical mastery and making clear associations is difficult. Especially on an empty stomach. So, I’m going to get something to eat. My suggestion for you is that you grab a fork and head out to the North Star Bar on the 1st for a taste of the delicious, spicy hot, layered trifle that is Atomic Square. Just don’t tell them I turned them into dessert.
Thursday, April 1, 2010, 8 p.m.
Sunny Day Music presents:
The Atomic Square with Glowfriends, Pilot Cloud, & The Defog
@ North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St, Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-787-0488
Get Tickets
Bits and Watts is the web site for discovering live music from up and coming artists who are performing in the Philadelphia area. We stream music from artists with an show scheduled in the next 8-12 weeks.
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