During an interview with Kevin Greenspon earlier Tuesday evening, he explained how the lo-fi DIY community was a world unto themselves, attempting a self sufficient alternative music scene. At the apartment of Marc Merza and Cory Siegler, the lo-fi highly melodic duo who go by the name Lizard Kisses, around 830p, I watched the aesthetic in practice
Their third floor apartment was crowded for Lizard Kisses second ever live performance, maybe 30 people cramped between the living room and the kitchen. There was a jar with an optimistic "$5 Donation (Or More)" label and beside the jar were two Lizard Kisses CDs on the left hand side and a smattering of Bridgetown releases on the right-hand side. There were hand drawn posters and there were two hand drawn books, audience members helped themselves to beers from the fridge and it felt more like a party at somebodies home then a concert at a club, until the music began. When the music started, it was too good to be simply a quasi-vanity project.
The audience all seemed to know each other, recent college grads all and the denizen's of a grassroots art pop culture, where word of mouth and shared support came together. The communal feeling was almost hippieish. Cory's sister nursed her seven week old baby boy at the end of a sofa. The ragged tagged post-grunge audience, mostly male, but some girls, filled the living room. It was another woman's birthday and a cake was brought out and candles blown. Just like Amanda Palmer did last week at her concert.
No TV that I noticed so the most expensive part of their apartment was the portion of the living room cordoned off by an invisible line, guitars on the wall, there was a hand organ, mics, a tiny computerized organ and Cory would later play a saw. . On one side of the invisible line were friends, fans and family, sipping on beer, cuddling with loved ones, Lizard Kisses were on the other.
Subsequent to their half hour set, I helped myself to both their EP "Beki 83" and debut album Sleeping In. But I had yet to hear either and had neverheard the band before and I loved them just about instantaneously. Knee jerk comparison? Yo La Tengo circa Storybook. Like some moments on the Yo La Tengo album, the band is ethereal without being fragile, Corey has a beatific presence that is never pretentious. She is easy going and nervous at the same time. Marc breathes music: you meet people like that from time to time. Handpicking a puke lilac colored electric guitar, he is pure melody, and ripping through (well, maybe ripping pushes it but anyway) the last song of the set, he performs the musical highlight on his keyboard thingy.
The best song of the night has Mutual Benefit (second on the bill) playing an ebow and the band resembling nothing less than the late lamented Young Marble Giants meets early REM if REM had a chick lead singer and… limited commercial aspirations. There is something, certainly as described by Greenspon, commercially limited to the DIY -the movement with no name? They are like a farming commune (that word again) that feeds itself. But that isn't quite right either, in the current music scene there is a place for Lizard Kisses, who can merge a folk sensibility, modern instrumentation and a indie acumen into a career, if they choose to -the question is Cloud Nothing the only band that chooses to? The EP is a beautiful thing and while the album could use a little tightening, some of the soundscape backgrounds seem to meander, albeit purposefully, its audience will probably prefer it to the EP; it's less eager to please and therefore more intriguing.
On stage, Lizard Kisses are closer to the EPs pop mingling, meaning the melodies hold deeper roots. This is where Lizard Kisses are better than the average lo-fi band, the songs are better, they don't take long to catch your attention. And their performance is a nice mix of Marc's easy going enthusiasm, and Corey's Zen calm with a quirk of nervousness.
For half an hour , they were a very enthralling band and the audience, whether friends and peers, or otherwise, were enthralled. So was I. Listen hear: lizardkisses.band camp.com and lizardkisses.tumbler.com
Grade: B+
