My first show in a few months and it did not disappoint! Tamaryn changed her band awhile back for the latest album Cranekiss (2015). This album has a slightly different sound from her debut The Waves (2010) and second album Tender New Signs (2012).
Overall, Tamaryn is still amazing live and on record.
Cranekiss is a lot more dance, synth pop, and even world music inspired than the previous releases. Those two albums are heavily in the shoegaze/dreampop categories, more dirge-y and moodier. The newer songs sound more new wave/synth pop influenced.
Due to schedule conflict (with The Jesus & Mary Chain’s set), I missed Tamaryn at Austin Psych Fest this year. However, I was told she put on quite a performance there. At the event, I read an interview with Tamaryn in The Guardian. She “loves Liverpool bands, even though she’s never been to the city. China Crisis, Care, Wild Swans, the Teardrop Explodes, Echo and the Bunnymen, the list goes on.” I kind of wanted to show off the Wild Swans record I picked up there.
Stalking her Instagram also tells me she is a big fan of The Cure. Every year, she has a Cure themed birthday cake or maybe she’s friends with a talented cake artist who is.
Tamaryn cited Kate Bush as an influence in another interview around that time with a site called Galore. That’s noticeable on songs like “Put Your Hands All Over Me.” Her current bandmates might be Cure fans also, as there’s still a definite influence there too. I took a brief video of the title track of the new album on my phone. It’s not my ideal way to record since I was farther back and behind a few taller people.
Noticeably absent from this gig was a merch booth. Maybe not necessary at an LA show where there are more “business” people than most gigs. A shirt might be nice, but I wanted a physical copy of the album.
Openers Froth and Roses were both pretty good. Though, I think some of Froth songs went on a bit too long. I probably didn’t hear enough of Roses to really know how good they are. They were both kind of shoegaze/psych rock in sound, to varying degrees. Hopefully, I’ll catch both bands at another show in the future since they are both from LA.
