Concert Review: Danielson & Marvelous Toy

Danielson & Marvelous Toy at Spaceland last night. Lately, eccentricity in rock & folk has taken a center seat (on the big music stage?)- with bands like Deerhoof, Plants & Animals, Andrew Bird and Polyphonic Spree. There's intelligence to all these bands that goes beyond the rock label, and in this vein, Danielson doesn't disappoint.

The show took off to a good start with a bright-as-vinegar-version of "Cast it At the Setting Sail." It helped that the volume at Spaceland was enough to break the mirrors. But like any multi-piece band, they should be played loud. The only thing missing from the song was that elvish flute.

The band rarely peaked from this track, but maintained a consistency in power. Everyone talks about energy in a singer's performance, but Danielson is too ensembled to focus on one person. If you're worried about who's who at a Danielson show, there's little concern, they arrive on stage wearing what is best described as Czech police uniforms (complete with nametags.)

Honestly, it's refreshing to see a band singing with a sense of optimism. Think Polyphonic Spree with less Jesus. Each song was well paced and fervent enough to hold a danceless, hipster Los Angeles audience.

Marvelous Toy can be described somewhere in between Okkervil River and Guster (it helps the lead singer is bushy haired like Guster and just as depressed). Indie people squirm I'm sure at the reference, but lush pop like Marvelous Toy has so many reference points. Plus, you're reading a post from a kid who went to school on college rock like Ben Harper and David Gray.

"Waiting for the Fire" was the band's highlight as well as a powerfully fun piano ballad "When the Lights Go On." Speaking of kinetic energy, Marvelous Toy has it, but can't seem to find a genre for themselves. Glockonspiels and Steel guitars are sometimes weird in the same set. Not that eclectic music isn't celebrated, but this seems like a band still searching for their voice.

Danielson - Cast it At the Setting Sail

Marvelous Toy - Waiting for the Fire