Titles - Bernie's, 7/13

The Titles show at Bernie’s on Sunday night was really disappointing, but that had nothing to do with Titles. The New Haven, Connecticut band played a great set--at least from the four songs I caught. The evening was a disjointed affair, and for some reason Titles got stuck playing the first slot.

Singer/guitarist Brad Amorosino was a good sport about it, and he led the band barefoot through a mix of diverse but accessible indie-pop songs with scraped vocals. Of the ones I caught, the tunes had some jazzy beats and country influences--especially “No Love,” a super-catchy song with some really nice pedal steel that can be found on the band’s impressive new album, Up With the Sun, on Safety Meeting Records (mp3s below).

Lead guitarist Matt Wilson, a more recent addition to the band, was a pleasure to watch and led the band through some tight jams in a style that reminded me of Nels Cline’s Sky Blue Sky Wilco contributions. It all ended too soon. Hopefully Titles will come back through Columbus on the next jaunt.

E for Explosion came up next, a late addition to the bill that really should have been relegated to the opening slot. The project is fronted by Jamison Covington of disbanded emo rockers JamisonParker. Explosion’s overdone songs were filled with big, empty choruses that would be the perfect soundtrack to the latest poorly written teen movie. One such example of a lyric repeated ad nauseum: “When you’re close to me, I’m in heaven.” I think the band is aiming for Taking Back Sunday meets Angels & Airwaves, or something like that.

Unfortunately for the band (but fortunately for me), the worthless sound man left during their set while the PA made a horrible, loud buzzing sound, so the bassist threw a hissy fit and they stopped after three songs. I overheard the drummer telling a fan, “We were about to play this beautiful song, and the PA was just going eeeeehhhhhh.” Who knows, maybe they were, but from what I heard, E for Explosion has a long way to go before they fall into the “beautiful” category.

Taking the stage next was local act TV Eye, a baby-faced trio (plus an inconsequential and slightly annoying tambourine player) led by the the singer/guitarist’s slurry garage-rock vocals and dirty, blues-based Telecaster riffs--heavy on the treble. The throwback songs were perfectly serviceable, but didn’t bowl me over.

At the end of the set, the drummer threw one of his sticks and said, “We used to play here a lot. It sucks now.” It seemed to be a sentiment shared by most of the musicians that night.

Winter Makes Sailors, a solo project from Columbusite Sean Gardener (The Kyle Sowashes, Melty Melty), closed the night. Accompanying Gardener was a group of musicians he said he’d never played with before, including a drummer, a guy playing atmospheric slide stuff and violin, another guy switching between keys, synth and trumpet (maybe vibraphone?) and a guest acoustic bassist.

Gardener was self-deprecating from the get-go, and it’s true his band was obviously unrehearsed. And the slide guy was way too loud. But the simple folk songs were nice, with creative arrangements, if a little rough around the edges. I also liked having the stage lit only by a single lamp.

Winter Makes Sailors and fellow locals Moon High would be a good fit for another show. But after this night, I’d relocate to somewhere other than Bernie’s.

mp3: Titles - No Love
mp3: Titles - Bloody Nose