Beautiful Collapse

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 13, 2006 6:56PM

Remember when Modest Mouse rocked? Oh wait, that never happened. Well then, remember when they were interesting and you would think, “Wow, do I wish Modest Mouse would just rock the fuck out?” We do. In the years since we’ve gotten many promo packages from bands promising to bridge that mythical gap, but it wasn’t until a friend of ours turned us on to Oxford Collapse that we believed it was possible.

Oxford Collapse is yet another band out to prove that Brooklyn isn’t only filled with posturing scensters, and grab an attack straight out of the Northwest woods in order to prove their point. Michael pace’s vocals deliver the message to the people on a bed of urgent yelps and keening glissandos. Their new disc, Remember the Night Parties, reins in this whirlwind and focuses the groups direction. The trio packs a hell of a wallop that we would venture to guess is probably more at home someplace like Chicago, and we believe it’s just the sort of sound the crowd at The Empty Bottle will eat up tonight when they appear with Chin Up Chin Up.

Incidentally, Chin Up Chin Up will be celebrating the release of their second CD, This Harness Can't Ride Anything, and as far as sophomore efforts go, it’s a doozy. We enjoyed their debut’s quiet math rock, but This Harness Can't Ride Anything ups the ante (yup, we said “ups the ante," sorry) with a more solid sense of self and songwriting that tackles a groove instead of flirting with it.

The show kicks of at 9:00 p.m. tonight with Make Believe and Ryan Williams (an illusionist (?!)) on the bill as well.