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Totally Blissed Out By Active Child And School Of Seven Bells

By Michele Lenni in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 20, 2010 7:00PM

Friday was a wash of sonic delights as two bands brought their wall of sound to Lincoln Hall. First to take the stage was the duo known as Active Child. Dramatic, swelling falsetto, droned-out keyboards were punctuated by thick bass lines and the ever so gentle plunking of a harp. A great deal of buzz created by other music blogs left us expecting a whole lot from these guys and we weren't disappointed. The music was filled with a dark beauty that seemed to cast a spell over the swaying crowd, each melancholic phrase oozing more depth and delicate tones than the next.

School of Seven Bells -- twin Sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza and former Secret Machines member Benjamin Curtis -- followed with their trademark swirling harmonies and full-bodied, heady guitar sound. When listening to their records we very much expected to see the trio do as their contemporaries like My Bloody Valentine had and mainly stand firmly in place and gaze upon their footwear. This was absolutely not the case. The Deheza sisters were truly engaging seemed to glow amidst the yellow and red cast, their voices rising through the air amidst the smoke that surrounded them. Curtis' guitar playing was that of a true disciple of all things blissed out. Each cord and note was accentuated by a swagger that rivaled the twin's haunting beauty. The result was nothing short of moving.