I loved Butane Variations, so naturally I was psyched when I found the following in our mailbox over the weekend:Her dad plays avant-jazz guitar. His mom is a classical flautist. She plays the violin. He plays everything else. Meet New York City’s Hollands, a band whose “serious music” chops and theory-head pedigree makes their sidestepping of the garish hipsterdom stalking the streets of the LES a bit less perilous. And be thankful for that, cause who needs another chillwave buzz band, right? Instead, former Butane Variations frontdude John-Paul Norpoth and violinist Jannina Barefield opt for something far more lived-in and relatable: fuzzed out, whisky-scented power pop that never met a quirk it didn’t like. Think Flaming Lips trying their hand at Cheap Trick or Wilco doing the Dead. On their latest short-player, Mother, Norpoth and Barefield do their parents proud, showing off that classically-trained acumen beneath undeniable pop backbones. The result is earnest, experimental and downright rewarding.
Sometimes a lean folk outfit, shooting reverent nods at greats like Paul Simon, and at others an expansive rock orchestra, Hollands delivers in just about any setting. There’ll only be a few of those over the coming month, however, as Hollands is sticking to the Northeast with three shows Brooklyn and Ithaca. We wish we had better news for the rest of the country, but good things come to those who wait. And trust us when we say it’ll be well worth it.
Dec. 5, 2009 Ithaca, NY The Nines
Dec. 19, 2009 Pete's Candy Store, Brooklyn, NY
Dec. 31, 2009 New Years Eve @ Don Pedro's, Brooklyn, NY
