SILK FLOWERS!

A few weeks ago my pals in Silk Flowers trekked up to Montreal one unseasonably cold November evening (the 22nd, I think). They were on a northeast tour with No Age and Soft Circle and played Club Lambi. If you're paying attention, Avi and Peter might already be familiar to you from their previous band Soiled Mattress and the Springs, though in additional claim to fame, the former was also my roommate on Orchard Street.

Silk Flowers formed shortly after the No Age/ Soiled Mattress tour in the UK when the latter decided to call it quits. Unsatisfied with not playing in a band, Avi and Peter started jamming with a fine fellow named Ethan (who sports a Neanderthal sticker on his synthesizer), and morphed SM's staccato "soft-jazz" concoctions into heavy, rhythmic synth-driven territory. They set up their three stations of keyboards, drums, boxes, and noisemakers facing each weave some noisy tapestries. Much too raw to veer into synth-pop territory, there's shade of Psychic TV in their sound. Keyboards are often used to percussive effect, and despite some of the harsh sounds cultivated, there's an imposing catchiness to the tunes. One song struck me as Human League's Being Boiled meets Agnostic Front's Fascist Attitudes. The band was psyched on the comparison. Good stuff!

One man band Soft Circle was great that night, as was No Age.

Silk Flowers had just picked up their self released 7" whilst on tour, which is a winner. A subsequent record is coming out on Dean Spunt's PPM Records. Be on the lookout.

Silk Flowers on myspace
Silk Flowers blog