Two Watch This posts will run tonight, bringing the series back up to the current release cycle. After more than 100 entries and several long-form packages, Watch Thishas only managed to expand in both scope and range. The underlying principle remains steadfast: this is a project to celebrate the very best in live performance video, one of the most under-recognized and under-appreciated multimedia art forms in the music and film world. An intense amount of craft is required to make a live video memorable (or, failing that craft, a formidable level of personality) and some of the people who are brave enough to make entries turn in unforgettable work.
Below are 25 great performances from 25 artists who are worth exploring. Whether it’s PUP tearing through the strongest opening 1-2 punch any record’s boasted this year, Courtney Barnett putting her heart into a gentle solo rendition of “Depreston“, Midnight Reruns unveiling a new song, or Small Houses putting a warm spin on a Weakerthans classic, there are a lot of moments to appreciate embedded into this compilation. Old favorites and emerging acts found themselves posited as the centerpiece(s) of artful documentation and this installment of Watch This is a presentation of those documents. So, as always, turn up the volume, calm down, lean in, and Watch This.
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1. Summer Cannibals – Go Home (KEXP) 2. Sunflower Bean – Easier Said (The Current) 3. Meat Wave – Delusion Moon (Ratio Beerworks) 4. Small Houses – Watermark (Onder Ivloed) 5. PUP – If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will + DVP (Stiegl) 6. Bird Laww – In My Sleep (Public Radio /\) 7. The Black Angels – Better Off Alone (Jam in the Van) 8. Mise En Scene – Show Me You’re Real (BreakThruRadio) 9. Wolf Solent – Countless Minds (Sea Records) 10. Courtney Barnett – Depreston (The Current) 11. The Coathangers – Make It Right (Paste) 12. Midnight Reruns – Warm Days (Set List) 13. Kevin Morby – Singing Saw + Doroth (The Daily Indie) 14. Katie Von Schleicher (Jenn Harrington) 15. Emily Yacina – Soft Stuff (This Has Got To Stop) 16. Bob Mould – Voices In My Head (Sound Opinions) 17. Palehound – Healthier Folk (Radio K) 18. Hemming – All I Want (Weathervane) 19. Odio Paris – En Junio (BalconyTV) 20. Mike Krol – Neighborhood Watch (Radio K) 21. Journalism – Watching & Waiting (BreakThruRadio) 22. David Bazan – Oblivion (Little Elephant) 23. Murder By Death – Shiola (Paste) 24. Lucy Dacus – Green Eyes, Red Face (BreakThruRadio) 25. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Clean Slate (3RRR)
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Each of the seven volumes that comprise this Watch This package contain 25 clips apiece. Due to the sheer volume of live videos that have come out during January, February, and March all of the packages will have the same introductory paragraph. Regular Watch This segments will resume on Sunday.]
It’s been a tremendous first quarter for live videos. While Watch This, Heartbreaking Bravery’s weekly series celebrating the very best of the live video format, hasn’t been in operation for roughly three full months, the information required to keep this thing humming (i.e., checking through hundreds of subscriptions and sources for outstanding new material) has been collected at regular intervals. If they were full sessions, single song performances, studio-shot, DIY captures, transcendent songs, or transcendent visual presentations, they were compiled into a massive list. 175 videos wound up making extraordinarily strong impressions, those videos will all be presented here, in the Watch This: The Best of 2016’s First Quarter extended package, one 25-clip presentation at a time.
Watch the fourth collection of those videos below.
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1. Saintseneca (KJHK) 2. American Wrestlers (Audiotree) 3. Try the Pie – Thomas 4. The So So Glos – A.D.D. Life (Little Elephant) 5. Courtney Barnett – Dead Fox (Austin City Limits) 6. Pop & Obachan – Elora’s (This Has Got To Stop) 7. Mothers – Mother and Wife (Paste) 8. The Nudes – Pretty (Ithaca Underground) 9. Sleater-Kinney – Fangless (Austin City Limits) 10. Three Man Cannon – Patiently (Little Elephant) 11. Lever – Nickels & Dimes (DZ Records) 12. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – Nobody Dies (The Current) 13. Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle (Paste) 14. Torres – The Harshest Light (Audiotree) 15. Menacerno – Johnny Cas’ (DZ Records) 16. Kamasi Washington – Fair As Equal (Paste) 17. Human Music – Sending Messages (Exclaim!) 18. Hellrazor (BreakThruRadio) 19. Palehound – Holiest (Public Radio /\ Sessions) 20. The Thermals – My Heart Went Cold (Jam in the Van) 21. Soul Low – Frenemies (Little Elephant) 22. PWR BTTM – Dairy Queen (WFUV) 23. Ancient Whales – To Be (Public Radio /\ Sessions) 24. Des Ark – French Fries Are Magical (Do512) 25. Frigs – Trashyard
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Each of the seven volumes that comprise this Watch This package contain 25 clips apiece. Due to the sheer volume of live videos that have come out during January, February, and March all of the packages will have the same introductory paragraph. Regular Watch This segments will resume on Sunday.]
It’s been a tremendous first quarter for live videos. While Watch This, Heartbreaking Bravery’s weekly series celebrating the very best of the live video format, hasn’t been in operation for roughly three full months, the information required to keep this thing humming (i.e., checking through hundreds of subscriptions and sources for outstanding new material) has been collected at regular intervals. If they were full sessions, single song performances, studio-shot, DIY captures, transcendent songs, or transcendent visual presentations, they were compiled into a massive list. 175 videos wound up making extraordinarily strong impressions, those videos will all be presented here, in the Watch This: The Best of 2016’s First Quarter extended package, one 25-clip presentation at a time.
Watch the second collection of those videos below.
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1. Julien Baker (Audiotree) 2. The Dirty Nil – Zombie Eyed (Little Elephant) 3. Amber Arcades (3voor12) 4. Big Ups (Do512) 5. Brooke Waggoner – Fresh Pair of Eyes (OurVinyl) 6. Quarterbacks (WSPN) 7. Natalie Prass – Tell Me (OurVinyl) 8. gobbinjr – bb gurl (Play Too Much) 9. Sweet Spirit – Breakthru Radio 10. Operators (KEXP) 11. Bill Ryder Jones – Wild Roses + Put It Down Before You Break It (La Blogotheque) 12. Two Gallants – My Love Won’t Wait (OurVinyl) 13. El Pino & The Volunteers (3voor12) 14. Mulligrub – Homo Milk + Man in the Moon 15. All Dogs – Skin (Little Elephant) 16. Gaelynn Lea – Submission 17. Ride (KEXP) 18. Glen Hansard – When Your Mind’s Made Up (NPR) 19. Justin Townes Earle – Mama’s Eyes (OurVinyl) 20. Posse – Cassandra B (Band In Seattle) 21. TUFT – Sheep (Jam in the Van) 22. The Nudes – Your Eyes (Ithaca Underground) 23. Wildhoney – Soft Bats (Audiotree) 24. Cayetana – Freedom 1313 (Little Elephant) 25. Daughter (BBC)
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Each of the seven volumes that comprise this Watch This package contain 25 clips apiece. Due to the sheer volume of live videos that have come out during January, February, and March all of the packages will have the same introductory paragraph. Regular Watch This segments will resume on Sunday.]
It’s been a tremendous first quarter for live videos. While Watch This, Heartbreaking Bravery’s weekly series celebrating the very best of the live video format, hasn’t been in operation for roughly three full months, the information required to keep this thing humming (i.e., checking through hundreds of subscriptions and sources for outstanding new material) has been collected at regular intervals. If they were full sessions, single song performances, studio-shot, DIY captures, transcendent songs, or transcendent visual presentations, they were compiled into a massive list. 175 videos wound up making extraordinarily strong impressions, those videos will all be presented here, in the Watch This: The Best of 2016’s First Quarter extended package, one 25-clip presentation at a time.
Watch the first collection of those videos below.
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1. Charly Bliss (Audiotree) 2. Julien Baker (NPR) 3. Happyness (KEXP) 4. Car Seat Headrest (NPR) 5. PWR BTTM (KEXP) 6. Kal Marks – Coffee (Allston Pudding) 7. Fern Mayo (BreakThruRadio) 8. Wolf Alice (NPR) 9. Coke Weed (WKNC) 10. Frankie Cosmos – Outside With the Cuties (Pitchfork) 11. All Dogs – Sunday Morning (Little Elephant) 12. Eskimeaux (BreakThruRadio) 13. Sóley (KEXP) 14. Ty Segall & The Muggers – Candy Sam (Conan) 15. Pinegrove – Need 2 (Little Elephant) 16. Beach House – Irene (Pitchfork) 17. Petal – Sooner (WXPN) 18. Ratboys – Collected (DZ Records) 19. together PANGEA – Blue Mirror (Consequence of Sound) 20. VANT – Parking Lot + Do You Know Me (3voor12) 21. Long Beard (BreakThruRadio) 22. Courtney Barnett – Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party (Colbert) 23. Michael Rault – Nothing Means Nothing (Out of Town Films) 24. Sleater-Kinney – Modern Girl (Austin City Limits) 25. Bo Ningen (KEXP)
When Watch This was conceived it was done with the intent to not only critically examine the balance of filmmaking and live performance but celebrate the art of the live video, a format which seems to have fallen to the wayside despite being more fruitful than it’s been since it was introduced. There’s real power behind the clips that manage to seamlessly merge the best qualities of everything that goes into the best live performance videos and they can yield genuinely unforgettable moments (when everything kicks back in on “Waitress”, the held falsetto in “A Proper Polish Welcome”, and a whole host of other chill-inducing moments are scattered throughout this compilation). Those moments are the beating heart behind this series construction and they’re what sustains the project as it presses forward.
Well over 300 live clips were covered on this site in 2015 and this is a collection of 25 that genuinely stood out for one reason or another, whether it was the sheer joy in a performance (Diet Cig), the performer’s ability to freeze blood (Julien Baker, Dilly Dally, SOAK), the trio of artists who appeared on Watch This the most throughout this year (Courtney Barnett, Girlpool, and Torres), an electrifying presentation and performance (July Talk), or a clip that’s a fully functional masterclass in every category that elevates a clip from astonishing to transcendental (Glen Hansard). All of those and more have been plugged into this packet, which culminates in a tour de force reminder of the overwhelming power of what can be achieved on a live platform from the resurgent Sleater-Kinney as one final exclamation point for a truly extraordinary year. So, as always, sit up, focus, adjust the volume, and Watch This.
Watch the 2015 edition of the best-of compilation for Heartbreaking Bravery’s definitive recurring series, Watch This, below. The track list is available under the embed.
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1. Hop Along – Waitress (World Cafe) 2. July Talk – Paper Girl (Audiotree) 3. Ronny – Why Do You Have Kids (Gems On VHS) 4. Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle (BreakThruRadio) 5. Mikal Cronin – Say (WFUV) 6. Molly Parden – Weather (GemsOnVHS) 7. Eskimeaux – Folly (This Has Got To Stop) 8. Waxahatchee – Under A Rock (Pitchfork) 9. METZ – Spit You Out (3voor12) 10. Ought – Beautiful Blue Sky (KEXP) 11. Saintseneca – How Many Blankets Are In the World? (ANTI-) 12. Diet Cig – Harvard (In the Attic) 13. SOAK – B a Nobody Blud (La Blogotheque) 14. Dilly Dally – Burned by the Cold (Strombo Sessions) 15. Alex G + Girlpool – Brite Boy (SPIN) 16. Footings (Jenn Harrington) 17. Mike Krol – Suburban Wasteland + Neighborhood Watch (KEXP) 18. Beach Slang – Get Lost (Cozy Couch Sessions) 19. Public Service Broadcasting – Go! (WNYC) 20. Christopher Paul Stelling – Dear Beast (ANTI-) 21. Courtney Barnett – Depreston (La Blogotheque) 22. Algiers – Blood (WFUV) 23. Torres – A Proper Polish Welcome (NPR) 24. Glen Hansard – McCormack’s Wall (ANTI-) 25. Sleater-Kinney (NPR)
Car Seat Headrest was another band from 2015 that had gained previous traction and capitalized in blinding fashion, showing a complete disregard for the thought of looking back. Understandably, KEXP invited them into their studio for a session and the band delivered one of 2015’s most towering sets in recent memory. At a monstrous running time that exceeds most full-length efforts, it’s actually a fairly intimidating ask- or, it would be if the music (and performance) wasn’t so immediately likable. Will Toledo’s got an enviable gift for pop songwriting and for subverting expectations, leading the charge in a session that more than justifies the swirling interest surrounding the band.
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2. Dilly Dally (BreakThruRadio)
If this site’s love for Dilly Dally hasn’t been made abundantly clear by now, this very sentence will probably at least give you a small indication. After torching the stages of Santos Party House and Baby’s All Right during CMJ, the band’s kept pace with their music and maintained a deliriously frantic touring schedule. All of that time playing out is paying off, tightening the screws on their already-formidable live show. It’s evident in every live clip that surfaces, including this revealing session with BreakThruRadio that includes some endearing interview segments. Turn it up and fall in love.
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3. The Lumes – Nervous + Satan (The Daily Indie)
Every so often, a relatively unknown band crops up on my radar and blows me away with how complete they seem and The Lumes definitely qualifies as one of those bands. A lightly menacing post-punk trio that excels in atmospheric work, they’ve managed to carve out a thoughtful identity that feels more singular than it should just two releases into their career. Here, they perform vicious takes on “Nervous” and “Satan”, the tracks that bookend their outstanding LustEP. The trio gives their all in both performances and ultimately secures a spot on this installment of Watch This thanks to their overwhelming strength.
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4. Woozy – Hush (Little Elephant)
It’s been a while since Little Elephant’s hosted a session as strong as the one Woozy’s provided, committing another jewel to that particular crown with this committed take on “Hush”. Marrying genres with ease and integrating surprisingly explosive moments in fits and starts, “Hush” may actually be one of the band’s most definitive songs. Leaning heavily into their post-punk and grunge angles, they still find ways to surprise in territory that’s generally far more straightforward. Ultimately, it’s another extremely impressive showing from a band that seems surprisingly determined to top themselves with each successive outing.
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5. Bandit – The Drive Home + Dragon (Audiotree)
Closing out this run of Watch This is a performance that feels like a genuine finale, courtesy of Bandit’s beautiful renditions of two Of Life‘s highlights: “The Drive Home” and “Dragon”. The former of those two songs received one of the most gorgeous music videos of the year and has the capacity to overwhelm listeners with genuine feeling, amplifying atmospheric currents as it progresses. “Dragon” is a track that operates in a similar vein and, packaged together, they manage to elevate each other’s best qualities, which is why- in spite of a deeply impressive full session– this performance is being highlighted individually. Exemplifying all of Bandit’s finest qualities as both a band and as a live act, Audiotree struck gold with the band’s turn-in of these two songs, leaving behind something that the studio might be talking about for quite some time.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to the nature of these upcoming posts, a truncated version of this introductory paragraph will be appearing over the next several installments of this series.] It’s been quite some time since the 100th edition of Watch This went up on this site. There have been a lot of factors going into the extended interim but, as usual, a focal point of that absence was to make sure the preparation work was kept up to date. Full sessions, single song performances, DIY videos, and impressive turn-ins from radio stations abound. So, as always, sit back, adjust the setting, crank the volume, focus up, and Watch This.
1. Eskimeaux (Ithaca Underground)
Another full session from Eskimeaux as they continue to play out in support of the brilliant O.K., this particular session also stands as what may very well be Ithaca Underground’s finest capture. A DIY presentation, it catches a much less manufactured look at Eskimeaux’s tantalizing live show with their strongest lineup. Songs like “Folly” remain as breathtaking as ever, while the viewer has the added benefit of an actual spectator vantage point, making the experience a touch more immersive. As everything comes together, this quickly becomes a vital document of an important part of Eskimeaux’s history. It’s not just worth watching, it’s worth all of the inevitable return visits as well.
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2. Wet Nurse (BreakThruRadio)
Scrappy basement pop is the lifeblood of this site and that occasionally can bleed over into the realm of pop-punk. Wet Nurse manage to find a compelling middle ground that makes them a fascinating variable whenever they’re lumped in with either category. “Belly Hurts” might be the best example of that middle ground and this BreakThruRadio session captures it– and the band’s general identity– with characteristic verve.
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3. Courtney Barnett (Austin City Limits)
In addition to Torres and Girlpool, the only other artist to become a permanent fixture of this series’s coverage throughout 2015 has been Courtney Barnett. An unlikely mega-success, Barnett’s been racking up acclaim, sales, and new fans with abandon. One of the biggest aspects of the songwriter’s draw are live performances and this two song effort for her Austin City Limits session is a formidable example of that particular strength.
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4. Mall Walk (KEXP)
Weird, dissonant post-punk with garage trappings has popped up more than a few times on this site and will continue to pop up anytime it’s done as well as Mall Walk does it here. One of KEXP’s spikier sessions in recent memory, it’s a five song onslaught that finds the trio firing on all cylinders. Aggressively bleak, a little unwieldy, and unreasonably propulsive, it catches the trio at a crucial point of momentum building. Expect to be hearing their name a lot more sometime soon.
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5. Braids (3voor12)
Sometimes a performance comes along and reminds you why you ever started caring about music. This is one of those performances. Anchored by the band’s unconventional approach to composition, the band commits to this three song performance and winds up with a session that feels essential. Wildly impressive and strangely moving, this isn’t a session to be missed.
No record in 2015 has hit me as hard and as consistently as O.K., a deeply felt masterpiece from Eskimeaux. A record I’d liked upon first listen and warmed to progressively over time, it wasn’t until I saw those songs played live that everything seemed to click. Audiotree was fortunate enough to have the band in for a recent session and wound up with what may come to be regarded as the definitive live recording of this era of the band. The performances are uniformly strong and the songs remain spectacular. Simply put: this is unmissable.
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2. Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle (BreakThruRadio)
Likely the only 2015 record to rival O.K.‘s emotional impact is Julien Baker‘s arresting breakout effort SprainedAnkle. With a title track that easily ranks among the year’s finest songs, Baker’s latched onto something genuinely captivating. It’s myriad strengths were emphasized with a gorgeous music video and are once again brought to the fore with this painfully gorgeous live performance. It’s a triumph for one of music’s most promising emerging talents.
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3. Slothrust (Jam in the Van)
In a manner not too dissimilar from Eskimeaux, Slothrust was another band that sold me further on material I’d already liked via the strength of their live show, It’s not surprising, then, that their session for Jam in the Van winds up being one of that series’s strongest entries in months. Topping everything off is a typically strong take on “Crockpot”, which continues to stand as one of the strongest songs of recent memory.
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4. Torres – Strange Hellos (Hooke Audio)
Has anyone appeared more times on Watch This throughout the course of 2015 than Torres? Mackenzie Scott’s project continues to turn in spellbinding performances at an alarming rate but, even with that being the case, this version of “Strange Hellos” manages to stand out. Shot as part of Hooke Audio’s live sessions series that challenges artist to re-interpret their material, “Strange Hellos” gets transformed into a jaw-dropping ambient number that may wield even more of a punch than the studio version. It’s a startling reminder of Sprinter‘s most powerful moments.
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5. Girlpool (Pressure Drop)
If anyone’s appeared on the 2015 run of Watch This as many (or more) times than Torres, it’s site favorites Girlpool. Harmony Lebel-Tividad and Cleo Tucker put together one hell of a run this year, highlighted by their extraordinary full-length debut Before The World Was Big. In a nine-song session, the duo makes their way through the majority of that record and “Soup”, one of the new numbers they’ve been road-testing on their last few tours. As ever, the performances are assured and showcase the near telepathic connection the band’s developed over the past few years. They’re an act that seems poised to get stronger as they go, which is more than a little impressive considering they’re already one of the best bands currently making music- and this Pressure Drop session serves as proof.
It’s been quite some time since Watch This made an appearance due to a variety of extenuating circumstances. However, the series was still going through upkeep in its absence. This will be the first of four posts that collects and features the best live performance captures in that same amount of time, each in a chronological order. Going back four weeks, there were intriguing clips from Bear’s Den, Juan Wauters, Redthread, The Good Life (x2), Bertrand Belin, Laura Marling, Telekinesis, Beirut, Julia Holter, FIDLAR, Ride, and Donovan Wolfington. It was a suitably strong crop of clips but the five to earn featured spots here earner their respective positions for a reason. So, as always, lean in, focus up, and Watch This.
1. Cayetana – Serious Things Are Stupid (Little Elephant)
Cayetana have made a few appearances on this series before but their performance of “Serious Things Are Stupid” for Little Elephant is their best clip to date. The camerawork here’s intentionally loose and matches the band’s aesthetic in a thoughtful way while the performance is committed, tight-knit, and delivered with verve. It’s a short blast that winds up being remarkably effective.
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2. PWR BTTM (BreakThruRadio)
Anyone that’s clicked on this site anytime since summer rolled around has likely seen a mountain of praise directed towards PWR BTTM, who remain one of the most entertaining live bands on the circuit. With that being the case, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise anytime they make a Watch This appearance. Here, they deliver some typically fierce performances and provide their host with a transformative experience.
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3. Meat Wave – Cosmic Zoo (Audiotree)
There have been more than a few posts on this site discussing Meat Wave‘s fundamental importance to this site’s development and the trio keeps delivering at an exceptional level. 2015’s outstanding Delusion Moon has helped the band gain significant momentum and they’re capitalizing on that momentum at every conceivable level. Audiotree recently hosted the band for a session and they led their set off with the surging “Cosmic Zoo“, delivering the song with a bracing immediacy.
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4. Madalean Gauze – Accumulations of Life (WXPN)
This performance of “Accumulations of Life” was my introduction to the spiky guitar pop of Madalean Gauze, a band that comes across as immediately relatable and extremely well-versed. As a first piece, it’s a near-perfect blend of practiced and promising, solidifying theirs as a name to watch straight out of the gate. Vibrant and alive, “Accumulations of Life” is an incredibly enjoyable look at an intriguing emerging act.
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5. Glen Hansard – McCormack’s Wall (ANTI-)
Occasionally a clip surfaces and immediately registers as transcendental. I can vividly remembering having that thought upon first watches of a very small selection of the 500+ performances that have been featured on this series- yet, “McCormack’s Wall” manages to stand out even among those few. Deeply cinematic, characteristically heartfelt, thematically rich, tenderly shot, crisply edited, and beautifully presented, “McCormack’s Wall” occasionally comes across as a tone poem. Easily one of the most gorgeous clips to ever run in this series, “McCormack’s Wall” is a pinnacle of what can be achieved with the format. Share this one with family.
Every Sunday, Watch This runs on this site to celebrate some of the finest performance captures to have surfaced over the past seven days. Here and there, exceptions are made to facilitate some genuinely great performances (this is one of those weeks) but the central focus remains the same: the celebration of a confusingly under-discussed presentation format that allows great filmmaking to intersect with great performances. As has been the case over recent weeks, a lot of clips didn’t wind up in the featured five slot (including some performances from artists who did make it into those positions), which is telling of the quality of those clips that are discussed in greater extent. Those artists include: Jack and Eliza, Nic Hessler, Happyness, Titus Andronicus (x2), SOAK, Oscar, The Sun Parade (x2), On and On, The Wilderness (x2), Restorations, Drenge (x2), Mommy Long Legs, and site favorites Tenement. All of those are worth the clicks but today’s all about the five clips below the introductory paragraph. So, as always, sit back, adjust the volume, clear your mind of clutter, focus up, and Watch This.
1. Happyness – It’s On You (WFUV)
Happyness have earned their fair share of love on this site and they continue to impress here, in a spirited rendition of “It’s On You”, for Watch This staple WFUV. One of the reasons WFUV keeps showing up in these lists is the way they present the performances; a black backdrop means no visual distractions. It’s a tactic that’s proven troublesome for some bands but Happyness have always been capable of spinning minimalist tendencies into gold and this performance is one of those times.
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2. Eskimeaux – Sleeppy Bear (Portals)
On very rare occasions, the format of Watch This will ever-so-slightly deviate from its traditional setup to accommodate an item that was lost in the preceding weeks’ shuffle. Despite Eskimeaux making an increasing number of appearances on the site as of late, the stunning performance clip Portals produced of “Sleepy Bear” somehow became one of those items. Far too lovely to let fall to the wayside, “Sleepy Bear” places all of its emphasis on Gabrielle Smith- the driving creative force behind Eskimeaux- and the results are spellbinding.
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3. Diet Cig (BreakThruRadio)
This isn’t the first time Diet Cig have shown up and raised hell on Watch This and it’s seriously unlikely that it’ll be the last. A duo of firecrackers, the band’s entertainment value seems to continuously escalate as the velocity of their headfirst dive into embracing a gleeful insanity increases. As always, their performances here come off like an unexpectedly forceful gut-punch followed by a mischievous, half-apologetic smile.
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4. Titus Andronicus – Fatal Flaw (WNYC)
At present, Titus Andronicus have two out-and-out masterpieces under their belt. The Most Lamentable Tragedy, the band’s just-released double album, is the first time they’ve matched the heights of The Monitor and part of that is thanks to a similarly sprawling ambition that’s equaled by the frighteningly honest conviction of bandleader Patrick Stickles. Of course, it wouldn’t have landed in that position without genuinely great songs in its bold narrative arc. The band recently stopped by WNYC’s studios to deliver a performance of a few of those songs, delivering the strongest performance in this particularly raucous take on single “Fatal Flaw”.
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5. SOAK – Wait (WFUV)
When SOAK last appeared on Watch This, the young songwriter was centered in a clip that will undoubtedly be featured again as part of this site’s annual year-end roundup celebrating the best of the series. Here, in a breathtaking performance for WFUV, the same grace, devastation, and haunted frailty that made SOAK’s first Watch This entrance so compelling is brought to the fore with a similar effortlessness. It’s absolutely mesmerizing.
Heartbreaking Bravery 