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Celebration
If there are ever to be heirs to Siouxsie's and Budgie's seemingly unending musical and romantic love affair, or a more functional descendant to Elizabeth Fraser's and Robin Guthrie's hauntingly beautiful trainwreck, they're likely to be Celebration's Katrina Ford and Sean Antanaitis. Celebration are The Banshees or The Creatures without the vagaries of presentation, and the Cocteau Twins stripped of 808 and shimmer. Ford's vocals are at the forefront, like Siouxsie's or Fraser's and somewhere between, though more operatic and gutteral...or both...and hardly ever pretty. It's this display, combined with Antonaitis' command of organ pedals and keys, that make for Celebration's unhinged and confrontational cabaret soul.
Somehow, more by chance than planned, both Little Miss Rock'n'Roll and I have had the opportunity to catch Celebration three times over the past six months, twice with Calla and once with The National. Celebration's live performances are simple--vocals + tambourine, organ, occasional guitar, and drums. They've garnered comparisons to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, assumably because of Ford's stage presence and vocal power, but more noticable is that Celebration, like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, generate unprecedented bedlam with just three people. When they were joined by a saxophonist (much to Little Miss Rock'n'Roll's satisfaction) during their recent appearance at the PLUG Music Awards the funk that holds Celebration together and makes them accessible became apparent.
Celebration are difficult listening, but not as visceral as Love Life--Ford's, Antanaitis', and drummer David Bergander's project (along with The Bellmer Dolls' tailor, Anthony Malat of Sinner/Saint) that preceeded Celebration. While lusty and compelling, Love Life were a raw, gaping wound that Celebration have closed with tempered aggression and self-conscious sexuality, undoubtedly feminine, strange and beautiful. I would hazard a guess this is what Ivo Watts-Russell was looking for when he signed the Cocteau Twins. It's no wonder Celebration are on 4AD.
Celebration - Holiday
Celebration - Diamonds
Celebration - Stars
Celebration's profile at 4AD is here. They also have a Myspace page. Buy Celebration's self-titled debut from Amazon. Celebration play the Beggars' showcase with Calla and The Double at Club de Ville on Thursday, March 17.
Shadows tags: celebration sxsw2006.
Posted by Last Girl to the Party at 02.18.06 at 11:35 PM
Comments
yeah, celebrations good, love life delicious.
cool
Posted by: jon the revelator at 02.19.06 at 5:07 PM
ah, i love celebration... love life also - sean and katrina's first band was JAKS. threeoneg have the anthology and a track for download... somehow every band they've been in just ridiculously good. not fair.
Posted by: lulah at 03.05.06 at 2:27 PM
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