Live in Boston | Sigur Rós 0

The stage is hidden by a white scrim on all four sides – the audience is restless. We’ve been waiting for almost an hour, expecting opening acts which never materialized.

Finally the lights go out – except for the ones onstage. The curtain becomes a screen, dizzying abstract shapes floating around as the music starts. Sigur Rós’ frontman, Jónsi Birgisson, begins with Yfirborð, immediately crashing his bow down on the guitar in his signature style. The curtain is still up, but now things are taking a distinctly different turn – the shapes are still barely intelligible, but there is the unmistakable feeling that we are witnessing art as they move, synchronized with the music. Circles and close-ups of iron filings and things moving in liquid mingle with definite human movement in a bizarre and beautiful dance.

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Interview: Citizens! 0

The London-bred five-piece band Citizens!, has been compared to Franz Ferdinand.  In fact the producer behind the band’s music, Alex Kapranos, also worked with Franz Ferdinand as well as David Bowie.  But Citizens! have worked hard to cultivate their own, unique sound. Their debut album, “Here We Are,” was released in May of 2012, with several songs on it garnering huge critical acclaim – notably, poppy number “True Romance,” which is difficult not to dance to. They’re touring North America right now, and I had a chat with vocalist Tom Burke while they were in Boston on March 5th playing Brighton Music Hall. You can check their tour schedule here.

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