Kamikaze Hearts | Langdon Street Cafe | Mar 2nd

After a long hike for live music on Sunday, it was nice to be able to catch a show last night right in Montpelier. What made it even better was hearing a good band like Kamikaze Hearts shake the walls of Langdon Street with their dirty folk.

The Kamikaze Hearts are a quintet out of Albany. Two acoustic guitars. Bass. Mandolin. Small kit drums. They refer to their sound as upstate porch music but I'd throw them in the category of dirty folk with Lullaby for the Working Class, Mohawk Lodge and Sebastian Fors. It's a great sound that's accessible yet not boring. Heavy on rhythm and harmonies with a chugging folk melody. At times, I could see bluegrass fans digging them. At other times, I could see folkies loving them. But their vibe fits right in with the indie crowd. They keep their songs tight and of determined lengths; no directionless jams. There is even a hint of REM on their tune "War Horse".

One other nice part of the show was the mix they acheived. As a friend pointed out during the show, you could cleanly hear each of the instruments which was a pleasant surprise for a club known for rougher soundscapes. I'm not sure what they did but it sounded really good.

For the next two months, they'll be playing throughout the northeast and then they'll hit the midwest and south in May.

fri. march 3: union pool - 184 union st. (williamsburg) brooklyn, ny
w/micah blue smaldone and apothecary hymns
a plus ultra production.

thurs. march 30: bowdoin college brunswick, me
w/ brent gorton & the tender breasts
11PM.

fri. march 31: the grow room providence, ri
w/deer tick and baskettree
9PM.

sat. april 1: elevens northampton, ma
w/whiskey ina & the lonesome brothers.

fri. april 7: sin-é new york, ny
10PM.

fri. april 14: pickled onion beverly, ma
w/blythe hollow. 10PM.

The opener for the show was Micah Blue Smaldone who strummed out some beautiful early folk blues on guitar and banjo. Everything from the guy's song choices to voice to mannerisms to even his mic delivered the feel of another time. Great opener.

Then the capper to the night was being home in less than five minutes after saying goodnight to my friends. I love local shows.

The Kamikaze Hearts | War Horse (live on WSPN)
The Kamikaze Hearts | Boston Whaler (live on WSPN)