Back for another round of indie-psych-pop goodness, Puschenfest lands upon Berlin for another year, the fourth installment and featuring bands that you won’t want to miss.
Headlining this time round you’ll find the wonderously splendid Moon Duo. They’ve been here a few times before, but this will be the first time that they’ll be playing in their new three-piece setup. Featuring now a live drummer, their new setup should push them over the edge and make them even more ace than you’ve already seen them. The new album from them, Circles, will be hitting shelves (not that shelves really exist anymore, but you can humour the idea that they do) at the beginning of October and you should expect to hear them play some new stuff as part of their set here for Puschenfest. Yay x 1,000,000!
New Orleans act Generationals will be bringing with them their college-rock indie pop soul sound for the first time to Berlin. A little bit Modest Mouse, a little bit Pet Sounds, Phil Spector goes new-wave and college rock. Grant Widmer (vocals/guitars) and Ted Joyner (vocals/guitars) are up to their third album with April’s Heza.
In common with Vampire Weekend’s second album Contra, Heza owes a sizeable chunk of its sound to Paul Simon’s seminal worldbeat record Graceland – though none of the tracks quite match the bombast and instant recognisability of a song like You Can Call Me Al, and neither do they appear to be trying to. What Heza has taken on are Graceland’s quietly fizzing basslines and understated but danceable disco-meets-tribal beats: forceful enough to carry the summery, exotic-tinged melodies that are laid over them, but subtle enough not to be overpowering – allowing Generationals to play around to their hearts’ content with different textures and layers of sound.
Suuns are a tough nut to crack, but amazingly once you get there. If you were looking for a comparison you’d find yourself talking about Barry Adamson’s solo stuff or even muted and reduced Primal Scream. There’s the omni-present subaudible bass-line topped with weirded-out synth and brooding vocals that even though monotone somehow still have a sexiness to them that’s going to draw a physical reaction from a lot of people. The new album from them, Images Du Futur, is all of art-rock, kraut and indie and is like standing outside a warehouse-rave where you can just hear the throbbing coming from inside while you yourself have Trans-Am coming through on your headphones. So it goes.
Playing together for Puschenfest here in Berlin, Moon Duo, Generationals, Suuns + DJs will be here and now on August 1st at Festsaal kreuzberg. Tickets are right now on sale and you can grab them from the link below. Don’t wait, this one’s expected to sell out.
