Review: Carsick Cars, Nikko, Keep On Dancin’s @ Woodland
With a bit of an awkward line up falling this evening, it’s a little hard to grasp momentum. Chinese headliners Carsick Cars have been forced to push their set to 9:20pm and play second on the bill due to their pressing flight commitments to Korea – it’s certainly a hard life for these indie royals!
Kicking the evening off was the Keep On Dancin’s. Having only witnessed their set via a Twin Peaks tribute evening last year (which was fittingly perfect for this outfit), it was great to see them in their natural state. With a very 80s synth vibe mixed with the likes of Beach House, Keep On Dancin’s were a great start to the eve.
Carsick Cars are a band that are hard to pinpoint as a cultural difference. Closing my eyes, these guys sound much like any cute, polite indie rock currently being bred from the US, or even locally. Playing a number of tracks from their recently released You Can Listen, You Can Talk, their first ever set on Brisbane soil was sweet, tight and sounded utterly delightful. With a fantastic mix of delicate intimate moments and thunderous bursts of lo-fi, the set was filled with ups and downs that kept the crowd on their toes.
Pop-rock title track from their most recent release, You Can Listen, You Can Talk was definitely a highlight, along with slightly more relaxed Zong Nan Hai. Much of the set melded into one thick haze of distorted sounds, with the audience happily swaying along to the beat.
The evening was also a great way to send off a local favourite, with Nikko playing their final set as a Brisbane-based outfit. Certainly not climaxing early with the headline in the middle, these locals kept the ball rolling with some intense post-rock melodies and dramatic moments throughout the set.
I suppose the best way to sum this up is most definitely another great line up from the guys at Woodland.