Fol Chen 7/06/10 - The Echo, Los Angeles, CA.

Last Tuesday, Fol Chen headlined a show that celebrated the recent release of their new LP, Part II: The New December. We had the opportunity to see them last year at the same venue; however, the recording couldn't be salvaged for publication. Tonight's show was a very different one for a couple of reasons - one, it showcased a mostly overhauled band line-up, and two, consisted of a setlist that was a combination of both their full-length albums (the first being last years release Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made)

Fol Chen has been described as having "beguiling, witty synth-pop with guitar, funky keyboards and West Coastian harmonies" (via LA Weekly) along with "in what could have been a brave experiment gone horribly wrong, the ragtag stylings, samplings, and influences of Fol Chen create a tight ensemble - not only of performers, but of song genres" (via Venus Magazine)This show backed up those claims, which provoked such observations from L.A. Times Pop & Hiss reviewer stating that "the band pull[ing] the neat trick of making its two impulses -- danceable pop immediacy and its need to run every song through a paper shredder -- feel unexpectedly simpatico" and "the...three-part harmonies were both exacting and giddy, and any wanton control-alt-deleting that happens in their studio felt organic and true onstage." Another observer at The 704 remarked that they were "effectively hypnotized from the opening drums to the blink-and-you'll-miss-it faux-encore" and "it flowed right over me without leaving a trace, the way your favorite songs always do when you hear them live...the mindbending effects and edgy harmonies painstakingly recreated." Last Tuesday, Fol Chen headlined a show that celebrated the recent release of their new LP, Part II: The New December. We had the opportunity to see them last year at the same venue; however, the recording couldn't be salvaged for publication. Tonight's show was a very different one for a couple of reasons - one, it showcased a mostly overhauled band line-up, and two, consisted of a setlist that was a combination of both their full-length albums (the first being last years release Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune's Made)

All in all, it was an interesting show. One qualm I did have about it though was it seemed a bit on the short side for a headlining (and record release) - set time clocked in at around a little less than forty minutes. The reprises were a little puzzling as well - however, it was still all in good fun, and a worthwhile download.

Photo via Fol Chen's Facebook.

1.) Red Skies Over Garden City (The Ballad Of Donna Donna) MP3
2.) C/U MP3
3.) They Came To Me MP3
4.) Men, Beasts, Or Houses MP3
5.) Cable TV MP3
6.) The Idiot MP3
7.) In Ruins MP3
8.) Winter, That's All MP3
9.) In Ruins (Reprise) MP3
10.) This Is Where The Road Belongs MP3
11.) The Holograms MP3
12.) E: The Holograms (Reprise) MP3
Text File

FLAC (lossless) files available by request.