slideshow

Slideshow: The Ladies and Men of Lights and Ex Reverie, True CMJ Highlights

Last night’s Language of Stone showcase was for the CMJ haters: There was no line to get in or anyone (as far as we could tell) live-blogging it, and the bands actually represented a vital indie subcurrent rather than whatever it is magazines are telling us to listen to (like, we dunno, Ponytail). Here the recent (and sustained) reinvention of folk felt more like a good old-fashioned revival — not simply of folk, but the lace-and-chain-mail fantasy metal dreamed up by the likes of Robert Plant. In fact, Ex Reverie seem positively intent on bringing back medieval times. Lights aren’t so easy to peg — they can be heavy, but it’s in service of easy vibes. (The same could not have been said of Zeppelin.) The show’s only bummer: Due to technical difficulties, Wizard Smoke’s projection cut out early on; the papier-mâché Poseidon had looked so good swimming in her improvised, liquid psychedelia.

Poseidon gazes with paper-lantern eyeballs upon the totally heavy Philadelphia trio.
Macleod powers the surprisingly hard groove. (Not shown: his limited-edition, totally sick Steal Your Face Chuck Taylors.)
Vedder’s no-frills drumming and airy voice help give the band its almost eerie quality.
At the center: the crystalline shards of Knapp’s guitar.
Vedder, out from behind the mike, and Knapp, with one of her many guitar pedals.
Slideshow: The Ladies and Men of Lights and Ex Reverie, True CMJ Highlights