By Robbie Nevel
The Hongs have broken through the brick wall of electronic dance rock that seems to blend together in Miami. The whole South Beach, club nightlife aesthetic is seen as stale and most of the music associated with it is met with looks of boredom at best. It would take true musicality to break that monotony, and The Hongs possess that musical intuition in droves.
Delicate Tremors
Their power is in the songs themselves. The melodies aren’t just poppy and appealing; they’re artistic. They take the listener to places one can feel inside. And that’s why even someone who hates clubs and beach parties and crowded bars can appreciate The Hongs – the sounds stand up.
The textures and chords work in the songs’ favor, and singer Gordon Myers‘ voice is a smooth fit with the music. Constant new synth colorations come in and out, providing nonstop variation and ear candy. Studio production on their recorded work, Delicate Tremors EP, is high quality so everything can be heard clearly. The occasional breaks for lush orchestrations are tasteful, and work to elevate the already clever songwriting. Listening to them is like a beach party that decent, upstanding people actually don’t want to run screaming from. Why? Because the hooks are that damned good. They’ve joined the ranks of Metric and Chairlift and they’re still a young band.
Apparently, The Hongs is working on a new EP set for the official release this Fall 2013. However, an inside source tells us that they will start releasing new tracks very soon. The first track, Magazines, is set to be released via PureHoney‘s 2 Year Anniversary compilation later this month. Plus, the band has new music videos in works, directed by our pals of Indie Film Club to follow.
Beatmachines
The Miami electronic dance duo Beatmachines will be joining The Hongs at The Vagabond. Considering Smurphio of Beatmachines and The Hongs have collaborated in the past (see: Under Standin’), the match is appropriate. The Hongs will bring songwriting to the forefront while Beatmachines will be doing what their name implies, bringing the pulsing, mechanical beats that force feet to tap and heads to bob.
The best way to describe Beatmachines’ sound is to imagine if French techno band, Justice, was actually from Miami – informing their sound and making their grooves a little less bombastic. They lean less on in-your-face intensity and more on effective use of restraint. When a catchy synth line rings out, it is that much more pronounced. They write jams that are not only listenable, but efficient. Synth player, Anthony Laurencio aka Smurphio, and percussionist, Jose Javier Freire aka JJ, have had a long, fruitful musical history together. They draw upon a wide range of influences from techno (like the aforementioned Justice) to Latin pop.
They even dip into the dubstep playbook, occasionally breaking into wub-wubbing slow dirges that are just as fun to listen to as the faster moving bits. They’re known for improvisation at their live shows, so the performance won’t be the same as the last or next ones. The saying “variety is the spice of life” has never come across so funky.
This live musical experience is the second installment of Tropicult x Alley Times x Gumdrops’ local summer concert series at The Vagabond. The first featured local lo-fi rockers Lil Daggers and The Deaf Poets and the third is rumored to feature Ketchy Shuby. The show this Friday the 19th will also include special guest DJ and Tropicult contributor, Mamey Disco, named Best DJ in Miami New Times – Best of Miami 2013 Readers Choice.
H☼megr☼wn Summer C☼ncert Series
The Hongs x Beatmachines
Friday, July 19th at The Vagabond Doors Open 10pm
Resident DJs: GRACE J☼NES + SWEETSWIRL + ACTI☼N PAT
Special Guest DJ Set By: MAMEY DISC☼
In The Garden: M☼E’s SIZZLIN’ SUMMERTIME BBQ x KRY☼ SN☼W C☼NES
Featuring: M☼BILE MICR☼ THEATER
Art + Beached Bing☼ By: Val Simon of ALLEY TIMES
P☼p-Up Sh☼ps By: D☼PED☼LL VINTAGE + ALL ‘B☼UT TREES
+ DEBRA T☼RRES GUAYABERAS x M☼NICA T☼RRES ARTW☼RKS
☞ ☞ ☞ RSVP ☜ ☜ ☜