Voxtrot at Second Story, 2.23.2006

Perhaps Voxtrot will be 2006’s version of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah? After I wait for the groans to subside, I’ll offer my evidence. Okay, that’s better. On the strength of only one 5-track EP and some pretty thick blog buzz (Gorilla vs. Bear, Gothamist, Brooklyn Vegan), and with no Pitchfork review, they managed to almost pack Bloomington’s Second Story Nightclub last night (personally, I had some pretty large expectations after reading this post). The crowd’s size was comparable to the Black Mountain show from last year, who were fresh off a fat 8-something review and bolstered by Jagjaguwar representation. The majority of the crowd left after Voxtrot, who were sandwiched between two Bloomington bands–spazzy, sax-playing homeroom dance-funk outfit Prizzy Prizzy Please and Trio in Stereo, for whose appearance I didn’t stick around, because you know, it was late. Voxtrot’s set was indeed solid, if the band seemed rather aloof and, might I say, a tad pretentious. This, of course, is fine, and let the record show that this statement was visually augmented by the second guitarist’s junior cowboy-kit neck bandanna and the bassist’s indoor Brit-scarf. They opened with “Raised by Wolves”—probably the closest thing to a recognizable song they had for most in attendance—a spritely Smiths/dBs pastiche. Frontman Ramesh Srivastava (dude’s got his own blog!) ran through the set from there with verve—variously prancing about the stage like a teenage Morrisey before moving behind a keyboard for the last two songs—and capped everything with a well-intentioned cover of the Talking Heads’ “Heaven”, that I know fellow attendees Dodge and MJ enjoyed (check out MOKB for some more pics). Voxtrot’s music mines the same musical territory as CYHSY—early/mid-Eighties new wave and new romantic synth pop—and each band has a distinct leader with a unique vision and voice (Ramesh blowing Ounsworth out of the water for stage presence, however). With only one EP out and another on the way, they won’t have the jet-propelled rush to national note that CYHSY did, but my gut tells me that their patience will eventually pay off.