Cymbals Eat Guitars Devour Ear Drums

When I heard that Cymbals Eat Guitars was making a stop in Pittsburgh, I was pretty pumped. For anyone who isn't familiar with the band, they put out a self-released album last year that received heaps of praise from several indie band websites as well as from yours truly who listed their debut album, Why There Are Mountains as the 11th best album of the year. Their sound is very unique with wailing vocals and some serious noise-shred guitar work. I was curious as to how they were going to pull this sound off in a live setting - I was not disappointed.

They started out playing the first song from Why There Are Mountains called "...And the Hazy Sea", which also happens to be my favorite song of theirs. Joe D'Agostino, the lead singer and guitarist offered some ear plugs to everyone before they began and I am still wishing today that I had used them. The sound coming from their set-up was monumentally loud, but at the same time controlled. On many of the songs, Joe's vocals range from soft to screaming, which is a little reminiscent of Pixies or Nirvana and the whole soft/loud style, but the songs themselves are instrumentally very different. One thing that struck me during the show was just how much Joe used an Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal. I even mentioned to him after the show how liberal his use of the pedal was and he said that he always has three of them just in case they break because they are so important to the band's sound.

Overall, the band played basically every song from Why There Are Mountains and a few new tracks. Their stage presence and energy was incredible and nothing I describe in this review could possibly do the show justice. If you ever have the opportunity to see them in person do yourself a favor and see them, but don't forget the ear plugs.

One additional note: the first opening act, Big Hurry, is a local Pittsburgh band with an awesome sound. I talked to the band a little bit before the show at Sammy's and they are also really nice people. Check them out if you get the chance. I would compare Kelly's vocals to a cross between Joanna Newsom and Feist. And the guitar work was great too. Definitely a fine addition to the Pittsburgh music scene.