The Bundles

Tonight's gig – The Bundles - is another show that's been affected by the volcanic ash cloud! One of the band members, Kimya Dawson, is unable to appear and there's a note of apology from her taped to the front door of the Union Chapel. She explains that because she's a mum, she didn't want to risk travelling and getting stuck anywhere or subjecting her little one to the chaos and delays that might ensue. It's fair enough but a shame for the rest of the band. They decided to carry on without her although a couple of dates on the tour have been cancelled or rearranged. Full refunds are being offered on the door this evening but the Chapel looks pretty full so I don't think many people have taken that up.

So the Bundles are performing as a trio this evening. Aside from Kimya, formerly of the Moldy Peaches and known for her work on the Juno soundtrack, The Bundles are brothers Jeffrey and Jack Lewis, of Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard (Jeff is also a comic book artist), and Anders Griffen on drums. A fourth chap joins them to provide vibes on some of the songs. Kimya and the Lewis brothers have been described as 'anti-folk', which I think means we can expect oddball lyrics, less than harmonious vocals and some punk elements rather than folky music.

Kimya and Jeff started writing together in 2001 and The Bundles played their first gig in Germany in 2002 - it was apparently a cold bar so they had to wrap up warm, hence the name. They take to the stage in hats, scarves and cardies tonight but Jack quickly discards his as he's too hot. Jack is on bass and Jeff plays a guitar which appears to be held together with the layers of stickers that adorn it. The Lewis brothers have learnt all Kimya's vocal parts and let the crowd know how appreciative they are of the support from the fans so far on the tour. It would have been interesting to see how Kimya’s voice contrasted with the Lewis' brothers deadpan tones. Jeff's voice is a bit nasal and gravelly, but in a good way - it has warmth and frailty and makes the songs sound honest.

The short set showcases tracks from the recently released Bundles album which is full of quirky themes - 'Pirates Declare War' was inspired by a sticker that Jeff was given for his guitar. 'Metal Mouths', a ditty about a kissing couple with braces intertwined. 'A Common Chorus', which I've heard played on 6Music, is a cheerful tune, although delivered deadpan, with whistled lines and refrains of "something for everyone" and "don't forget about your friends."

The Bundles have been light-heartedly referred to as a supergroup and they talk about other supergroups during the show and throw in a couple of related covers – 'Steady, As She Goes' by the Raconteurs, 'End of the Line' by the Traveling Wilburys and a song called 'Hunger Strike', apparently big in the US, which Jeff describes as the worst song ever, by Temple of the Dog which included Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.

On another song, they marry Kimya's lyrics for 'Being Cool' to a "prog rock" accompaniment where Jeff is trying to emulate the sound of a band called The Wooden Shjips. There's an enthusiastic response to 'Life', which Jeff sings solo and I gather is one of his own, judging by the fast-paced, clever, half-spoken lyrics. The audience hangs on every word.

The show finishes abruptly after an hour, with no encore, but with another suitably kooky song to end on - although the music is frenetic and upbeat, the words refer to a mother telling her son that he's not hers and she found him under a tree!

An interesting evening although not as impactual as Jeff's solo stuff which I saw for the first time at Latitude last year and which prompted me to attend tonight. That might change when they tour with the full band. The Bundles are still well worth seeing if you fancy some anti-folk frolics.

FUTURE GIGS

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