THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND
Bleached, Wet Nurse and the Palmettes, Will’s Pub, Oct. 25
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
On record, sister-fronted Los Angeles band
Bleached are evolving almost as fast as they’re rising. Musically, they’re settling into a nice, more distinguished groove that’s already looking beyond basic punk. Now, they’re stepping with greater rock kick and clarity. And they’re doing it with a keener sense of heritage, recalling the underground pulse of the
1970s Sunset Strip before it got hilariously stupid.
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
click to enlarge
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
click to enlarge
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
But even though they’re showing sharper intent on record, their live presence still beams with all the purity, economy and joy that’s made them burst like
total liberation all along to a full house like this.
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
click to enlarge
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
click to enlarge
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Jen Cray
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Bleached at Will's Pub
Regarding also-sisterly openers
Wet Nurse, well, they’re not one of Orlando’s gold-standard bands for nothing.
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Jen Cray
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Wet Nurse at Will's Pub
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Jen Cray
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Wet Nurse at Will's Pub
Also supporting was local act the
Palmettes, a doo-wopping garage-pop group that was likeable but embryonic the
last time I saw them. Since then, there’s been some significant lineup change. Though their sweet and scrappy recipe is essentially the same, the singing – which was then their biggest liability – is now one of their best assets, thanks mostly to the ladies.
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Jen Cray
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The Palmettes at Will's Pub
But that last show I saw was almost
three years ago. And today they remain pretty rough, so I still think they need more practice. They are, however, an unconditional charm with a lot of intrinsic virtues that could be something if they dared to cultivate them.
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Jen Cray
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The Palmettes at Will's Pub
click to enlarge
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Jen Cray
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The Palmettes at Will's Pub
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This Little Underground is Orlando Weekly's music column providing perspective, live reviews and news on the city's music scene.
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Email Bao: baolehuu@orlandoweekly.com