Polyvinyl 15th Anniversary Show at Pygmalion Music Festival | Photo gallery + live review

Over the past decade and a half, based out of offices near the campus of the University of Illinois, the Polyvinyl Record Co. has slowly but surely amasses a seemingly scattershot roster of artists. Buoyed by certifiable indie hits from the likes of Of Montreal and the Japandroids, the label has flourished in recent years, signing up-and-comers Vivian Girls and landing a deal with well-established San Francisco art-rockers Deerhoof. This past Saturday, as part of the Pygmalion Music Festival which a took over venues all around Champaign-Urbana, a roster of nine current Polyvinyl signees assembled behind the Highdive to celebrate the label's 15 years of existence just blocks away from its current headquarters.

The afternoon kicked off the a set from Cap'n Jazz castoffs Joan of Arc, who turned in a short set of their emo-tinged post rock, culled from recent Polyvinyl releases. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin turned in their usual spread of dance-ready rock tunes, playing predominantly from their excellent 2010 release Let It Sway. The band previewed a song from their upcoming rarities compilation, a ballad about three missing women from the group's hometown of Springfield, Missouri entitled "Yellow Missing Signs." 

 

As a light rain began falling on the crowd, the shoegazing sounds of Asobi Seksu overtook the venue. Uptempo tracks such as "Trails" and "Trance Out" were augmented by dripping synth lines; the reverb-drenched, ethereal vocals of Yuki Chikudate managed to part some of the clouds. The plaintive, acoustic stylings of Owen were served up by the affable Mike Kinsella, digging through his catalog of solo balladry. Between frequent bantering with the audience, Kinsella delivered renditions of tracks like "A Bird In Hand" and "O, Evelyn" with his heart pinned firmly to his sleeve.

 

Recent Polyvinyl signees STRFKR were up next, flooding the stage with keyboards before launching into a set of steadily pulsing synth-pop. Electronic flourishes and harmonic vocals permeated the performance, with songs like "Bury Us Alive" and recent single "Dragon Queens" characterizing the Portland quintet's shimmering, computerized sound. The avant-garde leanings of Xiu Xiu made themselves readily apparent during the group's late-afternoon showing. Frontman Jamie Stewart convulsed behind the mic, yelping morose couplets against the intermittently noise-ridden accompaniment of his bandmates. Though they were the newest member of the Polyvinyl family in attendance, the group didn't hold anything back, wading through the oftentimes disturbing imagery of autobiographical single "Daphney," which ends in the haunting refrain of "enjoy this life!"

 

As the evening turned to dusk, Japandroids roared onto the stage, washing the crowd in cascades of heavily distorted, punk-rock bliss. Backed by a wall of assorted amplifiers, guitarist Brian King led the duo through a set that leaned heavily on the band's breakthrough LP Post-Nothing, while previewing tracks from a recently recorded 2012 release. The fast and furious growl of songs like "Wet Hair" and "Young Hearts Spark Fire" highlighted the band's warts-and-all approach, with shouted lyrics resting atop raw chords. The group closed their set with a cover of the Gun Club's "For the Love of Ivy," joyously yelling the song's inexplicably awesome closing retort of "I was all dressed up like an Elvis from hell!"

 

The wonderfully bizarre experimental stylings of Deerhoof were next on the bill, as the band wound its way through tracks from their Polyvinyl debut Deerhoof vs. Evil. The heavy, intricate rhythms of drummer Greg Saunier anchored the selections, while the syncopated interplay of guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez fleshed out instrumental numbers such as "Let's Dance the Jet." However, diminutive lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki commanded the most attention with her unique, high-pitched vocal work on songs like "Super Duper Rescue Heads!" and "Giga Dance." A cover of the early Beck track "Cyanide Breath Mint" and the set-closing "Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back," which featured Matsuzaki's spirited dancing, capped off what was arguably the day's most enthralling performance.

 

After a career-encompassing performance in Chicago last month, Braid returned to the group's birthplace for another similarly nostalgic evening. Largely ignoring their more recent efforts, the group turned their attention to songs from their often-imitated early '90s records The Age of Octeen and Frame and Canvas. Early highlights of the set included perennial fist-pumper "Never Will Come For Us," and "Urbana's Too Dark," performed mere miles away from the titular city. "When you're off for 10 years, there's not much to say between songs," guitarist Chris Broach remarked, explaining the band's lack of stage banter. Not that any words were needed—the relentless angst of "Breathe In" and "The Chandelier Swing" spoke for itself. At one point, Bob Nanna polled the crowd, asking if anyone had seen the band play house shows back in the '90s. There were only a few audible yells of confirmation, seemingly confirming the suspicion that Braid's music has found a new audience, the next generation of kids itching to crowdsurf to "A Dozen Roses." That's the kind of legacy that's more important than record sales and sold-out tours.

 

With a lineup that ranged from the emo-pioneering elder-statesmen of Braid to the electronically-inclined modernity of STRFKR, the disparate assortment of bands in attendance characterized Polyvinyl as a label unafraid to take chances. And with a track record in which past risks have paid off, one can't help but look forward to another 15 years of the label's unique window on the world of independent music.