When trip-hop meets grunge head-on, the resulting crash could sound a lot like Skindive. There's a smell of Garbage in their sound, but also a splash of something fresh and invigorating, and when Skindive hit one of their many monster riffs, it's like having your head dunked in icy water. Last night, the band left the shelter of their regular stomping-ground, the DA Club, to play a gig in the Mean Fiddler; their loyal following looked somewhat scattered in the larger venue, but the band's electro-rock sound was bigger and bolder than ever.
Skindive have put plenty of work into their presentation, using flashing fractals as a visual backdrop, and using backing tapes to raise the artistic ante. Guitarist Gerry Owens is the creative leader, juggling the band's many influences and keeping them firmly on a breakneck course for the solar plexus. Vocalist Danielle Harrison from LA delivers the tunes with a steely, sensual cool.
Once you've stopped reeling from the sheer power of the live sound, you can begin to tease out the subtleties in their songs, and even get to know and love some of the more urgent, insistent hooks. The band's 5-track EP, Swallow, will give you a good feel for Skindive's broad, brash strokes, but you need to see them live to be really dazzled.
