Victory at Sea with the Potomac Accord and Speaklow

Thursday, May 10; Rocket Bar

Comments (0) By Matt Harnish Wednesday, May 9 2001

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There's been a small subset of maritime-themed songs and band names in the post-punk scene ever since Slint's "Good Morning, Captain," so it's only natural that a band called Victory at Sea has a bit in common with the seminal Louisville combo. Not to dismiss the Boston-based Victory at Sea as Slint imitators (Slintitators?), but the three-piece (Mel Lederman on bass, Mona Elliott on guitar and vocals and Finney Moore on drums) do take a similar approach to their music. On their newest CD, Carousel (Slowdime), the bass and drums lock step with an almost military precision, driving the songs through odd time signatures and key changes as if of a single mind, while Elliott's guitar playing, as well as her charmingly tentative singing, provide the countermelodies and color. The album is a dense wall of sound, and it'll be interesting to hear how the songs come across live, given a chance to move and breathe.Opening the show are two bright hopes for St. Louis' burgeoning "interesting rock" scene. The Potomac Accord, who recently released their debut CD, Silver Line on a Black Sea, are a piano/bass/drums trio who write long and intimate songs that never meander too far off course, thanks to drummer Jerry Green's constantly fresh playing. Also performing are Speaklow. Featuring members of the now-defunct (and criminally underrated) Let Sleepers Lie, as well as Keyop guitarist Erik Seaver on bass, the band brings an almost dublike sense of space to its shimmering guitar rock.