Geographer – Kites
A joint like Barrel House commands a certain respect from a journalist, or in my case, someone faking to be a journalist. Something about the term “citizen journalist” feels to me to fit in a line of euphemisms not far behind “friendly fire” and “collateral damage,” but all military and political ho-hum aside… As a venue, Barrel House ought to draw some speak-easy comparisons – discreet location, vigilant doorman, bizarre alcohol situation. Saying anything about it in writing probably has me now on the blacklist, but since I was never on the A-list, I suppose I’ll just keep ducking my way in all the same. The point of all this being, the ad-agency-gone-underground-music-venue hosted San Francisco’s latest indie electro-pop darlings, Geographer, on Friday night.
Geographer 
released Animal Shapes on Tricycle Records, a 6 song EP full of orchestral influenced dance-pop numbers. If that classicifaction has you scratching your head, let me also say, the album prominently features digital drum loops, catchy synth hooks, and cello backing from cover to cover. Michael Deni’s vocals command the same effortless slips into floating falsettos as the likes of James Mercer, though less nasally; rich and smooth. It helps that his stage presence includes a mastery of multi-tasking, pivoting between finger digital drums, guitar, 
keyboard, vocals and controlling and altering loops, all in a single song. Not impressed? He’s joined by a high quality drummer and one of indie rocks only electric cellists that comes to mind (a fine one at that). They’re an original sound that’s garnered such attention as Spin Magazine ranked them amongst only two others as ‘Undiscovered Bands You Need To Hear Now’ in October of 2008. Well, they’re discovered now and have been playing the piss out of the San Francisco concert circuit. I’d tell you to check them out at the Independent on 2.23.11, one of the Noise Pop 2011 shows, but it’s already sold out. But that’s good news for Deni and crew. Keep an eye out, they have been making the SF venue rounds.
- Matthew Hunt
