$20 advanced, $25 day of show
General Admission (Standing) - Doors open at 7PM
In any discussion regarding songwriters and lyricists of 21st century indie music, Alec Ounsworth and his moniker, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, will feature prominently. Few have been as consistently brilliant, eclectic, and intimate; fewer still remain defiantly independent, refusing to sign deals that compromise artistic vision. That is what characterizes Ounsworth’s oeuvre, especially the lifetime project he initiated sometime in the early 2000s, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. And with each release since its landmark self-titled debut, he has refined and broadened his sound, indulging an ever wider set of influences.
Prolific and enigmatic as ever, his recent works marry the quirky, left-field spirit of the early years with a well-earned confidence, and grander sense of scale and ambition. Always heading down new avenues of song arrangement and organic connection to his audience, after nearly two decades Ounsworth remains one of music’s most distinctive voices.
“Around 2004 and 2005, when we were receiving attention from labels and were presented with the choice of signing or remaining independent, what really cemented the decision – after the coin toss – was an inscription my friend wrote in a book he gave me, titled I, Lucifer. He quoted Paul Bowles: “Security is a false God. Begin to make sacrifices to it and you are lost.” – Alec Ounsworth, 2020.
Keep It Together was recorded in a log cabin in the midst of a blizzard in rural New Hampshire but you wouldn’t know it by listening to it. The melody driven guitar-pop of Lost Film typically strives for short and sweet, often uptempo indie pop. And though brief moments of slowcore or the occasional emo-indebted guitar may arise, the songwriting at its core is based in straight forward verse, chorus, verse, radio pop. Citing the guitar-pop and crossover appeal of Fountains of Wayne and the introspective layers of the American Analog Set as influences, Lost Film too finds ways to weave in and out of lanes at varying speeds but always with the destination of a hook. Hewitt adds: “It’s definitely the most honest record I’ve ever made. Whether it’s getting older and not having as many walls up, or caring less, or a combination of both - the album looks back at the decisions I’ve made with my life and who I am now. Not to say that I have many regrets because I’m extremely fortunate and proud of where I’m at. But at the same time the Libra in me tends to play it safe and it’s only natural to check in on the what-if’s. This time around I made a lot of conscious decisions to not play it safe.”
“a gem like “Big Talk” just as readily calls back to more recent indie-pop history, I’m picking up everything from Beach Fossils to LVL UP on this one” – Stereogum