Stereolab's Laetitia Sadier / Photo by Eric Uhlir
Singing in both English and French, vocalist Laetitia Sadier and this London-based group of music vets continued their epic ambient-electro legacy last night at Austin's La Zona Rosa. Stereolab's professionalism and transcendent tunes won over an all-ages crowd dressed in business suits, jeans, and even a skeleton costume, who hung on every word and bobbed and swayed to each burbling swell and propulsive Moog bounce.
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Stereolab performed a solid mix of tracks, beginning with a trio of short poppers off their latest release, Chemical Chords, including the swift rhythms and upbeat melodies of "Neon Beanbags." They then eased into heavier 10-minute jams -- like "Percolator" off Emperor Tomato Ketchup -- from their mid-'90s albums, sounding more urgent with a cacophony of heavy guitar and synthesizer. Throughout the show a projection reel blasted out-of-focus, looped montages displaying paint splotches and kaleidoscope shapes in perfect harmony with Stereolab's psychedelic sentiment and always innovative craft.
Check out pictures from last night on page 2.
