By: David Schultz

There's not a whole lot you’re going to learn about the Foundry Fields Recordings from their name or appearance. Named in a manner that seems more appropriate for an Americana steeped record label, the unassuming Recordings, er, the Foundries, possibly the Fields, look like a bookish, goofier version of a southern honky tonk. Proving that books shouldn't be judged by their dust jackets, Foundry Fields played against type last week as part of Crackers United's monthly Friction showcase of independent bands at Sin-e on New York City's Lower East Side. On the bill with more technologically driven bands like Cassettes Won't Listen and Apes And Androids, Foundry Fields Recordings' ethereal post-apocalyptic lullabies provided a pleasant counterpoint.

After opening with a new song, lead singer and songwriter Billy Schuh led the band through a nice selection of compositions from their latest release, prompts/miscues. At first blush, Schuh looks like he would possess a whisky soaked southern growl; instead, he sings with an airy, near-feminine voice that gives the Foundry Fields Recordings their innocent sounds. While prompts/miscues evolves at a graceful lope, drummer Benjamin Hook and bassist Becky Baxter give the live versions of the tracks an extra energy; their reading of "Clones Were Made For Them But Not For Us" benefiting the most. Though the foursome isn't very animated, Foundry Fields inject a sense of passion into their music; the subject matter of the material may be bleak but the band itself is not.

While not able to reproduce the ethereal production effects from the album, they replicated the feel, their rendition of the prompts/miscues opening couplet of "Battle Brigades Part I and Part II" as true to form as they could get in a live setting. Listening to prompts/miscues, one would think that a Foundry Fields Recordings show would be a depressing evening. Best typifying the night, FFR opened with a new song; while not exactly a sunny pop song, it showed that the band can generate optimism and excite a crowd, even if the lyrics are a bit desolate.

Labels: Foundry Field Recordings