The Death Letters and Cameras - Culture Collide Festival - October 8, 2011
See also: *Culture Collide Festival Preview: Let's Get International
Sheila Dichoso Fraser Harvey and Eleanor Dunlop of Australian band Cameras
*Culture Collide Festival review: Liam Finn, Rainbow Arabia, Guineafowl, The Awkwards perform on October 6, 2011
The Death Letters and Cameras
321 Lounge at TAIX
October 8, 2011
Better than...that high school house party where you tasted your first beer.
The Death Letters
It might've been the extra empty bottles of Bud Light on the floor, framed paintings of the French countryside on the walls or the blue vintage wallpaper, but this part of Culture Collide felt like watching bands in a family's living room.
Which is a good thing, because the homey, familial decor juxtaposed with the howls and rapid-fire punk of band The Death Letters (who went on at 10 p.m.) was, to put it bluntly, pretty badass. The Dutch duo's sound is at times slow and melodic. Other times it's loud, moody, and booming with schizophrenic noise bursts. For just two people, they make a ton of racket.
Still not even old enough to drink in the U.S., singer Duende Ariza Lora, 20, and drummer Victor Brandt, 19, formed Death Letters in 2006 when they were barely teenagers. They originally started out with a blues-rock sound, and in fact are named after American blues singer Son House' song "Death Letter." As they've gotten older, however, their blues-rock influence has become less prominent. 
Sheila Dichoso Duende Ariza Lora of Dutch band The Death Letters
While they haven't exactly abandoned their roots, it's evident that their exploration of punk and complex, psychedelic-driven rock has taken over, such as in mosh-worthy "Fear's Face," which featured Lora frantically whipping his shaggy hair and roaring murderous screams.
Yet at times they defied their hard rock sound. Lora and Brandt capped their set with the arena-rockish, almost sweet-sounding "Pebbles." And it was obvious the shaggy-haired, sweaty, young Dutch lads couldn't hide their excitement to be playing on American soil. "It's so nice to be here in L.A.," said Lora in the most friendly tone and seconds before ripping into "Your Head Upside Down," probably the loudest, hardest and fastest track I heard all night.
Cameras review below.
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Taix French Restaurant
1911 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
Category: Music
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