There’s something to be said of a band that releases a seven song EP in Canada, plays several US tour dates, and manages to generate the huge amount of buzz they did, even before re-releasing the EP in America. Applause Cheer Boo Hiss seems like it was destined to be popular before the CD was even packaged and shipped out. The much blogged about Land of Talk has managed to generate a huge amount of buzz, but with good reason. With music that resembles a sort of undulating groove/sleep rock/grunge-core that has drawn comparisons to Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., it’s no wonder. Fortunately, they were able to squeeze in a performance at Brooklyn’s Union Hall in between gigs at the Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge. While Applause Cheer Boo Hiss really covers a lot of ground stylistically, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect live. To my delight they were able to replicate the washes of distortion, subtle vocals, and raw backbone of the album with precision and grace.

The band started off the set with a new song, that Lizzie Powell proclaimed “is now one of our favorites, so we play it every night.” The as of yet untitled or unspecified song, really set the tone for the rest of the night. It also provided insight into the new LP in the works. After a brief debut, we were treated to crowd favorites like “Summer Special” and “Sea Foam”. With such a response to these songs it’s possible that one day Land of Talk might even rival they’re Quebecian contemporaries like Arcade Fire, Young Galaxy, Stars, and Broken Social Scene.

One of the most interesting things about the night was finding out that despite having sometimes dark and brooding music the band is not inclined to take themselves too seriously. Lizzie Powell was more than willing to engage the crowd through a barrage of witty banter, even proclaiming that “people always say that they know all the words to our songs, when I don’t even know all the words. They change every night.” But despite all innocuous banter, the crowd was given a good sampling of the new material. Highlights included “Young Bridge” and “Dark, Dark Song,” which really showcased how the band’s style is developing and maturing. While Lizzie may have occupied center stage, it was really Bucky (drums) and Chris (bass) that made her songs come alive. With beats that recall early Dinosaur Jr. ,and bass playing that delivers harmonic content and a solid rhythmic foundation, it’s no wonder they went through a long line of bass players before deciding on Chris (no last names are given). Songs like “Street Wheels” and “Sea Foam” really give the rhythm section a chance to open up and create these bittersweet grooves that allow Powell to let chords ring out. Unfortunately, “Street Wheels” was the only song not played off the EP, because according to Powell, “I can’t really remember how to play that song right now, I’m using a new guitar, and that songs got some Van Halen type shit going on.”

Just as the crowd willingly forgives Powell, the band tore through a juiced up version of “Speak To Me Bones” that really showcased what this band is all about. They may have a soft side, they may have a tender underbelly, but in a song like “Speak To Me Bones”, they’re all teeth. Shouting out “What about, what about, what about, right now, right now,” in an almost hypnotic fashion, Powell manages to create tension building up to the last and final chord of the performance. Like a tree starting as a sapling, then firmly imbedding its roots into the earth, Land of Talk are working towards becoming a permanent fixture.