The Bracelets "Miki's Song" from The Bracelets Live at Der Rathskeller Madison, WI December 9, 2006

The second night of the Fest ended rather infamously with 1000+ people waiting in three unorganized lines, then waiting inside the Memorial Union's Great Hall for an hour and a half to see Joanna Newsom, but it began quietly with a short set local shoetweezers the Bracelets. Like Sleeping in the Aviary, they're a band I'd wanted to see for a while but never got around to, so it was nice to see them get a chance to play for the folks like me who jump at these kinds of free shows.

Their sound is interesting in that it recalls both late-model Luna and early-model Galaxie 500, but very stripped down and simple. This song is from their self-titled EP, a five-song affair. It fits well there, and it fit well in the short set they played, but I'm not sure if their slight instrumentation is enough to sustain a full-length. Without a more driving sound, or maybe stronger vocal harmonies, they're just sugary enough for small doses, but too saccharine for big ones.