Moon King – “Apocalypse: Roswell”

Two things happen when Moon King play “Apocalypse” straight into “Roswell” in this live performance video. First, the songs reveal themselves as variations of each other. “Apocalypse” is the one with the extended introduction, “Roswell” the one that ends with the extra chords, but both convey the same exuberant motion, drawing out a few chords to convey vast soundscapes composed of nuanced harmonics.

Second, the summing of these two songs, already the stand-out tracks on Moon King’s upcoming debut Secret Life, make the end result exponentially better. It’s like what happens when architects remove a wall subdividing two buildings; the expanded scale allows for a new perspectives on the structure, new possibilities of inhabitation.

I’d have said this about the individual tracks (which you can listen to separately here and here), but especially with this extended, infectious performance, this Toronto group has created the kind of yearning drive-by anthem that alternative rock does so very well. Hang on through the opening build-up, because come 2:12 the band is off to the races. And check out Secret Life when it finally drops. It’s melodic, earnest, a little sugary — an appealing specimen of alt-rock.

Secret Life comes out on April 14 on Last Gang Records.

MOON KING ON TOUR:
04.15.15 – Great Scott – Allston, MA
04.16.15 – Barbary – Philadelphia, PA
04.17.15 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
04.18.15 – Baby’s All Right – Brooklyn, NY
04.19.15 – DC9 – Washington, DC
04.21.15 – Aisle 5 – Atlanta, GA
04.23.15 – Gasa Gasa – New Orleans, LA
04.24.15 – Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX
04.25.15 – Red 7 – Austin, TX
04.28.15 – Pub Rock – Scottsdale, AZ
04.29.15 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
04.30.15 – Echo – Los Angeles, CA
05.01.15 – The Wayfarer – Costa Mesa, CA
05.02.15 – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA
05.04.15 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA
05.05.15 – Holocene – Portland, WA
05.08.15 – 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN
05.09.15 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL