by David Barnes
Daily Lobo
Two bands with vastly different sounds played the Launchpad on Sunday.
The textured sounds of Album Leaf and the bright, indie pop of Rogue Wave proved talented enough to move the diverse audience.
Since forming in 2002, the Bay-area quartet known as Rogue Wave has made an impact with its smart words and even smarter hooks.
The brainchild of lead vocalist and guitarist, Zach Rogue, the group's fine debut record for indie giant Sub Pop Records won the band new fans and placed it in a select category of acts to watch for in the near future.
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Drawing mostly from material on its 2004 LP, Out of the Shadow, Rogue Wave's 40-minute set neatly showcased its knack for tight, well-crafted pop songs delivered with style and charm.
Like it was for Rogue Wave, 2004 was also an especially good year for San Diego's Album Leaf.
Best known for his work with The Black Heart Procession and Tristeza, Jimmy LaValle's latest group has been recording instrumental work since 1999. Album Leaf's In a Safe Place was recorded with the help of Icelandic instrumental phenoms Sigur Ros.
For the first time, LaValle added vocals to the songs, and the result moves Autumn Leaf's newest work a little closer to the pop world.
But not by much.
Album Leaf's sound remains firmly grounded in the belief that some things are best left unspoken. With a backdrop of projected images swirling behind them, Album Leaf traveled through its set as if on an exploratory mission to find bits of sound from distant reaches of the cosmos and bring them back to earth.
