It’s been about a year since I’ve seen Margot & the Nuclear So-And-So’s, and they’re just sounding even better every time I see them — last year’s Buzzard hadn’t grabbed me at the time, and this year’s lovely, slow-burning Rot Gut, Domestic was still growing on me when Margot took the stage last night. After that set, though, I am reminded that the power of Richard Edwards’ songwriting is watching the band pull all the details of them together live. Edwards’ band is so tight, so talented, and his songwriting is so intimate and complicated, the only way that they can be truly felt is live. It’s a shudder through your spine, hair-raising and soul-baring. They were absolutely wonderful last night.

I’ve been waiting a long time to see Ezra Furman play live; I fell in love with his debut album Inside The Human Body a few years back, his churning, guitar-grooving pop songs, and I’ve loved everything he’s done since, including this year’s stellar The Year Of No Returning. He’s better live, with a great band around him and an infectious stage presence — his set moved and shimmered, and it was also absolutely wonderful, too.

Full set, including first open Writer, here.