February's Concert Calendar

Feb. 1 - 4:

Free Shows

• Feb. 1st - Adem @ Other Music 8pm

Cheap Shows ($10 or less)

• Feb. 1st - The Harlem Shakes @ Canal Room 8pm $8
• Feb. 2nd - The Harlem Shakes w/LD Beghtol @ Union Pool 8pm $tba
• Feb. 3rd - Sure Juror @ Piano's 7pm $10

Semi-Cheap Shows ($20 or less)

• Feb. 1st - 4th - Jonathan Richman @ The Knitting Factory 8pm $20

Sold Out (Duh)

• Feb. 2nd - Cat Power @ MoMA
• Feb. 4th - Cat Power @ Hiro Ballroom

Feb. 5 - 11

Cheap Shows ($10 or Less)

• Feb. 8th - Living in Polaroids @ The Annex 8pm $6
• Feb. 9th - Lolita Bras @ Europa 7pm $8
• Feb. 9th - Beat Radio w/Tall Hands @ Union Hall 8pm $7
• Feb. 10th - The PLUG Awards @ Irving Plaza 7pm $10
• Feb. 10th - Lindstrom @ Studio B 10pm $8

Semi-Cheap Shows ($20 or less)

• Feb. 9th - Girl Talk w/Parts and Labor @ Studio B 8pm $12.50
• Feb. 10th - Vetiver w/Vashti Bunyan @ Southpaw 8pm $15
• Feb. 10th - Dead Rabbit @ Snug Harbor 7pm $15
  

Mad Expensive (More than $20)

• Feb 5th - Cat Power @ Hiro Ballroom 7pm $25
• Feb. 8th - Calexico @ Lincoln Center 7:30pm $30
• Feb 10th - Lily Allen @ Webster Hall 6:30pm $25

Sold Out (DUH)

• Feb. 9th - Midlake w/St. Vincent @ Bowry Ballroom
• Feb. 11th - Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks @ Maxwell's

Feb. 12 - 18

Free Shows

• Feb. 12th - Arbourteum @ Other Music 8pm
  
• Feb. 15th - The Lisps @ Galapagos 8pm
  

Cheap Shows ($10 or less)

• Feb. 14th - Marnie Stern @ Cakes Shop
• Feb. 15th - Calla @ The Annex 8pm $TBA
• Feb. 16th - Johan w/Sure Juror, The Muggabears, The Antlers @ Union Hall 8pm $8
• Feb. 16th - The Rapture (mini-set) @ Studio B 9pm $5
  
• Feb. 17th - Oxford Collapse w/ Rock Plaza Central @ Glasslands 9pm $8
• Feb. 17th - Kevin Devine w/Pablo @ The Knitting Factory 8pm $10
• Feb. 17th - Malajube w/Snowden, Daylight's for the Birds @ Mercury Lounge 9pm $10
• Feb. 17th - A Sunny in Glasgow w/The Muggabears @ The Delancey 8pm $8
  
• Feb. 18th - Malajube w/Snowden, Rock Central Plaza @ Mercury Lounge 9pm $10

Semi-Cheap Shows ($20 or less)

• Feb. 15th - Apples in Stereo @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15

Sold Out (DUH)

• Feb. 16th - Sonic Youth @ Webster Hall
• All Week - Arcade Fire @ Judson Memorial Church

Feb. 19 - 25

Free Shows

• Feb. 23rd - O'Death @ Pete's Candy Store 9pm
• Feb. 24th - Gerard Smith @ Pete's Candy Store 8pm
  

Cheap Shows ($10 or less)

• Feb. 19th - Malajube w/Snowden, Ra Ra Riot @ Southpaw 8pm $10
• Feb. 21st - Chin Up Chin Up w/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Rahim @ Mercury Lounge 7:30pm $10
• Feb. 22nd - Proton Proton @ The Hook 9pm $10
• Feb. 22nd - Cassettes Won't Listen @ Union Hall 8pm $10
• Feb. 24th - Mistakes w/Titus Andronicus @ Cake Shop 8pm $7

Semi-Cheap Shows ($20 or less)

• Feb. 23rd -The Lemonheads @ Southpaw 8pm $20
• Feb. 23rd - French Kicks w/White Rabbits @ Union Hall 8pm $15
• Feb. 24th - Oneida @ The Knitting Factory 11:30pm $13

Mad Expensive (more than $20)

• Feb. 23rd - Neko Case @ Lincoln Center 8pm $30

Feb. 26 - 28

Cheap Shows (less than $10)

• Feb. 27th - Sam Champion @ Piano's 8pm $8

(sorry about no tracks, I'll try to get some posted this afternoon!!!)

Tuesday's Recommended Release

I have to start this review with one of the most over used quotes in the history of man kind, one that come from an author I detest, and yet I see no other way to begin this - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of time." For some reason there is few other options when you are trying to describe two conflicting points of one story, and that is what Deerhunter have given us on their second LP Cryptograms. This album is a case study on the use of two separate sides of an album, and would probably be best suited for vinyl consumption.

On the first side of Cryptograms, tracks 1 - 7 for those without album sides, the band fight through emotional and professional turmoil. Full of unclassifiable sounds, the first half of the album tackles the death of a band mate, unsuccessful recording sessions, and all around rough times for the Atlanta based band. The sounds on this side of Cryptograms are loaded with long droning parts that lead into near nothingness, but are so vast that they cannot - and should not - be skipped. There are huge chunks of it that are completely wordless, filled in only by a variety of instruments and feedback. This all comes to an abrupt end on "Red Ink", as the tape literally runs out amidst an epically long droning sequence.

Side two begins with the apt line "...so I woke up", and the band seems to actually wake up during this. More traditional music takes the place of the drone sound that occupied the first half. There are lyrics, and harmonies, and the seemingly traditional guitar, bass, and drum music. All of it is layered on top of the other though, creating a full wave of sounds and music coming at you at full force. The harmonies on this side of the album are excellently produced with each vocal bleeding into each other allowing you to grab bits and pieces of what each voice is saying.

Its rare to find an album that is so obviously meant for vinyl these days, but this seems to be the case for Cryptograms. When the tape runs out at the end of "Red Ink" you want to get up to flip over the record, not just move easily without any work to the second half. The duality of the music here creates a beautiful, emotional landscape of music that no one should miss. This is a fantastic album, and hopefully the band can get the same enjoyment out of the album that myself and like minded people are sure to get from it.
Deerhunter - "Red Ink"
Deerhunter - "Spring Hall Convert"
Deerhunter - "Hazel St."
More On Myspace

buy it at insound!


Also Released:

Early Listen: Not Arcade Fire, MARNIE STERN!!!

Please note this moment and get back to me at the end of the year when I am right or wrong; Marnie Stern will be the big, new artist of 2007! There you have it, it is in print for all to read. Now let me tell you why she's the next big thing.

On her Kill Rock Stars debut album, In Advance of the Broken Arm, Marnie crafts the most out of this world piece of dance-punk music a true guitar wizard could ever hope to create. At the onset of the album we are subjected to Marnie's ability to mold her guitar skills into a simple three minute song, but in all actuality it isn't simple at all. Within the song there are layers on top of layers of her vast guitar skills folding on top of each other in an ever expanding way. On top of this she throws down some wicked vocal work, all harmonized with herself and echoing her lyrics right back at you so you get to hear the understated nature of the words twice. Unlike her peers (of which she probably has very few) that are tech guitar wizards, she is able to pare down her ability into the perfect pop song formula we all know and love, you know verse-chorus-verse, no more than 4 minutes long.

As you continue listening you are struck by how many moving parts are actually involved in the album. I can't begin to tell you everything I'm hearing, but apparently everything save for the drumming is done by Marnie herself (drumming was provided by the producer, Hella's Zach Hill). This is an unbelievably vast album, with each song showcasing another piece of her incredible talents. You also cannot escape the energy that is pouring forth during the whole album. It penetrates your being when you listen to it, and takes control of every sense you hold dear.

The album is not due out till February 20th, but I'm going to post a couple of tracks so that you can go ahead and get yourself good and acclimated to Marnie Stern cause at some point she will be everywhere this year. If you happen to be in New York she has two upcoming shows you should probably try not to miss; this Saturday (2/3) she will be somewhere in Brooklyn (I'm trying to get more details), then on Valentine's Day (2/14) she'll be at Cake Shop for her record release party!
Marnie Stern - "Precious Metal"
Marnie Stern - "Put All Your Eggs In One Basket, And Then Watch That Basket!"
More On Myspace

preorder it at insound!

Peter Bjorn & John @ Mercury Lounge 1/29

Before I say anything about this show I have to give a big sarcastic thanks to everyone who published the start time as 10pm. The show did not start at 10pm you nitwits, it began at 8:30pm with White Rabbits who, thanks to you people, I only got to see one song from. It was a good song though, and the crowd that were properly informed seemed to have enjoyed it. Luckily, I have seen them before and will see them again soon.

That's enough of the proverbial fist shake for me, now lets get down to what I did see. First up, for me, were Born Ruffians a Toronto based trio that knows nothing of genres or styles or staying within one. Bouncing back and forth amongst the genre the trio blasted forth with a decent amount of energy, though its fair to say they seemed a bit tired from their six hour drive from Toronot. But, like any good perfomer they trooped right on through it, playing a solid set with a variety of new stuff and one wonderful cover of Grizzly Bear's "The Knife".

Finally, after a not so long wait, we were treated to the reason we had all come - the first Peter Bjorn and John show on US soil, unless you count yesterday's warm-up as a show (you should). "Let's Call It Off" kicked things off, and from the very start the band was louder and full of a lot more tricks than I ever expected of them. Using massive amounts of distortion and feedback, the band pounded through songs off both albums, occassionally alternating singers and bouncing back and forth all over the stage.

As was advertised Victoria Begrman from The Concretes joined the band for her part in "Young Folks", and as an added treat we got the guy that played the bongos on the album, Lars. The audience was never more excited than they were at this point, and who could really blame them it is a brilliant song that deserves to be recognized and sung at the top of your lungs.

The band also put their own unique touches on the live versions of their songs. Whether it was Bjorn forgetting the words to "Amsterdam" and ad libing or the additions of countless instrumental jams that could have gone on forever if they had wanted them too.

When the band announced it was their last song, with a wink, the audience pleaded for more filling Mercury Lounge with a raucous applause I have rarely heard given to artists at that venue. We were treated to Bjorn and John returning to the stage with Peter no where in sight, creating a moment that was hilarious and awkward. Finally, Peter, in a different shirt, rejoined his mates on stage and the band played their final three songs all from the first album.


After almost an hour and a half the band were done rocking us. They had practically exhausted all of their songs on us, and had exhausted their energies as well. The set was thrilling, but ended quietly with a song that is sung in a beautiful quiet way. It was a perfect ending, but there were still plenty of us that would have enjoyed much more.

Deerhoof @ Irving Plaza 1.26.07

New York was a cold place to be Friday night. The temperatures barely crept above the teens and the wind was howling fiercely, but that didn't stop a few hundred people from taking in the Deerhoof show at Irving Plaza. Over the past four years Deerhoof has gained a reputation for passionate, lively shows and tonight only served to reinforce that reputation.

Brooklyn based Proton Proton kicked off things with an energetic fourty minute set. Relying on heavy rythyms and their quirky front man, the band were engaging from the moment they jumped on stage and only gained momentum as the show went on and more fans took a liking to them. As the pace of the show seemed to quicken with each show more people began rocking out to their pounding rock sound. The band really took off with the song "Chinese Dancer" during which the singer ran around the whole stage and jumped back and forth between his guitar and a tiny kids piano.

The show didn't slow down from here as Busdriver took the stage with some awesome rapping. I was only familiar with Busdriver thanks to his work with Islands, but boy can he stand on his own as an artist. Mixing his flows between ridiculously fast, reggae tinged, and more straight forward rapping, Busdriver got the indie kids into thwoing their hands in the air and screaming along when they were prompted to do so. His DJ was a little heavy on the bass, but hey it got some of the kids dancing so what more could you really want?

Everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy the opening acts, but no one could hide their entusiasm for what was to come. Few bands are as passionate and energetic on the stage as Deerhoof. Satomi sings and bounces across the stage, John thrashes about on his guitar stomping on his effects pedals for added noise, and of course there is Greg on drums. Greg may just be the best drummer around right now, and he hits the skins with such ferocity that the entire set sees splinters and pieces of metal flying all about as pounds out each note. By the third song he had kicked a hole in his drum and spent the rest of the set playing the bass drum backwards. It didn't affect the set at all though as the band were as tight and loud as I have ever seen them. It was a thrill to get to see the new songs so soon after its release and the managed to nail tunes like "+81" and "Choco Fight". Its truly remarkable that a band of only three members can create such a huge wall of sound, but somehow Deerhoof pull it off. Following a 45-minute long set the band came out for a three song encore that was marvelous and even more energetic than the first part of their show, if that was even possible.

The entire show was simply amazing as the three bands there did their best to dispell the idea of what your typical indie show has become. There was no standing around with your arms crossed, it just wasn't possible with bands as infectious as these three. Deerhoof will be back next week for the PLUG Awards, and even though it will be a considerably shorter set you should seriously consider getting over there to see them.

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: Peter Bjorn & John @ Mercury Lounge 10pm SOLD OUT
This show has been sold out for months, but I'm recommending it for two reasons. The first reason is that there really is no other alternatives to this show, it's a weak day so if you're not here you'll probably be home watching Heroes or 24. My main reason for picking it is that I will be at this show and have been looking forward to it for over a month now. Not only was Writer's Block one of my favorite albums of last year but they have announced that Victoria Bergman will be along to do her part during "Young Folks" and Born Ruffians and White Rabbit are opening and I like them as well.
Peter Bjorn & John - "Young Folks"

Tuesday: Mountains @ Tonic 8pm $8
Lately I have been raving about synth pop duos left and right, and here is another chance to do just that. Mountains aren't your typical synth pop duo though, relying heavily on an acoustic guitar and sparsely used synths, they craft a more folk electronic sound than most of their brethren. It makes for a really unique sound that I'm curious to see how it translates live. Opening the show will be Lichens and The Invisible Conga Band.
Mountains - "Sewn Two"

Wednesday: Shy Child, Born Ruffians, & Ra Ra Riot @ Mercury Lounge 9pm $10
During CMJ in October Ra Ra Riot really made an impression on me with their fantastically catchy pop sound and energetic live show. The songs aren't deep thinkers but they will make you get your feet moving.Shy Child and Born Ruffians are pretty similar to that in they also make you want to move around as the play. If you're the type that wants to stand in the back with your arms crossed during a show, this one is not for you.
Born Ruffians - "Piecing It Together"
Ra Ra Riot - "Dying Is Fine"

Dead Rabbit @ The Knitting Factory 9:30pm $8
New York bands that aren't from Manhattan or Brooklyn are overlooked all the time, and that is exactly the case with Staten Island's Dead Rabbit. Using catchy beats, and fairly deep lyrics this quartet has begun to build a fair sized following and will only grow with the release of their Detruction EP. Several other bands are playing, Dead Rabbit is scheduled to go on at 9:30pm.
Dead Rabbit - "Out of Our Heads"

Thursday: The Harlem Shakes @ Canal Room 8pm $8
Next week The Harlem Shakes will be releasing an EP called Burning Birthdays. In celebrations of this the band will be playing not one, but two shows, the first of which is tonight at Canal Room. Then after that the band will play on Friday night at Union Hall. Make sure you get to at least one of these shows!
The Harlem Shakes - "Sickos"

TK Webb @ Cake Shop 8pm $6
TK Webb belongs in a different era. His music is straight out of the late 60's and early 70's, but somehow it all still feels modern. Apparently he has added a band since the last time I saw him in October so I'm very curious to see how it changes the whole sound of his music.
TK Webb - "Phantom Parade"

Friday: Jonathan Richman @ The Knitting Factory 8pm $20
Jonathan Richman has a rich history behind him, as a member of The Modern Lovers and as a solo artist his music has been a huge influence on countless other acts and musicians. Tonight is the second night of his four night stand at The Knitting Factory and should be a truly brilliant spectacle of almost punk, catchy tunes.
Jonathan Richman - "Buzz Buzz Buzz"

Saturday: David Byrne @ Carnegie Hall 8pm $21 - $70
Few artists are as revered as David Byrne is. This week he has currated four shows at Carnegie Hall to showcase different types of sounds to the folks that are normally in attendance. Tonight Mr. Byrne will be taking the stage himself though to perform songs from his collabaration with Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love.
David Byrne - "Lazy"

Sure Juror @ Piano's 7pm $10
Tonight begins Sure Juror's two week residency at Piano's. For two consecutive Saturday nights you can party with one of the most fun bands in New York right now. There's other bands on the bill, but I have very little familiarity with them and couldn't tell you what they sound like.
Sure Juror - "Harry Reems and the Bill of Rights"

Sunday: Cat Power @ Hiro Ballroom 7pm $25
For a long time Chan Marshall had a reputation for interesting live shows, melt downs, stage fright, and other happenings forced you to be on your toes upon entering a Cat Power show. Now, with her life cleaned up, she is back to performing interesting shows but because her music is so captivating. I'm pretty sure that by the time you read this the show will be sold out, but hey I had to tell you about it right.
Cat Power - "Hate"

Early Listen: Panda Bear

In my experience with all things Animal Collective it takes some time to be able to digest everything that you are listening to. Sometimes this takes a couple of listens and sometimes it takes years, so I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into when I started listening to the solo album by Animal Collective member Panda Bear, Person Pitch. Well at first it starts off and you can completely see the Animal Collective in it, a harsh machinery sound kicks off the album followed by the droning of what sounds to be a female choir of sorts. Then suddenly you're transported to an entirely different land.

When Panda Bear begans singing with the beautiful melodies and the harmonies with himself it is reminiscent of The Beach Boys, and eeriely so. Every note coming from his mouth could be mistaken for The Beach Boys, the only difference is the stranger music playing in the background. The music isn't too odd, though it is very similar to Animal Collective and Liars so I guess it just means I'm accustom to it. But man is this album really good. The songs are sprawling, huge in scope and in sound, and just unbelievably well put together. I haven't had a good chance to digest all the lyrics so I only have a vague notion of what he's singing about (I'm sure I'll have more on this when it is officially released).


The album is scheduled to be released on March 20th so mark it on your calendars or pre-order it on INSOUND!!! Until then here's a little bit to whet your appetite.
Panda Bear - "Comfy in Nautica"
Panda Bear - "I'm Not"

Band of the Week

I've really been pandering to the duos of the world lately in these Band of the Week posts so I'm going to try to get off of that, at least for this week. This week I have decided to name the brain child of one man as my Band of the Week. Coneyislandsound is the work of a dude named Ewan from somewhere in the United Kingdom.

Using an array of synthetic instruments, keyboards, pianos, found sound, and a slew of guest vocals, Ewan is creating an awesome sound all his own. Sure comparisons can be made to practically anyone who uses those elements to make their own electronic type of music, but that seems to dim the creativity behind a project like Coneyislandsound. The music on the tracks found on the myspace page are bouncy and warm and well produced throughout.

I'm really interested in hearing a full album of this stuff (Ewan if you're out there, read this and have something send it my way) but for now I will just stop by from time to time to listen to whatever new sounds he's come up with today. You should check it out too.
Coneyislandsound on Myspace

Early Listen: The Muggabears

With the release of Teenage Cop The Muggabears began to garner some attention. People took note of their early 90's meets the present day sound and fell in love with it. Fans at their live shows adored the energy they took the stage with, and the fact that they left every ounce of it on the stage. But despite all that, all those positive reviews and sweaty shows, The Muggabears had only begun to rock you.

Yesterday I was sent a digital copy of The Muggabears new EP Night Choreography and for the last 24 hours, give or take a bit for sleeping and working, I have been devouring every last note of this thing. Building on that Pavement/Sonic Youth sound, the band have built an even more complete sound on this disc. The drumming is better, the singing, guitar, bass, everything is remarkably better, and that's saying a lot considering I feel Teenage Cop was one of the best EP's of last year. Travis still sings in that very Malkmus way he does, almost crooning the lyrics that are equal parts dark and romantic. From the opening track the music builds through each song, hits an acme with "Dead Kid Kicks" and then slowly takes you to the end, all the while rocking you through their own amazing narratives. Along the way we get some thrilling guitar parts on "Autmoatic Others", some trembling bass, and on "Dead Kid Kicks" some of the best drumming I've heard in a while, with each second of space filled with some type of fill or beat just punishing anyone who dares to listen to this casually.

When a band comes together like they obviously have for this record people take note, they notice how compact and tight every second is, they feel the emotions, and they take it on as a piece of themselves. Night Choreography is a remarkable achievement for The Muggabears, one that you should make sure you take note of whenever the disc reaches stores. This could be one of the finest pieces of music this year, and its only January!
The Muggabears - "Dead Kid Kicks"
The Muggabears - "Automatic Others"
More on their Myspace

Hump Day Ramblings

• I'm going to get my sports stuff out of the way early here and in one little blurb so bear with me. I think the Bears are going to win the Super Bowl, but I have been wrong all season so take that with a grain of salt. Tonight's the first NHL All-Star game in THREE YEARS! I'm watching to see Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin on the ice at the same time. 22 days utntil pitchers and catchers report. And do you realize that because of the week off before the Super Bowl this is the first week since late August without any type of football on! Let the jonesing begin!
• Stylus Magazine is posting an article called "Priming the Pump" this week that more or less lays out the current landscape of music. Written by Eric Harvey of marathonpacks, it is a must read for any person who frequents the blogs often enough to be seeing this post!
• The President's speech last night was lame, it touched on everything we knew he was going to say way before going into it. The most amusing parts of the hour long oration were Dikembe Matumbo standing next to the little Asian woman, the fact that Dick Cheney never blinks and Nancy Pelosi blinks too much (another difference between Dems and Republicans), and the way President Bush found the only person in New York that would point to him and mouth the words "You 'da man" (that would be oour subway hero Wesley Autrey).
• The LA Times (did you know they have a huge billboard in the fashion district of NYC?) has a piece that doesn't exactly mourn the coming death of The O.C. only five episodes to go!
• 24 vs. Heroes is an unneccessary battle now that I have DVR, but what about the millions of homes that are without this piece of technology. They will have to choose between Jack Bauer saving the world or a bunch of regular old mutants doing the same. It is a shame and should be repaired by the people in charge. Also, A&E please put the curses back on The Sopranos its the only way to watch it.
• Fans of comics should already know about this, but for all you other people looking to get into the world of comic books check out the Comics You Should Own section on Comics Should Be Good. It's excellent!
• So I was browsing my local newsstand today and I came across a 'zine I'd never heard of called Venus. It had Cat Power on the cover and articles about Love Is All, Joanna Newsom, and Matt & Kim so I picked it up. Lo and behold the whole magazine is dedicated to women with an entire third of the issue dedicated to crafts like making handbags and such. The music bits were good and well written, but I'm still trying to figure out this whole butterfly stitch thing.
• Ryan over at ryspace has a whole new design and is just getting to his top albums of 2006. The list is not what I am pointing you too, though it is solid, what I'm really excited about is his forthcoming release of mp3's he bootlegged during CMJ! Ryan is always amazing at getting solid copies of live shows, but based on what I recall seeing him at during CMJ I know this is going to blow everything else he's done out of the water.
  
• Brooklyn Vegan is covering the rumors surrounding the inagural High Line Festival taking place in New York this year. Partially curated by David Bowie this is sure to be one of the highlights of the New York concert scene this year. So far they have apparently confirmed Deerhoof and Daniel Johnston. Rumors continue to swirl about Arcade Fire and many many other Bowie supported acts, but apparently Mr. Bowie himself will not be performing.
  

Tuesday's Recommended Release(s)

When someone enters the world of Deerhoof they need to be ready for the flurry of activity within each song. At any point on a Deerhoof album a person can be completely broadsided by some sort of distortion or effect, the power of bass line, a particularly quirky lyric sung by Satomi, or any of a number of other stiking pieces of music. On their latest release, Friend Opportunity, this continues to happen though not in the same excess as on previous releases. This makes the new album much more accessible than previous Deerhoof albums.

The most noticable difference between Friend Opportunity and the first four records is the depth of the sound involved. On each track there are layers of music that can be pulled apart and disected in alomst infinitely different ways. It shouldn't be this way, a band that loses a member and continues on should not be able to make music this deep and far reaching, but Deerhoof manages the impossible and pulls it off extremely well.

It is a powerful record from a powerful band and will garner more than its fair share of attention. Up to this point Deerhoof had strived to be different than any other band out there and had succeeded in doing so, now the band has tried to infuse their originality with aspects found in the more popular corners of indie-rock. It allows the band more room to work and craft their sound, and should make the band able to reach a more diverse listening group.
Deerhoof - "+81"
buy it at insound!


For a little more than three years fans of The Shins have been awaiting new material from the band. Today we are finally given a proper release by The Shins with their third full length Wincing the Night Away. From the early words of fans and critics alike I have heard loads of disappointment in the album, which really surprises me considering how good the album actually is.

Each song on Wincing the Night Away is undoubtedly a Shins song. You have the typicla James Mercer harmonies with himself, the spacey sound of the band, the love songs all bleneded one on top of the other, and this is exactly what fans had come to love from the band. It is there sound and they are not changing it. Perhaps this is what all the disappointment is about.

After more than three years people expect something from a band, especially one as revered as The Shins are. When fans don't get just this they feel that they have been slighted in some way and don't react well to the album no matter how good it is. Now I won't stand here and tell you that this is the best Shins album to date, it is not, but it is a really good album that if you take on that alone you will enjoy and be happy with.
The Shins - "Pam Bery"
The Shins - "Phantom Limb"
The Shins - "Girl Sailor"
buy it at insound!


Also Released:

International Recommended Release

Every year there seems to be albums released very early in the year by artists you never heard of that stay with you the rest of the year. Last year we had Tapes n' Tapes releasing a phenomenal album very early on in the year, and this year we have the British trio Field Music releasing their wonderful sophmore release Tones of Town. Not scheduled for release in the US until late February, Field Music has been burning up my iPod lately with the amount of plays it has gotten.

Up front the first thing that stands out on the album is the vocals and the harmonies present on the album. They are so good that they have already drawn comparisons to XTC and The Beach Boys as well as several other phenomenal bands. To just focus on the vocals would be a mistake though as Field Music is comprised of some very talented musicians. Using an array of instruments including piano, guitar, glockenspiel, violin, drums, bass, and a few others, Field Music craft a very deep brand of indie-pop. The band has also decided to branch out on this album including various different forms of influences and styles on the album from time to time. On "Sit Tight" they attempt some beat boxing, "In Context" features a more funky sound, and other tracks add little bits that expand the sound of Field Music bettering their previous effort and becoming a better band while doing so.

Tones of Town will be dropping in the UK today giving the Brits an unfair advantage to enjoy some of the best music to come out in the very early days of 2007. I'm sure by the time the album hits our shores I will still be listening to the album every few days trying to get every piece of music included on each song. Its a tremendous album I feel you must listen to! If you'd like you can order it from the UK or you can hang on and wait till February 20th.
Field Music - "Sit Tight"
Field Music - "Working to Work"
Field Music - "In Context"

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: The Shins @ Virgin Megastore Union Square 12am FREE*
The Shins have often been criticized for putting on a poor live performance and this has kept me from seeing them in the past, but I realize now that I will never know for sure unless I see the band on my own. Tonight affords and excellent opportunity to do just this as the band will be doing a free in-store performance. Of course as the asterik suggest it isn't really free you have to buy Wincing the Night Away in order to get in but you know you're going to buy it anyway.
The Shins - "Split Needles (Alternate Version)"
Cities on Fire/Brother Reverand/Frightened Rabbit/The Dramas@ Mercury Lounge 7pm $12
If you don't feel like braving the cold and waiting in line to see The Shins I'd suggest heading over to see Glasgow's Frightened Rabbit. Sure they are not the headliner for the show but they are the band everyone is talking about. They play a style of muisc that has been compared to their Scotish contemporaries like Camera Obscura and the like. Check them out now so you can say you saw them when.
Frightened Rabbit - "Be Less Rude"

Tuesday: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah @ Bowery Ballroom 6:30pm $50 NOW $25
I really can't recommend paying $50 for a concert featuring one good band and a bunch of okay bands, but this time out it is for a good cause as the show is to benefit the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. The Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is a summer camp for girls where they can go and learn to play instruments, write songs, learn about different types of music, and generally rock out. If you can afford the show I'd suggest taking a chance on it, you can always write off the tickets on your taxes.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Yankee Go Home"
Dean & Britta @ Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction 7pm $15 + one drink min.
With Thursday night's show at Union Hall sold out this may be your only chance to catch the former Luna members perform their 60's styled pop rock music. Their new album Back Numbers is currenlt garnering a lot of well deserved buzz despite it having not been released yet. Go check them out and enjoy that one drink minimum with something tasty.
Dean & Britta - "Moonshot"

Wednseday: Camera Obscura/The Essex Green @ Warsaw 8pm $15.50
Camera Obscura had one heck of a year last year. The Scotish quintet released on of the year's best records, had some excellent singles, and did a ton of touring. The touring continues this year as the band headlines the Polish National House tonight. As always with Warsaw make sure you get there early to enjoy some kielbasa and pierogies!
Camera Obscura - "If Looks Could Kill"
Clipse/Kidz In the Hall/SkyZoo @ Bowery Ballroom 7:30pm $25
In the world of rap music their are very few artists that are as innovative and praised as the duo known as Clipse. Which makes it a bit surprising that their show was moved from Webster Hall to the smaller Bowery Ballroom, but you should all take advantage of the more intimate setting. When the coke rappers played the even smaller Knitting Factory during CMJ they were met with all types of rave reviews which makes me believe this move will be good for the Clipse. Don't miss out.
Clipse - "Momma I'm Sorry"

Thursday:The Essex Green/Benzos @ Maxwell's 8pm $10
Benzos has been getting lots of recognition in the past couple of years. They haven't quite blown up yet but with their mix dance music, guitar driven rocks, and bits of post-punk they definately have the potential to be one of those bands everyone knows.
Benzos - "Glass Souls"

Friday: Deerhoof/Busdriver/Proton Proton @ Irving Plaza 8pm $16
If you haven't yet heard Friend Opportunity by Deerhoof don't despair the album will be released on Tuesday. However, as most people with an internet connection already know the album is simple amazing. Tonight they bring this amazing album, as well as their impressive catalog, to Irving Plaza to rock the masses live. Deerhoof is an impressive live band that is sure to make the show more fun than you can possibly imagine, this is a show you must be at.
Deerhoof - "+81"
Ted Leo/Medications/The Forms/Last Letters @ Northsix 8pm $12
Its not every night that you get to see Ted Leo performing a solo show, but tonight you get just that opportunity and its for a good cause as the show is to support Callum Robbins son of producer J. Robbins who has SMA. Other than that it is the second to last show at Northsix, and is pretty cheap to get into. What more could you want?
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - "The Son of Cain"

Saturday: Underrated Presents @ Sin-e 8pm $10
It seems with each passing week that there is a blog sponsored show to go to, and for the regular concert going public that is a very good thing. This week Rachael from Underrated has thrown together a terrfic lineup for a very reasonable price. Go check out Sure Juror, Seth Kallen & the Reaction, White Rabbits, GoStation, and Liam & Me. Should be loads of fun, I'll see you there.
White Rabbits - "One Hot Minute"
Sure Juror - "Harry Reems and the Bill of Rights"

Band of the Week

For the second week in a row I am highlighting a duo that is the side project of a member of another prominent New York band. Last week it was Nurse & Soldier, this week it is Easy Anthems - the brain child of Beat Radio guitarist and keyboardist Philip Jimenez and his wife Vanessa. That is where the similarities end though as Easy Anthems sound nothing like Nurse & Soldier favoring a more folk and blues oriented sound.

"We Broke Up, And We Made Music, And We Got Back
Together, And We Made Music, And We Got Married, And We Made Music, And
We Broke Up, And We Made A Kid, And We Got Back Together, And We Made
Music"

This is a quote that appears on Easy Anthems' website and myspace page and is a perfect illustration of the songs the band is putting out. At times it can be loving, full of soul and hope but within a song or two it changes to moments of anger and sadness. It is evident not only in the lyrics of the songs but in the way the music and singing changes as well. One moment you will be listening to a light, pop tune sung calmly and evenly displaying the love they share when you are suddenly confronted by something darker sung with more fire or something even quieter and full of sadness. Its a pretty impressive trick and it certainly helps convey the emotions found in the album.

There are some albums that tell you the good parts about love and their are some that tell you the bad, but very few show both sides of love as well as this self released debut by Easy Anthems. Its a remarkable album in every way and you should head over to the band's website right now because they are allowing you to download it for free.

Easy Anthems Website
Easy Anthems Myspace

Hump Day Links and Thought

• First off, how great is it that in the final year of Yankee Stadium it will play host to the All-Star game (and hopefully the World Series)! That's right for the first time since I was negative three years old the All-Star game will be hosted in Yanke Stadium! I'm super excited and can't wait to get tickets!
  
• Earlier in the week Stylus posted their Top 15 movies for 2006. I don't really have an opinion on the movies of 2006 because I only saw about three movies in the theatre and they weren't particularly spectacular or anything.
• What is going on with the weather this year? Yesterday morning I woke up for work turned on the news, as I do everyday, and decided to year a sweatshirt to work because it was 55 dgerees outside. By the time I was walking home from the bus stop the temperature had plummeted to 35. 20 degrees in one day!? Then to make matters worse this morning when I woke up it was 19 degrees! That's almost a 40 degree difference in only 24 hours! Ridiculous.
• Anyone who reads Largehearted Boy each day knows how much of an avid reader he is. Today he has a bit about the LD Beghtol book about The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs from the amazing 33 1/3 book series. This just happens to be the next book on my stack to read so I was quite excited seeing this!
• Brooklyn Vegan has a list of the festivals heading to Chicago this year. Pitchfork will be hitting the city July 14th and 15th, so I think I may start planning now. Last year was great and you can bet that they'll have quite an interesting array of bands. Also, this post made me wonder what festivals are coming to New York this summer?
• Last year I caught The Chalets open up for Art Brut and was really impressed by their summery pop sound. I was wise enough to pick up their album then because it still hasn't been released in the US. Until now. The Music Snob reports that the band has signed a US deal and the album will be out March 27th. Mark your calendars.
• Six episodes of The O.C. are left, does anyone care besides me? Answer: No
• Obscure Sound has an excellent review of The Besnard Lakes forth coming album. It is a wonderful album that they and me recommend.

Tuesday's Recommended Release

It seems like every couple of months we are touting another Wilco side project and the brilliance of the music on it. Here we are again as The Autumn Defense, featuring John Stirratt and Pat Sansons of Wilco, have released their third full length album today. The self titled release is full of wonderfully composed music, passionate lyrics, and excellent harmonies. But Wilco fans take note, this is not the sound of Wilco.

On The Autumn Defense you will find little that would lead you to connect this band with their more famous band. Instead you will find jazz, pop, and folk all fuse together to create a unique blend of music that worms its way into your head and stays there well after the album is over. The songs themselves are mostly simple tunes about life and love that hinge on the intricacies of the arrangements and the harmony work between John and Pat.

The album is not perfect, but it is beautiful anyway and should garner a lot of interest and even more listens by any fan of music. It's been quite some time since I was able to recommend a release on a Tuesday so I'm happy that this year's picks are finally under way. It helps that this is an album I can stand behind whole hearted.
The Autumn Defense - "About to Change"
The Autumn Defesne - "Spend Your Life"

Antifreeze Recap

Before Saturday night I had no idea how stressful putting a show together could really be. Sure the pesky bit of picking bands and getting them to commit was stressful at times but no where near the stress that I felt during the day on Saturday. The whole day I felt tense, praying the weather would be okay, hoping the bands would show up, hoping people would make it to the venue depsite the G train's attempts to thwart them.

Luckily all my fears were assuaged and all the bands made it (Mistakes worried me a bit more not showing till about 9:30pm) and people eventually filtered in and seemed to have a wonderful time. The first band up was The Lisps and if you have never seen the Bronx based band before I must implore you to do so as soon as you possibly can. The band starts the set off with a melodica intro that blends into their first song "Chaos". Its a great starting point for the band and flows so neatly into their whole energetic set. The band played for about 40 minutes filling their set with as many tunes as they could and a short spoken word poem by "William S. Burroughs" about the horrors of the year 2006. Its brilliant and funny and engaging and you must check them out.

Following that was Life in Bed who earned the distinction of band that lives furthest from the venue, traveling from Pittsburgh for the show. They too were energetic and engaging from the moment they began playing. I think a lot of people were awed by the guitarist playing with a pick, though he later told me that it really isn't a big deal that he does so. Anyway I was impressed by the band and I think a slew of other people were as well.

The biggest crowd of the night packed into the back room for the Brooklyn based band Beat Radio. Their set was electric, wowing the crowd with each song they played. I was pulled away for a few minutes during their set so I wound up missing several songs which disappointed me a bit but I guess that sort of stuff happens when you're the big promoter in charge of the show. I managed to get back into the cramped room in time to catch the last two songs and the band was positively messmerizing during these two tunes. They played with an energy most band would resrve for only the most important of shows. I was later told they actually play that way all the time and my show was not that important.

Mistakes then rocked our asses off with their brand of punk rock. Hard, fast, and unmistakeably powerful the band played for about 50 minutes earning two encore songs from a raucous crowd. Matt, the lead singer, was bouncing all over the place head banging his way off stage and bounding back on through every song. The band fursiously pounded out the songs and I don't think a single person went away with their hearing fully intact. It was the perfect ending of the show, but it only fueled the alcohol soaked fun that would ensue.

The rest of the night was spent bouncing between friends while grabbing beers from the bar and listening to my brother spin some excellent tunes. I met a ton of awesome new people on Saturday and would like to thank them as well as all my older friends for coming to the show and making it such a rousing success. I can't wait to do it all again!!!

This Weeks Live Music Picks

Attention all bands and venues in New York: There is no need to keep bundling all the good shows together on one day during the week! There are seven perfectly good days in a week so please attempt to spread them out a bit better. Here's my picks for the week:

Monday: As each day brings us closer to the shuttering of Northsix I'll probably keep mentioning that fact in passing in moments like this. Go check out the bleachers and while you're there enjoy the tunes of Wheatus and Midstates. The show starts at 8pm, $10 to get in.
Wheatus on Myspace

Tuesday: I've been meaning to check out Foreign Islands for a while now and tonight is another chance to do just that. They'll be bringing their tunes to Cakes Shop with Suckers, Tiny Whales, and Air Waves. The show gets going at 8pm, $6.
Foreign Islands - "We Know You Know It"

Wednesday: If you missed out on seeing Cold War Kids last week at Piano's you have another chance tonight as they'll be playing Union Hall, but that's not my pick of the day. Instead, I'd like to suggest checking out My Brightest Diamond at Tonic. My Brightest Diamond released an excellent album last night and spent most of the year touring with Sufjan Stevens. She'll be flying on her own tonight though and is always wonderful live. The show starts at 8pm, $8.
Cold War Kids - "Hospital Beds"
My Brightest Diamond - "Dragonfly"

Thursday: This is one of those nights where its great to be a music lover in New York. There's like 4000 great shows tonight so make sure you get to one of them. Professor Murder will be playing at Hiro Ballroom, and if you've been reading the other blogs you probably got yourself on the list to see it for free. If not the show starts at 10pm and is $20. The Hold Steady are playing a sold out show at Northsix. And if you missed Daylight's for the Birds at Friction cause you chose the right show then you can catch them at Cake Shop with Taxi Taxi and Seekonk. That one gets going at 8pm for $7.
Daylight's for the Birds - "To No One"
Taxi Taxi On Myspace

Friday: Another night with an over abundance of shows to choose from. Mission of Burma is at Warsaw, The Gaskets and Tall Hands are playing a free show at Midway, Annuals and The Dears are playing Webster Hall, and Rahim, The Jealous Girlfriends and Lolita Bras are at Trash, but I won't be at any of those. Instead I'll be seeing The Wrens and Takka Takka over at The Knitting Factory.
The Wrens - "Everyone Chooses Sides"
Takka Takka - "Coco On the Corner"

Saturday: There's a couple of shows tonight but none are better than the one at Mercury Lounge. Starting at 8pm you can see Endless Boogie, Arboretum, Goes Cube, and The Giraffes for only $10. That's a bargain and a great way to spend a Saturday night.
The Giraffes - "Having Fun"
Goes Cube - "Song 30"

Tie A String Around Your Finger

Ten Reasons You Should Make Sure to Be At Matchless Tomorrow Night Starting at 8pm:

10. They serve moderately priced booze that is sure to get you all good and liquored up.
9. My brother, DJ Tim Duffy, will be spinning the greatest songs you ever did hear all night in the bar area for you to dance to.
8. We will be celebrating my friend Kristina's birthday as well as my co-host Chris' birthday.
7. Everyone has seen O'Death a billion times already, Daylight's for the Birds are playing like a billion shows in NY the next few weeks, and the smell of Sparks alone is enough to make you puke.
6. It's only $7 for four bands, a DJ, and some memorable times. (note: memorable times are not guaranteed but we're pretty damn sure they will be happening!)
5. There is no good television on on Saturday nights.
4. The Lisps!
3. Life in Bed!!
2. Beat Radio!!!
1. Mistakes!!!!

Here's songs:
Mistakes - "Waiting for the Cops"
Mistakes - "In the Middle"
Beat Radio - "A Million Miles"
Beat Radio - "Treetops"
Life in Bed on Myspace
The Lisps - "The Winter That I Missed"
The Lisps - "Chaos"

Hold Steady Playing Northsix

Before the lights go down and the bleachers get torn out of Northsix to be replaced by a balcony or some other bullshit that will completely obliterate the venue's character, there are a slew of excellent shows you should make it a point to get to. Today a new show was announced and it just happens to involve one of my favorite bands in the world!!! At 12:05 AM tomorrow morning (tonight really) you can buy tickets to next Thursday's very special Hold Steady show!!! This is sure to be awesome because seeing The Hold Steady is always awesome. They're playing with a band called Looker. Tickets are going to be $20!

Band of the Week: Nurse & Soldier

I recently read a book called Love is a Mix Tape, by Rob Sheffield. Its a great book that boils down to a story about a boy and a girl, they fall in love, something happens. In between the two characters share an enormous love for music and for making mix tapes to celebrate the most mundane of moments like washing the dishes. Within the book there is a chapter where Rob tells the reader about his never ending fantasy with each and every woman he had ever had a crush on. The fantasy is to start a synth-pop duo with that person and stay in the background twidling the knobs and dials while the woman fronts the group singing the songs and making him fall more in love with that person. Why am I telling you all this in a post about a band? Well I think that's fairly obvious at this point, Nurse & Soldier are ultimately a synth-pop duo, though I don't know if they are actually in love but they certainly know each other very well.

The band may have formed in 1998 if you believe the band's website and myspace page which I'm not sure I do. Featuring Robertson Thacher (Bobby Matador of Oneida) and Erica Fletcher, the pair has been making music for a long time and are intimately aware of what each other are doing with the music. Both members are multi-instrumentalists and they also recruit some of their musician buddies to help out from time to time.

In 1999 the band released a 7" EP with six songs that went largely unnoticed by the majority of the world (fewer blogs back then). On January 23rd the group will attempt to garner some notice again with their debut LP Marginalia (Brah/Jagjaguwar). I think they'll find it a bit easier these days as their sound fits perfectly with the music scene today.

Marginalia is a sweet sounding pop album with excellent singing by Erica, amazing synth work, and the occassional guitar riff or woodwind sneaking in. The songs on the album are kept short (nothing over four minutes here) but seem vast because of the sounds within each song. "Green Tea" starts the album off with a simple repeated synth loop and the light sound of a keyboard but then builds as some feedback pours in and finally some distorted vocals. Each track on the album builds in a similar fashion, but Nurse & Soldier manage to keep it fresh and interesting with each turn.

This is the first album of the year to sneak up on me like this and its a wonderful break from all the gossip and mp3 leaks surrounding some of the bigger artists in the indie world right now. The album is beautiful and interesting and just different enough to set them apart from the rest of the field, but allows for some fairly easy comparisons to draw on. Like I said the album will be out on the 23rd of January so add it to your shopping list for the week and fall in love just like I did!
Nurse & Soldier - "Green Tea"
Nurse & Soldier - "In the Dark"
Nurse & Soldier - "Beatlemania"
Pre-Order Marginalia
More Songs on Myspace

Hump Day Links and Thoughts

Fans of romanitc comedies should appreciate this little story I am about to tell. Yesterday I was sitting in Starbucks drinking my large regular coffee while reading a magazine when suddenly I felt this warm, yet liquid coating my shirt, pants, and shoes. Yep someone had managed to spill almost their entire cup of coffee on me, and then proceeded to attempt to wipe my crotch with one napkin while apologizing profusely. It was amusing after the fact. Here's the rest of my thoughts and links to get you through the midpoint of the week:

• Daytrotter has the freaking Annuals in the studio this week!!! Freaking awesome!!!
• Wow, I guess Florida silenced all of my reasons why Michigan should have been given a re-match.
  
• The first Best New Music of 2007 has been posted on Pitchfork. Sally Shapiro's Disco Romance gets the honor with an 8.5 rating. I haven't listened yet, what do you all think?
• So long, farewell, auf wiedershen, goodbye Randy Johnson. And good riddance!
• CMJ gives their spotlight night to a bunch of Canucks known as Malajube. This band is awesome even though I can't understand a word they are singing. Brooklyn Vegan chips in with some tour dates and pics from their CMJ appearance at the Fader house.
  
• Non-sports thought here, I just recently got the premium channels on my cable and have been obsessed with all the HBO Original Series on demand. Extras is one of the funniest things I have ever watched in my life! Who knew Kate Winslet was such an expert pillow talker?!
• I still need a ticket to tonight's SOLD OUT Cold War Kids show at Piano's!!! Anyone got one? Please!!!!!
• Another BV mention; Brooklyn Vegan has posted even more Professor Murder remixes and added info about a free show next Thursday at Hiro Ballroom!
  
• The Music Slut believes Chris and my show will be awesome as well!

That appears to be it this time folks, hop eyou all enjoy the reading and have a great rest of the week!

Bright Eyes Touring

Ah another wonderful tour announcement for y'all, Bright Eyes has pans of hitting the road prior to the release of his forthcoming studio album Cassadaga. The dates begin with a Chicago show at the Metro in late February and wind up in Seattle in early March, almost a month before the album hits stores on April 10th. If he hits your town go see the power of the internet as his devoted fans will undoubtedly be singing the new songs at that point! Here's the complete list of dates:

02-25 Chicago, IL - Metro
02-27 Toronto, Ontario - Opera House
02-28 Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
03-02 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-03 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-05 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
03-07 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
03-08 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
03-09 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
03-10 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
03-11 Seattle, WA - Showbox

And a song...
Bright Eyes - "Endless Entertainment"

Early Listen: Cloud Cult

Almost two years ago I was first exposed to Cloud Cult by the song "Underneath Your Skin" of their last album Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus and I was hooked by their unconventional pop songs from that moment on. This year after nearly two years of extensive touring and recording the band will release its follow up album The Meaning of 8. Once again the band has turned down offers from big labels to focus on their environmental ethos and put it out themselves.
The new album is full of the same quirky pop writing that has littered the previous three Cloud Cult albums. Once again the band takes it up a notch from their previous effort though with an expanded, more layered sound. At the center of all the music is frontman Craig Minowa who continues to grow as a song writer and in the way he composes his songs. On this album his vocals are once again helped along with loads of effects which actually propel the emotions of each of his songs along. The rest of the music is, at times, louder and a bit more harsh than on previous Cloud Cult albums but the band manages to balance that sound out with the quieter sounds they are more known for.

Overall, this is another fantastic album from a band that manages to keep its sound fresh and new with each release. Any fan of the earlier catalog will easily be able to get into this new album and fans new to the band will also be able to jump right into it. The Meaning of 8 will have a bit of an unconventional release with the album available from the band's website in late January but not in stores until April 10th. Its another example of how Cloud Cult make music on their own terms and will not bow to any outside influences. Here's a couple of tracks off the album for you to whet your appetite with.
Cloud Cult - "Chemicals Collide"
Cloud Cult - "Purpose"
(Tracks removed due to artist request)

UPDATE: Metro Distortion has posted the new album cover and its pretty rad!!!

This Weeks Live Music Picks

January is normally a very slow time for the music industry, but so far 2007 has been an exception to that rule. With all the hoopla surrounding the new Arcade Fire, and a couple of really good shows here early in the year the slow trend appears to have been bucked for the time being. This week is a bit of an odd week, there are some terrific shows on certain days and absolutely nothing on other days. Here's my picks for the week!!!

Monday: I was looking through several concert calendars and nothing really jumped out at me for tonight. Then I remembered that Ohio State would be playing for the National Championship tonight and I realized I'd be on a bar stool somewhere watching that game. If you really want to find some live music tonight by all means do so, but I know where I'll be and it won't be watching a band!
Ohio State Marching Band - "Battle Cry"
Ohio State Marching Band - "Hang on Sloopy"
Ohio State Marching Band - "Fight the Team"

Tuesday: I have yet to attend a show at Hiro Ballroom so I really have no idea what its like as a venue, but tonight would be a really good time to get over there for a show. This evening Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton will be playing with Tall Firs supporting. This should be a terrific show as the most recent Emily Haines album is freaking amazing, and Tall Firs ain't bad neither. The show gets going at 7pm, but it is a bit pricey at $19.50, not too pricey but a bit.
Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton - "Doctor Blind"
Tall Firs - "The Woods"

Wednesday: A lot of people will not be getting into my recommendation tonight due to its sold out nature, but if you have nothing else to do, Piano's will be showing the Cold War Kids show upstairs and in the bar area. I fyou happen to be lucky enough to be in the actually venue to watch this let us all know how it is. I'm sure this is going to be a tremendous show to be at! It starts at 9pm with The Virgins, and apparently there is a surprise guest also playing tonight.
Cold War Kids - "Hospital Beds"
The Virgins on Myspace

Thursday: Not a lot to choose from this evening so I'm going with an artist that has been called the male equivalent of Joanna Newsom. I've never heard anything by Mike Wexler, but he's playing at Glasslands (awesome venue) and with the previously mentioned high praise it might be worth checking out. The show starts at 9pm no admission price is listed on the website.
Mike Wexler on Myspace

Friday: At Goodbye Blue Monday tonight you can see a show featuring Susu, I Love You, and one of my favorite New York bands of the moment The Muggabears. I'm sur eyou've seen The Muggabears listed here before so if you never took my advice about seeing them before take it tonight and fall in love with an awesome band!!! The show starts at 9pm, no price listed.
Susu - "Sawtooth"
The Muggabears - "Sister Now"

Saturday: For two months I have been anticipating Saturday January 13th! Tonight Chris from The Battering Room and I are throwing our first ever show together!!! It's called Antifreeze and features four fantastic bands for the low price of $7. At 8pm The Lisps get the show rolling, followed by Life In Bed, Beat Radio, and Mistakes. My brother will be DJing in the bar all night, and this is going to be a really great time for all who decide to come. I hear there are other shows this evening, but with a lineup like this one why would anyone go anywhere else?
Mistakes - "Waiting for the Cops"
Beat Radio - "Treetops"
Life in Bed on Myspace
The Lisps - "The Winter That I Missed"

The Walkmen Hit the Road

Late last year The Walkmen released their own, truly underappreciated, version of Harry Nilsson's Pussy Cats. Now the band is going to support the release of that album with a late winter tour through Australia and the Eastern United States. Anyone who has ever seen this band live knows the type of show they are capable of and should not hesitate to spread the word of their excellence on stage. The band has also recruited Broken West to open. Here's the dates:

02-23 Melbourne, Australia - Corner Hotel
02-24 Melbourne, Australia - Laneway Festival
02-25 Melbourne, Australia - Laneway Festival
02-28 Perth, Australia - Beck's Festival Bar
03-02 Sydney, Australia - Gaelic Club
03-03 Brisbane, Australia - Zoo
03-04 Sydney, Australia - Laneway Festival
03-08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
03-09 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
03-10 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's
03-11 Chicago, IL - Schubas
03-12 Newport, KY - South Gate House
03-13 Louisville, KY - Headliners
03-18 New Orleans, LA - Parish
03-19 Tallahassee, FL - Beta Bar
03-20 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
03-21 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
03-22 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
03-23 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel

Man Man @ Bowery Ballroom 1/5

Friday night was one of those nights where I wish I could experience the evening over and over again. Bowery Ballroom always seems to play games with me and Friday was no different. They had published that the show would start at 9pm but the first band didn't go on till 10pm, as a result I got to the venue way to early and spent a wonderful hour plus drinking with members of the bands and random strangers that were just looking to chat. It was an interesting time and only got better from there.

A little after 10pm the first band, PLastic Little, took the stage. Plastic Little is essentially a crappy rap group that relies on wit and novelty to keep people's attention. Being a bit tipsy they did not hold my attention and I continued to drink heavily while the band was on. I was actually drinking so heavily that I started to get buy backs at Bowery which never ever happens.

Mixel Pixel started at about the same time I was finishing my eighth beer of the night. It may not seem like all that much but in the span of two hours it was starting to take a toll on me. At this point I attempted to take pictures of the band but realized it was futile when I blinded myself with my own flash. The band was stellar though ripping through their psychadelic electro pop music. It was a really fun set from a band I've meant to see but hadn't gotten to do so till that point. The set lasted another two beers and was freaking fun!!!

Now 11 beers into my night Man Man finally took the stage in their traditional white outfits. As always the band was tight and on point, but the old songs sounded new and the new songs sounded old, which was really an interesting thing to behold. The older songs seem to have all been reworked to allow Honus Honus' band to be more involved in each song added excitement and energy to each song. The new songs were similar to the re-worked older songs making them fit right in with everything Man Man was doing. As a grand finale the band covered Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade" which was freaking awesome!!!

Following the show I went to a bar on my native Staten Island and drank away most of my recollection of the evening, so this review is probably a lot fragmented but is pretty close to what I saw. I had some help with Ear Farm and The Music Slut's reviews and pictures so I'd like to thank them for doing wonderful posts to allow me to remember the show a bit better, and you should check out their pictures and videos and their words about the show as well!!!

Antifreeze vs. Friction

For almost a year now Crackers United has ruled the land of blog sponsored shows in New York. Their monthly Friction show highlights some of the best buzz bands of the moment and is usually a pretty good place to get some free Sparks and see a live show. Now the time has come for a challenger to step up and challenge Friction's supremacy! The Battering Room and myself will be the first to throw our hat into the ring to battle this Goliath!

On Saturday our shows will be dueling it out with two stellar lineups and loads of fun planned we will see, without actually seeing, who has more fun at their shows. The bands have all promised to play their best shows ever at the respective venues, the DJ's from other blogs will be spinning the very best in obscure music for hipster indie kids to dance to, and both bars will take everyone's money in order to get us drunk as fuck! In short if you are not at one of these two venue on Saturday you are probably seeing Tunde Adebimpe play his solo show somewhere else in New York (really Tunde you couldn't have done that another Saturday night?)!

Here's a breakdown of the battling shows:

The Champ: Cracker's United presents Friction
Bands: O'Death, Mahogany, Daylight's for the Birds, and Relay (fuck that's a good lineup, I wish I was going...)
Price: $10
Venue: Sin-E
DJ: David Bruno of Slap You In Public
Extras: Free Sparks I believe, but we all hate Sparks at this point don't we!!!

The Challenger: Pop Tarts Suck Toasted and The Battering Room present Antifreeze
Bands: Mistakes, Beat Radio, Life in Bed, and The Lisps
Price: $7 (save $3 buy another beer!!!)
Venue: Matchless
DJ: Tim Duffy of A New Nuance
Extras: Well Tim and I are both single and sexy, Chris' girlfriend is a piece of eye candy, my friend Kristina will be hosting her B-Day party at the show, and maybe we'll have candy!!!

So there you have it folks, it is all laid out before your eyes and you can decide for yourself which show you want to see!!! As the week goes on I'll have more reasons for you to come to Antifreeze though I think it is obvious why you should!!! Here's some of the music that will be played at both shows...

Mistakes - "In the Middle"
O'Death - "Down to Rest"
Beat Radio - "A Million Miles"
Mahogany - "My Bed Is My Castle"
Life in Bed on Myspace
Daylight's for the Birds - "To No One"
The Lisps - "Chaos"
Relay - "Context"

The Shins Begin Announcing Tour Dates

The don't have any East Coast dates listed yet but here's the initial schedule for The Shins tour in support of their new album, Wincing the Night Away. If you are in any one of these cities I cannot implore you enough to get to one of these shows, then again if you are reading this blog you most likely know that already, and might even be reading this on your PDA camped out waiting for tickets already! I'll keep you updated as more dates are announced!!!

Jan. 14 @ NBC Studios, New York, NY (SNL Appearance!!!)
Feb. 8 @ First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 9 @ Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
Feb. 10 @ Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL
Feb. 11 @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
Feb. 12 @ Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS
Feb. 13 @ Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KS
Feb. 15 @ Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
Feb. 16 @ In the Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
Feb. 20 @ Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
Feb. 21 @ Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
Feb. 25 @ The Astoria, London, England

The Shins - "Phantom Limb"
The Shins - "Sleeping Lessons"
(removed by artist request)

UPDATE: Chris posted that on Januray 22nd The Shins will be doing a special in-store performance at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square!!! It's going to be at Midnight and you'll have to buy their CD but it will be well worth it!!!

Myspace Band of the Week

Myspace Band of the Week: Death Ships
A few weeks ago I was asked to be friends with a band from Iowa City, Iowa. So after taking out my map to insure that there was actually an Iowa City in Iowa I started listening to the music on their Myspace page and haven't stopped listening to it since (this is not entirely true I have listened to many other things in the same amount of time and have also spent some brief moments not listening to music, this is in other words an exaggeration meant to imply the amount of enjoyment I have received from listening to this band's music.). Death Ships are a band that could fly under the radar by virtue of where they hail from, but if that actually wound up being the case it would be darn near a tragedy.

The band is comprised of a bunch of guys that I assume spent most of their adolesence raiding their parents' music collections and doing lots of things most teenagers do but shouldn't (if this isn't true drop me an e-mail and I'll amend this statement). The result is an affinity for classic rock with loads of melody that shines through each of the four songs on their page. I could sit here and list the bands they sound like but that would be pretty damn boring, instead I'll tell you that the band is able to craft wonderful pop songs and give them a rocking aspect that will get your toe a' tapping.

Since hearing the band I have gotten a copy of the Death Ships' album, Seeds of Destruction, and have loved every second of it. The one draw back to this band is that they don't currently have an East Coast dates scheduled but I'm sure that will change as a result of this post (hah, right!). If I haven't already convinced you to go out and check out their music let me try to entice you with a couple of mp3's and a link to their myspace page where more songs can be heard. Hope you all enjoy them as much as I have, and if you guys from Death Ships read this please make sure to get over to New York as soon as humanly possible!!!
Death Ships on Myspace
Death Ships - "Sarah"
Death Ships - "City Never Sleeps"

Goodbye O.C,

I have some sad news to report, it appears Fox has gone and canceled The O.C. thus freeing my tv watching schedule on Thursdays for My Name Is Earl, The Office, Scrubs, and 30 Rock. So really I guess its a good news/ bad news sort of thing. I've watched every episode of the show so its kind of a little bit like losing a friend but I'm sure some other teen soap opera will come along soon for me to watch, of course there is always Degrassi! Anyhow I learned about this new over at Brooklyn Vegan where he has a list of every song to ever appear on The O.C., and my lord is it a long ass list!!!

Phantom Planet - "California"
Phantom Planet - "California 2005"
Mates of State - "California"

Hump Day Links and Thoughts

Let me tell you this is one of the worst weeks of the year. We've had two consecutive weeks with three day weekends, and now I look ahead to the weekend coming and I see a Monday on the horizon! What type of bullshit is that? Ahh well what can you do about that? This weekend is shaping up to be loads of fun though so there's always that to look forward to! Man Man on Friday, Matt & Kim on Saturday, a birthday party, and of course the first round of the NFL playoffs. Alright, so here's some links to keep all you crazy kids busy and what not. Enjoy the rest of the week, try not to work too hard!!!

• Cracked Magazine's online brother Cracked.com has posted its list of the 10 Most Dead People of 2006. The list includes all the obvious celebrities and says nothing you didn't already know.
  
• My new Super Bowl prediciton is Chargers over the Saints.
• Wikipedia has a list of all the bands that started 2006 as a band but couldn't make it through. Some how my all lesbian kazoo band is not on the list.
  
• I was at a deli this morning ordering a bacon, eggs, and cheese sandwhich when I noticed a sign above the counter informing me that the deli did not serve pork products. So I asked the gentleman preparing my food what type of bacon I would be getting and he looked at me like I was out of my effing mind. Anway long story short they serve regular bacon but no other pork products.
  
• Pitchfork has highlighted two upcoming shows in New York that will be benefits for charity. One features The Wrens the other Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Check the link for more details.
• Daytrotter has their weekly studio session with the highly enjoyable The Changes. Go download some free music now!!!
• The makers of my second favorite album of 2006, TV on the Radio will be touring this spring says CMJ, but seeing as there are no New York dates I do not believe them.

Okay that's all I got for this week, see you all later!!!

2007's Most Anticipated Albums

All the year end lists have been written, devoured, and critiqued to all sorts of varying degrees over the past few weeks. Now as the calendar has turned to a brand new year we can begin to look at what's coming out way in 2007. The list of coming albums is enough to make any music fan salivate, tons of revered artists are scheduled to release new albums and I'm sure more than a few new bands will jump out at us this year. Obviously I can't predict what new bands will be making my 2007 year end list, but I can all but assure many of the artists on this list will be making the list. Here's my Most Anticipated Albums for 2007.


Most internet savy music fans have already heard Wincing the Night Away in its entirety, but that doesn't make it any less anticipated to me. For four years fans have waited patiently for the band to release the follow-up to the brilliant Chutes Too Narrow, now we finally get to hear it and what I've heard is pretty damn amazing. Sure it may not "change your life" like Natalie Portman promises, but it could come awfully close to achieveing what is claimed in that oft abused quote.


The Shins - "Phantom Planet (oops) Limb"
(removed by artist request)

Like The Shins, Deerhoof was bit by the early leak bug late last year. I can't say that I'm at all disappointed by that news because if it was an official release it would have made my Top 10 of last year easily. Full of bold new sounds mixed with the band's traditional sonic fury, Friend Opportunity is my early favorite for the top spot on this year's list. The album is loaded with blazing guitars, manic drumming, and the quirky singing of Satomi Matsuzaki. When the album is released it'll have twelve different album designs (the one to the left was the first one released), to accompany the 10 songs on the album. I'm sure the covers will all be wonderful, but the real treat here is the ten amazingly imaginative songs.

Deerhoof - "+81"


Last year a lot of people placed LCD Soundsystem's release for Nike on their Top Albums of the year. I wasn't able to include it myself because I believed that it was only one track, and despite it brilliance and length could not be included as an album. That said, I almost feel I owe it to James Murphy to inlcude Sound of Silver on my list next year. Its another album I have already had a listen to, and can say that it is as good as anything LCD Soundsystem has ever released. I haven't gotten that much time with the album yet but I'm excited by it and am looking forward to dancing to it all year long!!!

LCD Soundsystem - "Us vs. Them"
(Removed by Request)


So far the Arcade Fire have given us a little tasted of their brand new album Neon Bible. The two tracks that have been released so far are completely different from each other. "Intervention" features the huge sound of a church organ taking the spotlight, where "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" has a new, unique duality to it with Win and Regine taking turns singing verses on the song. The difference between these two tracks leads me to believe that the album will have completely schizophrenic moments that will lead it into greater musical depths than Funeral reached. Just thinking about the release of this album gives me goose bumps!

(Note due to the fact that the band is selling "Intervention" on iTunes for a charity I will not be posting that song or the other one here. You should go buy "Intervention" on iTunes and I'm sure you can find "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations" fairly easily anyway.)


With no title, no track listing, and no early word I'm a little bit worried that there won't be a new Radiohead album this year. However, we were told last year that there would be so that alone is enough to land Radiohead a spot on this list. Last year Thom Yorke stunned us all by releasing a solo album, and hoepfully this year the whole band will wow us with some new, amazing songs. I'm sure when it is released it will be raved about endlessly, and I will probably be among the folks doing the raving. You have been warned.

Radiohead - "House of Cards (live)"

Bright Eyes' last studio album came out just about two years ago. Since then he has released a rarities compilation and a live album to try to satiate his rabid fans, but it really hasn't quenched my thirst for his thoughtful folk rock. I'm Wide Awake and It's Morning was a beautfiul, overtly political album, that is making me curious as to what Connor has in store for us this time around.
Bright Eyes - "Endless Entertainment"

In the past year I have seen Art Brut approximately 7 times. I say approximately cause I've lost count of the exact amount of times and I'm too lazy to search through and count my ticket stubs. Anway, during the year the band has played more and more new songs at each show, and the last time I saw them they promised me a new album (well, me and everyone else in attendance). The date hasn't been announced but it is rumored to be early on in 2007 which makes me a very happy camper.
Art Brut - "Nag, Nag, Nag, Nag (live)"

Last but certainly not least (and also not the last album I'm looking forward to) is a rumored release by Sufjan Stevens. The reigning hottest male in indie rock, is said to be releasing a new album this year and I don't know if its true but it is enough to make me aniticpate the release. I don't know what state, if any, the album will be about but I am sure I will love every moment of every song on the album.
(no tunes to preview here)

And finally a list of other things to look forward to...
Clap Your Hand Say Yeah, Apples in Stereo, Bloc Party, !!!, Andrew Bird, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Wilco, Architecture in Helsinki, Spoon, The Go! Team, Hot Chip, Interpol, M.I.A., The New Pornographers, U2, Voxtrot, Fall Out Boy, Wolf Parade, and many, many, more!!!

Beirut - "Scenic World" Video

New York Noise just premiered the new video for Beirut's "Scenic World". In case you missed it this was one of my top 25 songs of the year! The video is a bit goofy being filmed entirely in a Sweet n' Low factory in about 4 hours. If you live in New York you should catch the episode and see how they made the video, including a cameo by The National. Anyway, here's the video enough words!!!

Early Listen: Au Revoir Simone

In February Moshi Moshi records will be releasing the sophomore records from the Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone. So far there is only a European release date for The Bird of Music but I'm sure it'll hit our shores about a year after its released else where.

Those that are looking for a twee band mixed with Sixpence None the Richer need not look farther than this album. The new album continues to showcase the band's love of their keyboards and drum machine, but does not advance the band in anyway. If anything, they take a major step back with this album that is blatantly meant for top 40 radio stations across the world.

There are several tracks that are listenable on the album including "Fallen Snow" and "Dark Halls", but the majority of the album is very repetative and mundane. I really hate posting a preview like this, especially for a band I liked a lot, but this is not the follow-up I was hoping for. Instead the trio seems to have put there music on coast mode and really relaxed what I hoped they would someday be able to achieve.

Here's a preview of two of the songs I enjoyed on my first listen. Hopefully this is just an album that will need to be grown into, otherwise...

Au Revoir Simone - "Fallen Snow"
Au Revoir Simone - "Dark Halls"

Previously:
Eye Candy
December's Concert Calendar

This Weeks Live Music Picks

Welcome to the first post of 2007! 2006 was a banner year for me here at Pop Tarts Suck Toasted and I'm thinking 2007 is going to be even better. This week I'm planning on ringing in the New Year with a few shows, so its a good thing there's some stellar shows this week. There's a pair of dead days (Thursday and Sunday) where you're going to have to find your own entertainment, but every other day I think I can point you in a decent direction. Here's what's going on this week!

Monday: You've spent the last couple of weekends celebrating the holidays with family, so don't you think you deserve a break from all that today? Skip out early and head over to Union Hall where Animal Hospital and Jason Anderson will be getting the rocking started extra early. Following those two bands will be the magical and literate Harry and the Potters. Even if you abhor the Harry Potter books I think you'll be able to get into this band's brand of punk rock music. The show begins at 5pm so make sure you get yourself there on time, and $10 will get you in!
Harry and the Potters - "Save Ginny Weasley"
Jason Anderson on Myspace
Animal Hospital - "Below the Ocean"

Tuesday: This evening New York will greet the latest import from the UK when The View play Mercury Lounge. If you like Brit-pop at all you'll probably dig this band. They have that sugary sweet pop sound from across the pond we've all become accustom to and they're alright. Their show is set for 6:45 pm with no opening bands scheduled. A bit odd if you ask me, expect a surprise or two. Tickets are $12.
The View - "Same Jeans"

Wednesday: I'm going to recommend you make a return trip to Mercury Lounge tonight for another evening with The View. Its not really because of The View, but because of the opening acts tonight. Two local bands; The Diggs and Favorite Sons get the show rolling tonight and both know how to rock. This show gets underway a bit later at 8pm, but still costs only $12. I'd be there if I were you.
The View - "Superstar Tradesmen"
Favorite Sons on Myspace
The Diggs - "Stagg"

Friday: There are two excellent options for us this evening. Over at Northsix you can sit in the bleachers one last time before it closes to see The Fiery Furnaces, or you could head to Bowery Ballroom to check out on of my favorite live acts of 2006 Man Man. Either way you choose you win as both bands have stellar live reputations and play some of the best music out there today. make sure you pick one though other wise you are just missing out. The Fiery Furnaces show gets underway at 8pm, tickets are $15. Man Man begins at 9pm and it'll set you back $14 to get in.
Man Man - "I'd Rather Be Blind"
The Fiery Furnaces - "Here Comes the Summer"

Saturday: Last year was very good to the local duo Matt & Kim as they really grew as a band and began to receive a lot of notice for it. I have a funny feeling 2007 is going to be even better for them so go check out there first show of the year at Studio B. Opening up the show will be Aa and Tiny Masters of Today. The show begins at 8pm, and for $6 it is the best deal of the week!
Matt & Kim - "Verbs Before Nouns"
Aa on Myspace
Tiny Masters of Today - "Stickin' It to the Man"