For a week and a half I resisted the urge to go to shows, recupperating from the madness that was the CMJ Music Marathon. Last night I finally broke from my self imposed show ban and headed out to Cake Shop for The Forms record release party. For $10 you got entry to the show, an hour of open bar, and a copy of the band's sophomore album The Forms on your choice of CD or vinyl (I took the vinyl, yay!), a pretty sweet deal and just the type of thing I needed to get me back into the show going flow.
As the free well drinks and cheap beers were greedily being slurped down by the capacity crowd our opening band, Pattern Is Movement took the stage. The band featuring only two members, a drummer and a keyboardist, the band put on a display of exactly what can happen when classically trained musicians attempt to meld the worlds of noise rock and pop music. It was an awesome sound, led by frantic drumming and the keyboardist's lush tenor voice. The keyboardist seemed to control the music with his voice and they multitude of sounds coming from all his peddles and effects, but for the life of me I could not take my eyes off their drummer. This guy pounded out ridiculous beats like a human form of the muppet Animal. Eschewing 4/4 completely, he dominated the stage with his furious percussion work completely blowing me away. At some point the band covered Radiohead's "Let Down" (I may be wrong about which cover it was, but I believe this is the tune they played. If I am incorrect please correct me in the comments. Thanks.), a scary thought for loads of bands but one that Pattern Is Movement deftly handled.
Just like that the night that was setup for The Forms record release was stolen by their opening band's tremendous set, but I had a feeling The Forms wouldn't just sit back and let them get away with it. Sure enough as soon as the band took the stage they exploded into their beloved mid 90's-ish sound, blasting from all angles and dominating the stage. The band played on and on, keeping mostly on the tunes from the new record but tossing in a few from their 4-year old debut album as well. As the set wore on I began to feel the effects of one too many free and cheap beers taking its toll on me and decided to take off before it was too much for me to make it into work this morning.
It was an impressive show for sure, and this band is going to be huge thanks to their Steve Albini produced record and their ability to command a stage. But for my money Pattern Is Movement was just slightly better, getting the nod for the surprise of having never heard the band and being blown away by them. Both bands definitely deserve your attention though, and you should make sure to pick up their albums and see them ASAP!
(my pictures are pretty awful so I'm not going to post them)
- Sports Note #1: I am suffering here people. The Niners stink, the Yanks are having an awful offseason (with the exception of hiring Joe Girardi), the Rangers have struggled so far this season, and the Knicks - let's not even touch the Knicks for now. Meanwhile up in Boston; the Red Sox are World Champions, the Patriots are unstoppable, the Celtics have three superstars, and the Bruins - well let's leave the Bruins alone. It's just not right. This is like some bizarro world where New York is #2 to Boston. That's not true is it?
- Free Stuff #1: Fader Magazine is giving away a Ion Portable USB Turntable. This is a pretty sweet giveaway and if I don't win I may just ask Santa for one of these!
- Movie Note #1: I finally made it out to the movie theater last week to see Lars and the Real Girl, a movie that I thought would be a screwball comedy that turned out to be a heartfelt, emotional story that had bits and pieces of comedy thrown in to lighten the mood. The story is excellent, the writing was terrific, and the acting is just tremendous all around. Really good movie, see it.
- Halloween Mixes: Instrumental Analysis, Ear Farm, Music Maven, !tashed, me, heart on a stick, 5 Acts, anyone else???
- TV Note #1: Did anyone catch the scenes from next week's Heroes this week? Yeah, for all you folks that have been complaining that this show is slow going this year, you better get ready to eat your words!
- My lovely girlfriend Rachael at Underrated Magazine beat me to the punch today by posting the first of the cover songs Wakey! Wakey! recently recorded at Rockwood Music Hall. This one is a cover of The Decemberists "Apology Song", who I will be seeing tomorrow!
- Pumpkin Note #1: Friday night Rachael and I carved pumpkins while watching Shaun of the Dead and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and let me tell you nothing will get you in the holiday spirit like the combination of pumpkin carving and silly Halloween movies.
- Stylus Magazine finishes up in style with it's lists for the Best Albums of the Year and Best Songs of the Year. Oh yeah, there's also a list for Best Films of the Year, and a slew of recaps. I'm certainly going to miss Stylus.
- Movie Note #2: To celebrate Halloween I'm not going trick or treating, I'm not going to any fancy party where the girls are half naked, and I'm not going to any of the bajillion shows going on tonight, no instead I'll be heading to the movies for a second week in a row! Tonight I'll be seeing the Joy Division biopic Closer. I am very excited about this.
- Drowned in Sound has Jarvis Cocker reading us a spooky bedtime story to celebrate Halloween.
- Sports Note #2: Bravo Yankees! It's been a rough off season so far, but things are finally starting to look up. Joe Torre is heading to LA to soil his reputation with a team that doesn't have a payroll of $200 million, people are saying the Mets should sign A-Rod, and we have the right manager for our team in Joe Girardi! The 2006 NL Manager of the Year, Girardi will bring a little grit and aggressivness to a team that has been too passive the last few years. No longer will fans scream at the blown calls in vain, their manager will also get in the umpires faces to yell along. The team may drop down a few bunts in the right situations. The young pitching staff will have a knowledgable handler on the dugout bench. It seems like a good fit all around. Plus, his goal remains the same as all of ours, to win a World Series! Good job Yanks.
- Exclaim! has a guide to starting your own record label.
- Rolling Stone interviews Bono.
- Pitchfork points us towards the new Johnny Greenwood score for the Paul Thomas Anderson movie There Will Be Blood.
- TV Note #2: Half hour episode of The Office = much, much better. This week however, we get the hour long My Name Is Earl, which is a little bit scary. I can barely take the full half hour installments of this show so an hour seems pretty daunting. It's also baby time on Scrubs which I'm waiting for the DVD of. No 30 Rock tomorrow, thanks Earl, jerk.
- For a few weeks it seemed that anytime you turned around another band's gear had been stolen. Well it seems like it's starting up again as both Mannequin Men and Land of Talk had gear taken from them this week. This is just not cool at all.
- Free Stuff #2: Tim Fite is giving away a free Halloween EP today only.
- Free Stuff #3: Creativetechs, has a slew of Halloween records for download purposes today.
That's it for this week, here's the TRACKS!!!:
Earwig - "Cicada"
Earwig - "Old Man's Cave"
Bring Back the Guns - "In Piles/On File"
Somnambulants - "Radio Pop Music"
Somnambulants - "Water Colors"
Russian Cirlces - "Death Rides A Horse"
TAB - "Secretary's Day"
The Coathangers - "Shut the Fuck Up"
The Coathangers - "Parking Lot"
The Coathangers - "Don't Touch My Shit"
UNKLE - "War Stories (The Psychopab Def Mix)"
It appears that the winter doldrums that afflict the record industry are about to settle upon us. This week offers very little that is piquing my interest so instead of a half hearted review of an album, I'm going to give a little preview of what's coming over the course of the last two months of the year that we can still look forward to. For some reason it seems rap is dominating the next two months with big releases from the most beloved people in their field, which will almost make up for a terribly weak rap year. There's still a handful of indie rock releases too, so don't fret too much. Here's what's on tap...
November 6th:
Last year was it was supposed to be a shock that Jay-Z was coming out of retirement to release the tragically underwhelming Kingdom Come, so this year's release is more like when Jordan retired from the Bulls a second time only to come back to the Washington Wizards to sell tickets. The hype surrounding American Gangster is a positive sign though, and while the leaked tracks are no where near the early days of Jay-Z , they have shown that there are signs of life on this album. Hopefully, being a soundtrack to a major motion picture about being the king hustler in the streets will focus J and give us some really enjoyable moments.
Jay-Z - "Brooklyn 2.0 (feat. Lil' Wayne)"
Having already leaked before OiNK was shut down, the Grizzly Bear Friend EP has been making the rounds already getting some big time pre-release buzz. Following an excellent release last year, this short EP with a few re-worked tracks and several able covers from friends of the band, is the perfect release to tithe us till the new album is ready for release. It is especially noteworthy for the Atlas Sound cover of "Knife" that is absolutely brilliant.
Atlas Sound - "Knife"
Also Out Today:
Sigur Ros, Hvarf/Heim
LCD Soundsystem, 45:33
Tokyo Police Club, Smith
Nas, Greatest Hits
November 13th:
A few weeks back I shined a light on King Khan & the Shrines, and outfit my brother turned me on to and has since become a constant source of enjoyable listening for me. But since I learned of the first band I delved a bit more into the history and found this other project called King Khan & the BBQ show. Now it seems people all over are raving about their forth coming album and their terrific live presence. While I haven't seen the band live, I have heard the two tracks below and I'm super excited for this release. This is probably the best remaining indie rock release this year. Make sure you guys pick it up, or you'll really be missing out.
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "Fish Fight"
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "Love You So"
Also Released Today:
Ja Rule, The Mirror
The Hives, Black and White Album
Os Mutantes, Os Mutantes Live
November 20th:
When I went to see Daft Punk at Brooklyn's Keyspan Park I was anything but blown away. It seemed to be the only chilly night of the entire summer, it was rainy, and I was stuck in a seat unable to shake my booty with the throngs of folks down on the field doing their thing. The light display was impressive, but the tunes seemed to lack a little something. That said I am still looking forward to hearing/seeing it again when Daft Punk releases their live album/DVD to correspond with this year's tour. Considering the multitudes of rave reviews I feel I must have missed something and am pretty much looking to get anything out of that disappointing evening.
Also Released Today:
Amy Winehouse, Frank
The Killers, Sawdust
Lupe Fiasco, The Cool
James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, Fabriclive: 36
The Antlers, In the Attic Of the Universe
December 4th:
After releasing two albums last year, Ghostface Killah is making a late run at my year end list with another release this year. The best solo rapper out of all the Wu Tang members, Ghost got the first Wu Tang album in five years pushed back just by saying he was releasing this. Now that's power. It gives him an extra week or two to reap in some Christmas sales, while the world gets an extra two weeks to figure out just where Ghostface will go in all the year end lists he is sure to wind up in if this album is anywhere close to as good as the last two. I'm excited, and I haven't heard shit from this album yet!
Ghostface Killah - "Celebrate"
Also Released Today:
Libertines, Time for Heroes
Aloha, Light Works
Ashlee Simpson, Color Outside the Lines
December 11th:
Neither one of the albums I want to preview here have leaked anything. There are no songs out from either of them, no track listing, and no covers. Who knows if there actually going to be released here, but I'm going to tell you I am looking forward to them anyway. The first is the first solo release from Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. As a teen, Weezer totally impacted my life and has continued to be a constant source of joy every time I listen to the band. Sure the last two albums have been total disappointments (some would even say the last three albums) but I have a feelign Rivers is only going to release the best of his solo stuff here and will wow us all again like he did with Pinkerton
The other album is Nas' N*gger. If you've followed Nas along his career you can pretty much imagine what this album is going to be like. It's going to take shots at rappers that don't matter half as much as Nas, it'll be a little political, feature lots of social commentary, and straight kill all the way through. It's what I expect from Nas at least, and I'm sure you guys feel the same way.
Also Released Today:
Nothing
December 18th:
As a life long Staten Islander I have a certain affinity for the Wu Tang Clan. The group represents Staten Island more then anything else, aside from maybe the now closed garbage dump. It's because they put my hometown on the map, and because they have constantly been one of the best all-around rap groups in the history of the game that I will always come back to the table when the Wu drops an album. This time around it's been five years since the released the lackluster Iron Flag and because most of the Wu members seem to be focusing on their solo careers I kind of have a feeling they may not be serving up their top verses on this album. But whatever they do put out there you can be sure RZA is gonna get the most out of it with his amazing production skills. This should certainly be one of the finest rap albums of the year if not one of the finest overall albums.
Wu Tang Clan - "Take It Back"
Also Released Today:
G-Unit, Shoot to Kill
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday's Links:
- Disconap is giving away a pair of tickets to see Lavender Diamond tomorrow at the Knitting Factory.
- Ear Farm is plugging his own Halloween show featuring Goes Cube, Mancino, The Giraffes, and Hopewell.
- Pitchfork has an interview with Sall Shapiro, who has the spectacular Disco Romance released in the U.S. at last today.
- CMJ.com is spotlighting We Are Wolves this week.
- Stylus continues it's countdown to extinction by releasing its list for the best re-issues of 2007.
November 6th:
Last year was it was supposed to be a shock that Jay-Z was coming out of retirement to release the tragically underwhelming Kingdom Come, so this year's release is more like when Jordan retired from the Bulls a second time only to come back to the Washington Wizards to sell tickets. The hype surrounding American Gangster is a positive sign though, and while the leaked tracks are no where near the early days of Jay-Z , they have shown that there are signs of life on this album. Hopefully, being a soundtrack to a major motion picture about being the king hustler in the streets will focus J and give us some really enjoyable moments.Jay-Z - "Brooklyn 2.0 (feat. Lil' Wayne)"
Having already leaked before OiNK was shut down, the Grizzly Bear Friend EP has been making the rounds already getting some big time pre-release buzz. Following an excellent release last year, this short EP with a few re-worked tracks and several able covers from friends of the band, is the perfect release to tithe us till the new album is ready for release. It is especially noteworthy for the Atlas Sound cover of "Knife" that is absolutely brilliant.Atlas Sound - "Knife"
Also Out Today:
Sigur Ros, Hvarf/Heim
LCD Soundsystem, 45:33
Tokyo Police Club, Smith
Nas, Greatest Hits
November 13th:
A few weeks back I shined a light on King Khan & the Shrines, and outfit my brother turned me on to and has since become a constant source of enjoyable listening for me. But since I learned of the first band I delved a bit more into the history and found this other project called King Khan & the BBQ show. Now it seems people all over are raving about their forth coming album and their terrific live presence. While I haven't seen the band live, I have heard the two tracks below and I'm super excited for this release. This is probably the best remaining indie rock release this year. Make sure you guys pick it up, or you'll really be missing out.King Khan & the BBQ Show - "Fish Fight"
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "Love You So"
Also Released Today:
Ja Rule, The Mirror
The Hives, Black and White Album
Os Mutantes, Os Mutantes Live
November 20th:
When I went to see Daft Punk at Brooklyn's Keyspan Park I was anything but blown away. It seemed to be the only chilly night of the entire summer, it was rainy, and I was stuck in a seat unable to shake my booty with the throngs of folks down on the field doing their thing. The light display was impressive, but the tunes seemed to lack a little something. That said I am still looking forward to hearing/seeing it again when Daft Punk releases their live album/DVD to correspond with this year's tour. Considering the multitudes of rave reviews I feel I must have missed something and am pretty much looking to get anything out of that disappointing evening.Also Released Today:
Amy Winehouse, Frank
The Killers, Sawdust
Lupe Fiasco, The Cool
James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, Fabriclive: 36
The Antlers, In the Attic Of the Universe
December 4th:
After releasing two albums last year, Ghostface Killah is making a late run at my year end list with another release this year. The best solo rapper out of all the Wu Tang members, Ghost got the first Wu Tang album in five years pushed back just by saying he was releasing this. Now that's power. It gives him an extra week or two to reap in some Christmas sales, while the world gets an extra two weeks to figure out just where Ghostface will go in all the year end lists he is sure to wind up in if this album is anywhere close to as good as the last two. I'm excited, and I haven't heard shit from this album yet!Ghostface Killah - "Celebrate"
Also Released Today:
Libertines, Time for Heroes
Aloha, Light Works
Ashlee Simpson, Color Outside the Lines
December 11th:
Neither one of the albums I want to preview here have leaked anything. There are no songs out from either of them, no track listing, and no covers. Who knows if there actually going to be released here, but I'm going to tell you I am looking forward to them anyway. The first is the first solo release from Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. As a teen, Weezer totally impacted my life and has continued to be a constant source of joy every time I listen to the band. Sure the last two albums have been total disappointments (some would even say the last three albums) but I have a feelign Rivers is only going to release the best of his solo stuff here and will wow us all again like he did with PinkertonThe other album is Nas' N*gger. If you've followed Nas along his career you can pretty much imagine what this album is going to be like. It's going to take shots at rappers that don't matter half as much as Nas, it'll be a little political, feature lots of social commentary, and straight kill all the way through. It's what I expect from Nas at least, and I'm sure you guys feel the same way.
Also Released Today:
Nothing
December 18th:
As a life long Staten Islander I have a certain affinity for the Wu Tang Clan. The group represents Staten Island more then anything else, aside from maybe the now closed garbage dump. It's because they put my hometown on the map, and because they have constantly been one of the best all-around rap groups in the history of the game that I will always come back to the table when the Wu drops an album. This time around it's been five years since the released the lackluster Iron Flag and because most of the Wu members seem to be focusing on their solo careers I kind of have a feeling they may not be serving up their top verses on this album. But whatever they do put out there you can be sure RZA is gonna get the most out of it with his amazing production skills. This should certainly be one of the finest rap albums of the year if not one of the finest overall albums.Wu Tang Clan - "Take It Back"
Also Released Today:
G-Unit, Shoot to Kill
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday's Links:
- Disconap is giving away a pair of tickets to see Lavender Diamond tomorrow at the Knitting Factory.
- Ear Farm is plugging his own Halloween show featuring Goes Cube, Mancino, The Giraffes, and Hopewell.
- Pitchfork has an interview with Sall Shapiro, who has the spectacular Disco Romance released in the U.S. at last today.
- CMJ.com is spotlighting We Are Wolves this week.
- Stylus continues it's countdown to extinction by releasing its list for the best re-issues of 2007.
Labels:
album reviews,
daft punk,
ghostface killah,
jay z,
mp3's,
nas,
preview,
rivers cuomo,
weezer,
wu tang clan
Last night I got an early Halloween treat when my buddy Peter of the band The Antlers sent me over three new songs that he's packaging as an EP and giving away. I've only had one listen through each of the songs, but like everything else he's done so far this is some really good stuff. The EP is called Cold War EP and features two original songs as well as a cover of Beach House's "Apple Orchard"! Pretty sweet.If that wasn't enough Fall Records will be releasing In the Attic Of the Universe on November 20th (five days before my birthday!). This album, already going pretty high up on my year end list, is the breakthrough for The Antlers and should reach an even wider audience now that it's getting a proper release.
Finally, Peter has begun work on the follow-up to In the Attic... and album he's calling Hospice, which will be the first Antlers album recorded as a full band and not just Peter alone.
Looks like things are going good for the musical prodigy and I'm sure we'll hear a lot more from The Antlers as the year winds down and the calendar flips over.
The Antlers - "East River Berlin Wall"
The Antlers - "Apple Orchard" (Beach House cover)
The Antlers - "Cold War"
The Antlers Cold War EP (zip)
Upcoming Shows:
November 3rd, Record Re-Release Show @ Piano's w/ Bubble/Gum & A Brief Smile
Monday: David Bazan + Old Podrida @ Mercury Lounge 7pm $12
At this point everyone knows who David Bazan is, he's the former member of Pedro the Lion that's gone solo, so let's talk a bit about Ola Podrida. Old Podrida is a band that popped up on the radar a few months ago and seem to have faded back a bit. This is of course complete rubbish as Ola Podrida deserve to be big blips on this radar thanks to their rocking sounds and the fact that they had Interpol's album art first. Actually the second reason isn't really a reason just a fact I like to bring up every once in a while. Anyway, not seeing this band would ruin your 2007, so just do it.
David Bazan - "Cold Beer & Cigarettes"
Ola Podrida - "Instead"
Tuesday: The Forms + Pattern Is Movement @ Cake Shop 8pm $?
Somehow The Forms managed to fly under the radar at CMJ this year. The band played a bunch of well received shows but were overshadowed by the hype bestowed upon much shittier bands. Having released two excellent albums in the last four years The Forms are a band that you need to listen to, they are awesome, and seeing them at Cake Shop will be a mind blowing experience!
The Forms - "Knowledge In Hand"
Pattern Is Movement - "It's the Wine"
Wednesday: Ear Farm Halloween Show @ Europa 8pm $10
Being that its Halloween there are pretty much a thousand choices to make tonight. You could go to the parade in the village, see the B-52's for $50 at a shitty venue, go trick o' treating with the kiddies, and so on and so forth. But if you really wanna get down head out to Europa where my buddy Matt Ear Farm will be celebrating Halloween with a few of his favorite bands; Goes Cube, Mancino, Hopewell, and The Giraffes. All are solid, some are better then solid, and with a costume contest, a Music Slut DJ, and booze it will have all the feeling of your regular Halloween party.
Goes Cube - "Song 46"
Mancino - "The Lavender Lake"
Thursday: The Decemberists + Laura Veirs @ Terminal 5 7pm $30
The Decemberists are really beginning to develop a history for unique tour ideas to go with their already stellar reputation for awesome music. They routinely get the audience participating, have performed with symphonies, and now are touring do two shows, one devoted to their epic long songs and the other devoted to the shorter poppier tunes. Tonight's is the one I am looking forward to slightly more as the band will perform their longer songs. I'm hoping this means we'll be getting a live version of "The Tain" which I have seen only once in person, and "The Mariner's Revenge". My fingers are crossed!!!
The Decemberists - "The Tain Part II"
Friday: The Decemberists + Laura Veirs @ Terminal 5 7pm $30
Friday's performance should be the more packed of the two as the band plays their radio friendly, sing-a-long hits like "O, Valencia", "16 Military Wives", "July, July", and a host of other specatacular songs. If you have only been listening to the band for the past two albums I'd suggest this show, but both will be amazing, unique experiences.
The Decemberists - "The Sporting Life"
Laura Veirs - "Don't Lose Yourself"
Saturday: Grizzly Bear @ The Society for Ethical Culture 6:30pm $20
Last month I saw Beirut during their stop at the Wordless Music Series and was so blown away by the atmosphere and the performance that I knew I wanted to go back again. Luckily for me they are hosting another band I love in Grizzly Bear, and as an added bonus this will be their last live show for some time! Should be a blast!
Grizzly Bear - "He Hit Me"
Sunday: Soft Circle + Pit Er Pat + High Places @ Silent Barn 8pm $?
Can anyone guess why I'm recommending this show? *Cough* High Places.
High Places - "Head Spins"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's Links:
- One of my favorite music sites in the world has decided to close up shop this week. Stylus Magazine's own editor Todd Burns does the eulogizing. Goodbye Stylus, we'll miss you.
- Copy Me Happy lists a variety of sites to fill in the void left by the shut down of OiNK last week.
- Daytrotter has the incomparable Andrew Bird!
- Pitchfork reviews the re-released and spruced up Joy Division catalog with the most obvous 10.0 ratings in the history of the site for Unknown Pleasures and Closer.
At this point everyone knows who David Bazan is, he's the former member of Pedro the Lion that's gone solo, so let's talk a bit about Ola Podrida. Old Podrida is a band that popped up on the radar a few months ago and seem to have faded back a bit. This is of course complete rubbish as Ola Podrida deserve to be big blips on this radar thanks to their rocking sounds and the fact that they had Interpol's album art first. Actually the second reason isn't really a reason just a fact I like to bring up every once in a while. Anyway, not seeing this band would ruin your 2007, so just do it.
David Bazan - "Cold Beer & Cigarettes"
Ola Podrida - "Instead"
Tuesday: The Forms + Pattern Is Movement @ Cake Shop 8pm $?
Somehow The Forms managed to fly under the radar at CMJ this year. The band played a bunch of well received shows but were overshadowed by the hype bestowed upon much shittier bands. Having released two excellent albums in the last four years The Forms are a band that you need to listen to, they are awesome, and seeing them at Cake Shop will be a mind blowing experience!
The Forms - "Knowledge In Hand"
Pattern Is Movement - "It's the Wine"
Wednesday: Ear Farm Halloween Show @ Europa 8pm $10
Being that its Halloween there are pretty much a thousand choices to make tonight. You could go to the parade in the village, see the B-52's for $50 at a shitty venue, go trick o' treating with the kiddies, and so on and so forth. But if you really wanna get down head out to Europa where my buddy Matt Ear Farm will be celebrating Halloween with a few of his favorite bands; Goes Cube, Mancino, Hopewell, and The Giraffes. All are solid, some are better then solid, and with a costume contest, a Music Slut DJ, and booze it will have all the feeling of your regular Halloween party.
Goes Cube - "Song 46"
Mancino - "The Lavender Lake"
Thursday: The Decemberists + Laura Veirs @ Terminal 5 7pm $30
The Decemberists are really beginning to develop a history for unique tour ideas to go with their already stellar reputation for awesome music. They routinely get the audience participating, have performed with symphonies, and now are touring do two shows, one devoted to their epic long songs and the other devoted to the shorter poppier tunes. Tonight's is the one I am looking forward to slightly more as the band will perform their longer songs. I'm hoping this means we'll be getting a live version of "The Tain" which I have seen only once in person, and "The Mariner's Revenge". My fingers are crossed!!!
The Decemberists - "The Tain Part II"
Friday: The Decemberists + Laura Veirs @ Terminal 5 7pm $30
Friday's performance should be the more packed of the two as the band plays their radio friendly, sing-a-long hits like "O, Valencia", "16 Military Wives", "July, July", and a host of other specatacular songs. If you have only been listening to the band for the past two albums I'd suggest this show, but both will be amazing, unique experiences.
The Decemberists - "The Sporting Life"
Laura Veirs - "Don't Lose Yourself"
Saturday: Grizzly Bear @ The Society for Ethical Culture 6:30pm $20
Last month I saw Beirut during their stop at the Wordless Music Series and was so blown away by the atmosphere and the performance that I knew I wanted to go back again. Luckily for me they are hosting another band I love in Grizzly Bear, and as an added bonus this will be their last live show for some time! Should be a blast!
Grizzly Bear - "He Hit Me"
Sunday: Soft Circle + Pit Er Pat + High Places @ Silent Barn 8pm $?
Can anyone guess why I'm recommending this show? *Cough* High Places.
High Places - "Head Spins"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's Links:
- One of my favorite music sites in the world has decided to close up shop this week. Stylus Magazine's own editor Todd Burns does the eulogizing. Goodbye Stylus, we'll miss you.
- Copy Me Happy lists a variety of sites to fill in the void left by the shut down of OiNK last week.
- Daytrotter has the incomparable Andrew Bird!
- Pitchfork reviews the re-released and spruced up Joy Division catalog with the most obvous 10.0 ratings in the history of the site for Unknown Pleasures and Closer.
Free Shows: (stillt he most unbeatable price on Earth!!!)
Wednesday November 7th - Grizzly Bear @ Virgin Mega Store Union Square 6:30pm
Grizzly Bear - "Alligator (Choir Version)"
Monday November 12th - She Keeps Bees @ Knitting Factory
She Keeps Bees - "Revival"
Saturday November 10th - Rahim @ Sound Fix Records 8pm
Rahim - "Forever Love"
Thursday November 15th - Scotland Yard Gospel Choir @ Sound Fix Records 8pm
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - "Aspidestra"
Cheap Shows:($10 or less; still cheaper then dinner and a movie!)
Friday November 2nd - Murder Mystery @ Galapagos 10pm $8
Murder Mystery - "Honey Come Home"
Saturday November 3rd - Ultra Dolphins @ Cake Shop 8pm $?
Ultra Dolphins - "If You Will"
Tuesday November 6th - The Walkup + The Party Faithful @ Luna Lounge 7pm $5
The Walkup - "Run & Hide"
Wednesday November 7th - Soft @ Cake Shop 8pm $6
Soft - "Higher"
Friday November 9th - Phosphorescent + Bowerbirds @ Silent Barn ?pm $?
Phosphorescent - "Wolves"
Bowerbirds - "In Our Talons"
Sunday November 19th - Love of Diagrams @ Death By Audio 8pm $?
Love of Diagrams - "All the Time"
Tuesday November 20th - Oppenheimer @ Union Hall 7:30pm $?
Oppenheimer - "Breakfast in NYC"
Saturday November 24th - The Blakes @ Knitting Factory 6:30pm $10
The Blakes - "Vampire"
Not So Cheap Shows:($20 or less; if you skip a meal or two you can easily afford this, and you look like you could skip a meal or two!)
Thursday November 1st - The Thermals @ Warsaw 8pm $17
The Thermals - "A Pillar Of Salt"
Friday November 2nd - Sufjan Stevens (performing "BQE") @ BAM 8pm $20
Sufjan Stevens - "Sister"
Saturday November 3rd - The Fiery Furnaces @ Hiro Ballroom 7pm $20
The Fiery Furnaces - "Automatic Husband"
Saturday November 3rd - Grizzly Bear @ Society for Ethical Culture 6:30pm $20
Grizzly Bear - "He Hit Me"
Sunday November 11th - Final Fantasy + Cadence Weapon @ Bowery Ballroom 7pm $13
Final Fantasy - "Peach, Plum, Pear"
Cadence Weapon - "Sharks"
Monday November 12th - The Pipettes + Ladybug Transistor @ Gramercy Theater 7pm $19 The Pipettes - "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me"
Ladybug Transistor - "Always On the Telephone"
Monday November 12th - Busdriver @ Mercury Lounge 7pm $12
Busdriver - "Unemployed Black Astronaut"
Tuesday November 13th - Battles + White Williams @ Webster Hall 7pm $20
Battles - "Prismism"
White Williams - "Headlines"
Thursday November 15th - Malajube + Die Romantik + The Epochs @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $13
Malajube - "Montreal -40 C"
Die Romantik - "Tik Tok"
The Epochs - "Opposite Sides"
Saturday November 17th - A Place to Bury Strangers @ Abrons Art Center 8pm $17
A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
Saturday November 17th - My Brightest Diamond + Tim Fite @ Gramercy Theater 8pm $15 My Brightest Diamond - "Something of an End"
Tim Fite - "It's All Right Here"
Wednesday November 21st - The Kin + Wakey! Wakey! @ Highline Ballroom 6pm $12
The Kin - "Together"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
Wednesday November 28th - Celebration @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $14
Celebration - "Evergreen"
Friday November 30th - Los Campesions! @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15
Los Campesinos! - "Frontwards"
Mad Expensive Shows: (more than $20; do you really need to pay for cable at home???)
Thursday November 1st - The Decemberists @ Terminal 5 7pm $30
The Decemberists - "The Tain Part I"
Friday November 2nd - The Decemberists @ Terminal 5 7pm $30
The Decemberists - "The Sporting Life"
Wednesday November 14th - Broken Social Scene plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If @ Webster Hall 8pm $25
Kevin Drew - "Big Love"
Monday November 19th - Bright Eyes + Thurston Moore @ Radio City Music Hall 8pm $35
Bright Eyes - "Lua"
Thurston Moore - "Never Light"
Wednesday November 21st - The Hold Steady + Art Brut + 1990's @ Terminal 5 7:30pm $25
The Hold Steady - "Cattle and the Creeping Things" (Live)
Art Brut - "St. Pauli"
1990's - "You Made Me Like It"
Wednesday November 7th - Grizzly Bear @ Virgin Mega Store Union Square 6:30pmGrizzly Bear - "Alligator (Choir Version)"
Monday November 12th - She Keeps Bees @ Knitting FactoryShe Keeps Bees - "Revival"
Saturday November 10th - Rahim @ Sound Fix Records 8pmRahim - "Forever Love"
Thursday November 15th - Scotland Yard Gospel Choir @ Sound Fix Records 8pmScotland Yard Gospel Choir - "Aspidestra"
Cheap Shows:($10 or less; still cheaper then dinner and a movie!)
Friday November 2nd - Murder Mystery @ Galapagos 10pm $8Murder Mystery - "Honey Come Home"
Saturday November 3rd - Ultra Dolphins @ Cake Shop 8pm $?Ultra Dolphins - "If You Will"
Tuesday November 6th - The Walkup + The Party Faithful @ Luna Lounge 7pm $5The Walkup - "Run & Hide"
Wednesday November 7th - Soft @ Cake Shop 8pm $6Soft - "Higher"
Friday November 9th - Phosphorescent + Bowerbirds @ Silent Barn ?pm $?Phosphorescent - "Wolves"
Bowerbirds - "In Our Talons"
Sunday November 19th - Love of Diagrams @ Death By Audio 8pm $?Love of Diagrams - "All the Time"
Tuesday November 20th - Oppenheimer @ Union Hall 7:30pm $?Oppenheimer - "Breakfast in NYC"
Saturday November 24th - The Blakes @ Knitting Factory 6:30pm $10The Blakes - "Vampire"
Not So Cheap Shows:($20 or less; if you skip a meal or two you can easily afford this, and you look like you could skip a meal or two!)
Thursday November 1st - The Thermals @ Warsaw 8pm $17The Thermals - "A Pillar Of Salt"
Friday November 2nd - Sufjan Stevens (performing "BQE") @ BAM 8pm $20Sufjan Stevens - "Sister"
Saturday November 3rd - The Fiery Furnaces @ Hiro Ballroom 7pm $20The Fiery Furnaces - "Automatic Husband"
Saturday November 3rd - Grizzly Bear @ Society for Ethical Culture 6:30pm $20Grizzly Bear - "He Hit Me"
Sunday November 11th - Final Fantasy + Cadence Weapon @ Bowery Ballroom 7pm $13Final Fantasy - "Peach, Plum, Pear"
Cadence Weapon - "Sharks"
Monday November 12th - The Pipettes + Ladybug Transistor @ Gramercy Theater 7pm $19 The Pipettes - "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me"Ladybug Transistor - "Always On the Telephone"
Monday November 12th - Busdriver @ Mercury Lounge 7pm $12Busdriver - "Unemployed Black Astronaut"
Tuesday November 13th - Battles + White Williams @ Webster Hall 7pm $20Battles - "Prismism"
White Williams - "Headlines"
Thursday November 15th - Malajube + Die Romantik + The Epochs @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $13Malajube - "Montreal -40 C"
Die Romantik - "Tik Tok"
The Epochs - "Opposite Sides"
Saturday November 17th - A Place to Bury Strangers @ Abrons Art Center 8pm $17A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
Saturday November 17th - My Brightest Diamond + Tim Fite @ Gramercy Theater 8pm $15 My Brightest Diamond - "Something of an End"Tim Fite - "It's All Right Here"
Wednesday November 21st - The Kin + Wakey! Wakey! @ Highline Ballroom 6pm $12The Kin - "Together"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
Wednesday November 28th - Celebration @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $14Celebration - "Evergreen"
Friday November 30th - Los Campesions! @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15Los Campesinos! - "Frontwards"
Mad Expensive Shows: (more than $20; do you really need to pay for cable at home???)
Thursday November 1st - The Decemberists @ Terminal 5 7pm $30The Decemberists - "The Tain Part I"
Friday November 2nd - The Decemberists @ Terminal 5 7pm $30The Decemberists - "The Sporting Life"
Wednesday November 14th - Broken Social Scene plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If @ Webster Hall 8pm $25Kevin Drew - "Big Love"
Monday November 19th - Bright Eyes + Thurston Moore @ Radio City Music Hall 8pm $35Bright Eyes - "Lua"
Thurston Moore - "Never Light"
Wednesday November 21st - The Hold Steady + Art Brut + 1990's @ Terminal 5 7:30pm $25The Hold Steady - "Cattle and the Creeping Things" (Live)
Art Brut - "St. Pauli"
1990's - "You Made Me Like It"
The most prolific blogging frontman in all of Atlanta has just posted a brand new EP that was recorded in a van while on a 10-hour drive from Austria to Switzerland! Bradford Cox, the frontman for the touring Deerhunter, has also posted some wicked mixes on the page (some are still uploading as we speak) and a three song EP of covers from his "side project" Atlas Sound. I'm still pretty down on missing Atlas Sound and Deerhunter last week so this is a nice like gift to help me get over it at last!
Atlas Sound Altitude Sickness
1. come softly (originally performed by the Fleetwoods)
2. you're so fine (originally performed by the Falcons)
3. you belong to me (originally performed by the Duprees)
Atlas Sound - Altitude Sickness EP
Deerhunter Remaining European Tour Dates:
Oct 26 - Dudingen, Switzerland
Bad Bonn
Oct 27 - Gallen, Switzerland
Palace w/ Frog Eyes St.
Oct 28 - Basel, Switzerland
Kaserne w/ Frog Eyes
Oct 30 - Brussels, Belgium
Recyclart
Oct 31 - Paris, France
Maroquinerie w/ Apache Beat
Nov 1 - Castellon, Spain
Tanned Tin Festival @ Auditori i Palau de Congresos w/ The Ex, Xiu Xiu and many more!
Nov 2 - London, United Kingdom
ATP presents Release The Bats @ The Forum w/ Liars, Black Lips, Deerhoof, and Fuck Buttons
Nov 3 - Leeds, United Kingdom
Nasty Fest VIII @ The Faversham w/ Nine Black Alps, Voxtrot, The Black Lips, and many more
Nov 4 - Glasgow, Scotland
ABC2
Nov 5 - Dublin, Ireland
Whelans w/ Yacht
Nov 6 - Nottingham, United Kingdom
Liars Club @ The Social
Nov 7 - Manchester, United Kingdom
Saki
Nov 8 - Prague, Czech Republic
Famufest @ Archa Theatre
Nov 9 - Groningen, Netherlands
Vera Groningen
Nov 10 - Utrecht, Netherlands
Tivoli w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 12 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Loppen
Nov 13 - Malmo, Sweden
Malmo Debaser
Nov 14 - Oslo, Norway
Garage
Nov 15 - Stockholm, Sweden
Södra Teatern / Kägelbanan
Nov 16 - Gothenburg, Sweden
Slippery People at Pusterviksbaren
Nov 17 - Aarhus, Denmark
VoxHall
Nov 18 - Dresden, Germany
Scheune
Nov 19 - Leipzig, Germany
UT Connewitz
Nov 30 - Atlanta, Georgia
Variety Playhouse w/ Black Lips, Snowden, The Selmanaires
Dec 5 - Athens, Georgia
Georgia Theatre w/ Black Lips
Dec 8 - Barcelona, Spain
Primavera Club @ Parc del Forum Auditorium
It's been four years since we last heard a new song from The Forms. Back then their debut album Icarus got them some rave reviews, but it's taken the band some time to get the new one done and put out. Well the album will arrived in stores on Tuesday, having been produced by some guy named Steve Albini. Now the band has announced tour dates to support the release of the album. If they're stopping by your city make sure you're at their show!
Tour Dates:
October 30 – Cake Shop – New York, NY (Record Release party
w/Patter Is Movement)
November 1 – Lava Lounge – Pittsburgh, PA
November 2 – Pearl Nightclub – Dayton, OH
November 3 – Permanent Records – Chicago, IL (2 PM In-store
performance)
November 3 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
November 4 – Elbow Room - Ypsilanti, MI
November 5 - The Rosebud - Grand Haven, MI
November 6 – First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
November 7 – Record Bar – Kansas City, MI
November 8 – Bluebird Café – St Louis, MI
November 9 – Cowboy Monkey – Champaign, IL
November 10 - Lola's - Tulsa, OK
November 13 – San Diego or Long Beach
November 14 – The Scene - Los Angeles, CA
November 15 – 3 of Clubs – Hollywood, CA
November 16 – Rounders - Santa Cruz
November 17 – The Speakeasy Lounge – Sacramento, CA
November 19 – The Funhouse – Seattle, WA
November 20 – Tonic Lounge – Portland, OR
The Forms on Myspace
The Forms - "Knowledge In Hand"
The Forms - "Bones"
Tour Dates:
October 30 – Cake Shop – New York, NY (Record Release party
w/Patter Is Movement)
November 1 – Lava Lounge – Pittsburgh, PA
November 2 – Pearl Nightclub – Dayton, OH
November 3 – Permanent Records – Chicago, IL (2 PM In-store
performance)
November 3 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL
November 4 – Elbow Room - Ypsilanti, MI
November 5 - The Rosebud - Grand Haven, MI
November 6 – First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
November 7 – Record Bar – Kansas City, MI
November 8 – Bluebird Café – St Louis, MI
November 9 – Cowboy Monkey – Champaign, IL
November 10 - Lola's - Tulsa, OK
November 13 – San Diego or Long Beach
November 14 – The Scene - Los Angeles, CA
November 15 – 3 of Clubs – Hollywood, CA
November 16 – Rounders - Santa Cruz
November 17 – The Speakeasy Lounge – Sacramento, CA
November 19 – The Funhouse – Seattle, WA
November 20 – Tonic Lounge – Portland, OR
The Forms on Myspace
The Forms - "Knowledge In Hand"
The Forms - "Bones"
Is there any holiday that you get more excited for than Halloween? Sure when you were a kid it was all about the gifts of Christmas, but now that we're all grownd up we usually spend more on Christmas then we reap. Easter is freakin' gay. Valentine's sucks balls even if you're in a relationship. I'm not a mother or a father. So I guess for me its between Thanksgiving and Halloween. Eating vs. Getting Dressed Up Like an Asshole. Hmmm, tough call really but I'll give a slight edge to getting dressed up like an asshole, because then you get really wasted as well. Anywho, I have a little mix tape present for all of you in the form of some sweet ass Halloween songs! Hope y'all enjoy your tricks and your treats! Happy Halloween!!!
Ministry - "Everyday Is Halloween"
Metallica - "Enter Sandman"
Dead Kennedys - "Halloween"
Misfits - "Skulls"
Sonic Youth - "Halloween"
Mudhoney - "Halloween"
Roky Erickson & the Aliens - "I Walked With A Zombie"
Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
Danny Elfman - "This Is Halloween"
Ministry - "Everyday Is Halloween"
Metallica - "Enter Sandman"
Dead Kennedys - "Halloween"
Misfits - "Skulls"
Sonic Youth - "Halloween"
Mudhoney - "Halloween"
Roky Erickson & the Aliens - "I Walked With A Zombie"
Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
Danny Elfman - "This Is Halloween"
Labels:
halloween,
michael jackson,
ministry,
mix tape,
mp3's,
roky erickson,
sonic youth,
the ramones,
unicorns
Friday: With Halloween falling on a god forsaken Wednesday this year, Friday marks the official start to that actual Halloween festivities. So throw on a costume you lame bastard and have some fun already!Personally, I'm throwing a party at my place where there will be pumpkin carving, booze, and terribly fun Halloween cartoons from the 80's!!! Way more fun then it sounds trust me! If you have my phone number you're invited. Bring booze. And your own pumpkin to carve. Maybe some chips and cupcakes would be nice.
For those that don't even know where Staten Island is on a map, let alone where I live, might I suggest checking out King Khan & the BBQ Show at Montana's Party Place. My brother explained the difference between King Khan & the Shrines and King Khan & the BBQ Show on Monday saying; "King Khan and the Shrines is singer songwriter King Khan being backed up by the Shrines a fairly large garage r&b band with horns and stuff. King Khan and the BBQ Show is just singer songwriter King Khan with Mark Sultan who plays drums and sings and occasionally uses the stage name the BBQ Show. He also has an amazing Garage Rock album of his own from last year entitled The Sultanic Verses." Well thanks Tim, that explains it all! Oh and wear a costume, because it's Halloween weekend!!!
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "Love You So"
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "Fish Fight"
Also Playing Tonight:
Drive By Truckers @ Bowery SOLD OUT!
Pants Yell!@ Cake Shop 8pm $6
Titus Andronicus @ Dead Herring 8pm $5
Morrissey @ Hammerstein 7pm $65
Magik Markers + Tall Firs @ Knitting Factory 6:30pm $10
Film School + Land of Talk @ Maxwell's 9pm $10
Shout Out Louds @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8pm $15
The Brunettes @ Union Hall 8pm $10
Saturday: If you're not doing anything this afternoon (personally I will be playing some flag football) you should check out the Central Park Pumkin Festival. Beginning at noon there will be all sorts of fun events for kids and adults alike, plus you get some entertainment from a little band I love called Wakey! Wakey!, sweet! Wakey! Wakey! will be going on at around 2pm, so please be punctual. And wear a costume.Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
After that you can keep the costumes on a bit longer and head over to Union Hall where The Lisps will be throwing their own Halloween shindig. Featuring The Lisps, Ladybug Transistor, The Physics of Meaning, and Le Concorde as well as fellow After the Jumper Jen Kellas doing DJ duties, the night is sure to have more good tunes then your average Halloween party where you will most likely hear "The Monster Mash" 142 times. There will be a costume contest, no I don't know what the prizes are, and I know The Lisps have stepped up to the plate on the costume front so make sure you guys bring your A-game as well! Personally, I have no idea what to be but that's not too big of a deal 'cause I'm sure I'll figure something out.The Lisps - "Pepper Spray"
Ladybug Transistor - "Always On the Telephone"
Also Playing Tonight:
The Go! Team @ Bowery SOLD OUT!
Morrissey @ Hammerstein $65
Danzig @ Nokie Theater 8pm $32.50
Care Bears on Fire @ The Annex $?
Jens Lekman @ Webster Hall 7pm $20
Sunday: Following a festive two days of Halloweening, I'll probably spend most of my day cooped up in the house, sitting on the couch, watching football. Why are the Giants in London? Do they even know what football is over there? Whatever.Anyway, after all that football watching I might need to stretch my legs a bit and seeing as it's Halloween weekend what better way to do that then by checking out a chamber metal band! Boris is stopping at Bowery Ballroom today, to blow your ear drums apart with their noisy metal. As an added bonus is guitar god Michio Kurihara, who collaborated with Boris on this year's sensational EP Rainbows (yeah real original title Radiohead!) and hopefully they will join forces on stage as well! Should be an awesome show!
Boris + Michio Kurihara - "Rainbow"
Also Playing Tonight:
Yeasayer @ Arbons Art Center
Morrissey @ Hammerstein
Girl In A Coma @ Knitting Factory
The Go! Team @ Studio B
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Friday's Link:
- So the World Series is two games in and it looks like the Rockies are going to get killed in this one. As soon as they show signs of life, they are crushed by some mistake or another great pitch from the Boston arms. The good news is that if anyone manages to steal a base in this series Taco Bell will be giving away free tacos! Sweet!
- WFMU has announced that it's landmark record fair will be happening next weekend. For the details just click on the WFMU link above. Good luck record hunters!
- Pitchfork has Queens of the Stoneage on its Guest List.
- CMJ.com invites you to take a survey to try and win an electric guitar.
- Aziz pours one out for OiNK with a fitting video tribute.
Xiu Xiu is prepping to make 2008 a very big year for the band. Hot on the heels of announcing their book The Polaroid Project would be released in November instead of the originally scheduled September release date, the band have gone and announced the title of their new album as well as the track listing. The album, Women As Lovers, will be released on January 29th on Kill Rock Stars. I really wish I had seen this band during last week's CMJ, my brother informed me that it was fantastic but Gramercy was just a little too far from the rest of the action for me.
Track Listing:
01. I Do What I Want When I Want
02. In Lust You Can Hear the Axe Fall
03. F.T.W.
04. No Friend Oh!
05. Guantanamo Canto
06. Under Pressure (feat. Michael Gira)
07. Black Keyboard
08. Master of the Bump (Kurt Stumbaugh, I Can Feel the Soil Falling
Over My Head)
09. You Are Pregnant, You Are Dead
10. The Leash
11. Child At Arms
12. Puff and Bunny
13. White Nerd
14. Gayle Lynn
Xiu Xiu - "Hello from Eau Claire"
Track Listing:
01. I Do What I Want When I Want
02. In Lust You Can Hear the Axe Fall
03. F.T.W.
04. No Friend Oh!
05. Guantanamo Canto
06. Under Pressure (feat. Michael Gira)
07. Black Keyboard
08. Master of the Bump (Kurt Stumbaugh, I Can Feel the Soil Falling
Over My Head)
09. You Are Pregnant, You Are Dead
10. The Leash
11. Child At Arms
12. Puff and Bunny
13. White Nerd
14. Gayle Lynn
Xiu Xiu - "Hello from Eau Claire"
Well the title naming contest for Wakey! Wakey!'s debut album is over! The album is being called Silent as a Movie and features cover art by Carolyn Wachnicki who has provided me with numerous excellent flyers and will also be handling the same duties for Jukebox the Ghost! Pretty cool stuff, now if I could just get my hands on an advance! Don't forget Wakey! Wakey! will be playing the Central Park Pumpkin Festival on Saturday starting at about 2pm!
Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Saturday October 27th @ Central Park Pumpkin Festival, NY, NY
Wednesday November 7th @ The Abbey; Harrisburg, PA (w/The Epochs)
Friday November 16th @ Rockwood Music Hall; NY, NY
Wednesday November 21st @ Highline Ballroom; NY, NY (w/The Kin)
Wednesday December 5th @ Rockwood Music Hall, NY, NY
Standing at Cake Shop during CMJ last week I found myself wrapped up in a serene sense of awe. On stage a foot and a half in front of me were four musicians; a drummer, a keyboardist, a bassist, and a singer/guitarist. This singer/guitarist was the focal point of everything for the band and I don't think a single pair of male eyes wavered from her at all during the band's set. She was gorgeous, yes, but she was captivating for so many more reasons. Her guitar work was simply magnificent, her vocal work was breathtaking, and the guys behind her were letting her have her way in front of the crowd of interested onlookers. It was an awesome performance and it led to some quick stalking across the internet for more information on this band called Gowns.
Spawning from the remnants of several other California area bands, Gowns is more or less three people; lead singer/guitarist Erika Anderson, drummer Corey Fogel, and synth man Ezra Buchla (though they recently lost Fogel, and added drummer Jacob Huele and bassist Aaron Davis, which is the lineup I saw). The three found residence in the Bay area and began writing strange sorts of music together. Within their music are so many dissonant working parts, that meld together to form one unified harmonious front. It sounds like drone but reeks of folk. A lot of that is due to our front woman Erika Anderson. Her quiet voice is the focal point of the group, slowly taking us through the story arch of their songs, while the rest of the boys get to play around behind her with their little noise rock experiments. It works, but in a strange sort of way. As you are being lulled to sleep by the droning noise of synths a beat kicks in and slowly, very slowly that leads into the vocals which then take off on their own while the noise continues behind them barely noticed. The music is the kind of stuff every band writes about; love and wanting to be loved and all that stuff, but coming from Erika Anderson's soulful whisper it sounds so true and passionate that it must be believed at once and never questioned again.
All this information is coming from a single live performance and a the few songs I was able to find scattered across the internet, but it leads me to believe I will soon be picking up their album Red State and listening to it on repeat for several weeks. Honestly, this band couldn't possibly be anymore mesmerizing. Make sure you check 'em out too!
Gowns - "Cherylee"
Gowns - "White Like Heaven"
Gowns on Myspace
Photo Note: I used a picture from Sucka Pants because it was a hundred times better then my own pictures of Gowns.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday's Links:
- Gothamist has an interview with one of the funniest men alive, Mr. Patton Oswalt! The Sub Pop recording artist, comedian, and actor will be in town performing for his Comdeians of Comedy tour at Irving Plaza on October 26th, as in tomorrow!
- Brooklyn Vegan lets us know that Sufjan Stevens will be previewing part of his "BQE" on WNYC-FM 93.9 on Sunday October 28th from 7-8pm. Sufjan will be performing the piece live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
- Pitchfork jumps on some blogger hype by recommending the new Yeasayer album All Hour Cymbals.
- The Tripwire brings news that Trent Reznor will be copying the Radiohead model when he releases the new Saul Williams album The Inevitable Rise of Niggy Tardust. The album will be available either for free or for $5, with the $5 getting you a higher quality download. It'll be itneresting to see whether the model works with a relatively unknown artist.
- Sports Note #1: The Red Sox are back in the World Series for the second time in the last four years. It seems weird that all of a sudden the Yankees are ousted every year in the first round and the freakin' Boston Red Sox are winning series in dramatic fashion left and right. It's like a kick in my chest! I can't stand it! Can you imagine what will happen if the Red Sox win the series, the Patriots win the Super Bowl, and the Celtics win the NBA title? I think the people of Chicago would kill themselves! Ugh, end this bizzarro world! GO ROCKIES!!!!
- CMJ.com has their spotlight on Beirut. You know the band I have been talking about for the past year, who's new album will most likely make my top 10 at the end of the year, who are wonderful in all the right ways. Yeah I thought you knew them already.
- Free Stuff #1: Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot were recently featured on Daytrotter. Ra Ra Riot does a version of "Dying Is Fine" and "Each Year" before adding the unreleased"Suspended in Gaffa" and the song written by their deceased drummer John Pike "St. Peter's Day Festival", while Vampire Weekend also does two unreleased songs, "I Stand Corrected" and "M 79". Sweet stuff, thanks Daytrotter!
- TV Note #1: At the end of Monday's Heroes I texted my girlfriend saying that they should show two consecutive hours of Heroes every week. I honestly cannot stand the anticipation anymore! Who is Veronic Mars' daddy? (Well, I think I know that!) What is Mohinder doing bringing Molly to the company? What the fuck is in Montreal? What the hell is Hiro doing in old time Japan still? Oh my god this show is the shit, for real!
- Free Stuff #2: The Tripwire is giving away the vinyl reissues of Depeche Mode's catalog. Even if you don't like Depeche Mode, don't have a record player, and aren't a DJ this would make a nice Christmas gift for someone that is!
- Sports Note #2: Wow Trent Dilfer. Thanks. For Nothing. ]
- Holy Fuck is streaming their entire new album on their Myspace page. The album came out on Tuesday.
- Free Stuff #3: If you're in LA, you could win tickets to see Bjork courtesy of CMJ.
- TV Note #2: Was anyone else getting tired of seeing hour long episodes of The Office? I mean I absolutely love The Office but an hour started to become extremely daunting. I guess this is the exact opposite of what I want NBC to do with Heroes, but hey I'm fickle like that.
- Fader Magazine has been posting videos of the bands that performed at their Fader Sideshow during CMJ. I've been loving the sets of bands I completely missed like Atlas Sound and White Williams, and have been questioning my CMJ itinerary anew.
- Free Stuff #4: Fader is giving a way a few pairs of brand new Pumas so you can style up your toes for free!
- Movie Note #1: I haven't seen a movie in theaters in a long long time. But tonight I'm going to see Lars and the Real Girl so I won't have this complaint for long. I hope I like it, and I hope they still serve that popcorn stuff at movie theaters.
- The Hold Steady's Craig Finn chatted with NME about their new album which they hope to have out by either the end of this year or early next year! The sooner the better Craig!!!
- Free Stuff #5: Would you like to win tickets to see Wakey! Wakey!'s biggest performance to date? Well all you have to do is name is as yet unreleased live album and you'll get a pair of tickets to see him and the rest of his band live and in person at Highline Ballroom. Just e-mail your original title here.
- NPR is streaming last night's concert by Spoon and The Ponys in Washington D.C..
- Free Stuff #6: If you're in Austin win tickets to the Fun Fun Fun Fest by e-mailing gorilla vs. bear.
- Pitchfork talks to Rakim about his first album in eight years, the state of hip-hop, and his tour.
- Free Stuff #7: Brooklyn Vegan has a four song EP from Liars available for download pretty much single handedly taking over for Oink. And if you really don't like Brooklyn Vegan you can download it here by giving out all your pertinent information.
- Gorilla vs. Bear has the new Final Fantasy single "Hey Dad" which features Beirut.
- TV Note #3: Tomorrow marks the first episode of the final season for Scrubs, a show that I have never followed religiously on tv, but that I do love on DVD. I guess it's people like me that kill good tv shows.
- Free Stuff #8: The Music Slut and Product Shop NYC are both giving away tickets to see the Shout Out Louds on Thursday at Bowery Ballroom. The show is already sold out otherwise I'd be promoting the shit out of it seeing as I'll be one of four bloggers DJing downstairs between sets. So when you hear the Jackson 5 "Up On A Rooftop" while ordering your pint of Stella know that it's coming from me!
- NPR has a review of Sharon Jones' new album 100 Days, 100 Nights.
- Sports Note #3: In my mind the Yankees are most definitely going to hire Don Mattingly which seems like a good idea until you realize a few points. 1) he is going to be the exact same type of manager as Joe Torre, which is not a bad thing but not what the Yankees need right now. 2) If things turn south for the Yanks under Mattingly, how do you get rid of the guy? He's a freakin' legend in New York that fans love. 3) You have the chance to hire the 2006 N.L. Manager of the Year Joe Girardi! The guy took a team with a payroll less then Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, A-Rod, or Roger Clemens individual salaries to the cusp of the playoffs. Sure he didn't get along with the ownership group in Florida, but I wouldn't either if they never showed any dedication to winning!
- Le Loup is Spin.com's Band of the Day!
- Free Stuff #9: A Brief Smile is still giving away their brand new album Now We All Have Horns! It's a pretty awesome album, and it's free so what's to lose.
- Free Stuff #10: Issue #49 of Fader Magazine the podcast featuring Deerhunter!
Here's the tracks...
The Sharp Things - "Cruel Thing"
Division Day - "Littleblood (Scott Solter Remix)"
Division Day - "Plowed" (Spong Cover)
Old Time Relijun - "Indestructible Life"
Old Time Relijun - "Daemon Meeting"
Old Time Relijun - "Liberation"
Mantella's Fashionable Neighborhood - "Apocalyptic Owl"
Mantella's Fashionable Nieghborhood - "Cherry Red"
King Mesh - "New York City"
The Drones - "Shark Fin Blues"
As surprising as this may sound to everyone reading this here internet page, I am not the biggest fan of freak-folk. Sure I love some of the bands that get lumped into that horribly titled genre, but I honestly don't consider them freak-folk. That said Castanets definitely fit within that bill, and yet I still love it. Amazing.On In the Vines Raymond Raposa has crafted his finest, most complete work to date. From beginning to end this album is littered with his finest lyrics, his finest vocal work, and certainly the best, deepest, and fullest musicianship of any of his previously lauded albums. The lyrics are weaved in an artful, yet accessible way; still a bit obscure but certainly nothing the average indie rocker would blush at. And using banjo, pedal steel guitar, and a wealth of freaked out backing sounds adds more layers to each of Castanets' songs then we've ever seen before.
As your listening to the album you get a sense of darkness provided by echoing vocals and the bits of electronic sounds floating in and out of the songs. It goes along perfectly with the lyrics being sung by Raposa, and adds a lot of texture to the pallet of the album. As with most things labeled any type of folk Raposa's voice carries the album to it's highest heights. On songs like "Sway" and "This Is the Early Game" you can fully feel every bit of freaked out emotion Raposa put into this album.
It's a rare occasion, but for once I truly agree with the genre labeling of this album. It suits it to a tee and lends itself as the perfect example of the genre as a whole.
Castanets - "Sway"
Castanets - "This Is the Early Game"
Also Released:
I think it goes without saying at this point that I have become a ravenous Wakey! Wakey! fan. Just last week I saw the band three times, and because of that steadfast devotion I have been able to gleam some info from Mike Grubbs, the leader of the band.First off the band is about to sign to, oh wait I promised Mike I wouldn't talk about his countless record deal offers from literally zillions of record labels. I apologize.
Anyway, Wakey! Wakey! has just announced two of his largest shows to date. The first is this Saturday at the Central Park Pumpkin Festival. In case you didn't know Central Park has a huge Pumpkin Fest each year to celebrate Halloween. It's a family oriented festival, so it's pretty fitting for Mike who can act like a giggling child from time to time himself! Wakey! Wakey! will be on at about 2pm and the festival starts at noon and runs all day! Bring the kids!
The band has also completed their debut, live album that is all set to go and be released except he doesn't have a name for it! Help him name it and not only will your title grace the cover of what is sure to be an instant classic, but you'll get two tickets to the next announcement! (E-mail Mike here with your title!!!)
Next up for Wakey! Wakey! will be there largest show to date at Highline Ballroom supporting The Kin. This room is about 25,000 times the size of the venues Mike has come to rule from behind his piano, but I am sure the band can handle this venue just as ably as they control the small rooms.
Whew...that's a lot and that's not mentioning the covers he is recording as I write this to give to you to excite you about the album release. I'm sure I'll have some of those covers to post in the very near future so stay tuned. For now check out some of his music on his website! Later!
Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Saturday October 27th @ Central Park Pumpkin Festival, NY, NY
Wednesday November 7th @ The Abbey; Harrisburg, PA (w/The Epochs)
Friday November 16th @ Rockwood Music Hall; NY, NY
Wednesday November 21st @ Highline Ballroom; NY, NY (w/The Kin)
Wednesday December 5th @ Rockwood Music Hall, NY, NY
I'm hoping this will be my final post about the CMJ Music Marathon until next year's festival rolls around to kick my ass around the city. It has been a rough, tiring, fun week, and though I never thought I would ever utter these words in my life - I am glad to be back at work. It's more relaxing and less hectic then a week of chasing buzz bands with beers. Here is the rundown on my CMJ experience...
Total Bands Seen: 47 (which considering I called it an early night three of the five nights is a pretty impressive number, and this does not include the repeat performances)
Bands Seen More Than Once: Wakey! Wakey! (three times), Cut Off Your Hands (2 times + 1 song), Bad Veins (twice), The Diggs (twice)
Best Set Of the Week: The Deathset!!!
Worst Band of the Week: The Big Sleep
Worst Set of the Week: Black Kids @ The Annex
Best Overall Showcase of the Week: Cardboard Records Showcase @ Cake Shop
Best Surprise Band of the Week: Carebears On Fire (kids that rock are cool!!!)
Best Non-Traditional Venue: Indaba Loft (despite the grueling stair climb and circulation problem!)
Worst Non-Traditional Venue: R Bar
A List of the Different Beers Imbibed: Budweiser, Bud Select, Pabst, Kronenburg, Magic Hat, Miller Lite, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Blue Point, Brooklyn Lager, Dead Guy Ale, Red Stripe, Coors Lite (wtf!?!?), Stella, Grolsch, Rolling Rock, and a couple I can't remember, I wonder why.
List of Bands Missed Due to Shows Running Late: Spoon, Big Bear, A Place to Bury Strangers, Illinois, St. Vincent, Team Robespierre, Palomar, Islands, Yo Majesty, The Subjects, Walter Meego, The Shackeltons, Voxtrot, Jack Penate, and I'm sure there were more!
Venues Visited: Bowery Ballroom, Pianos, Fontanas, Cake Shop, The Delancey, R Bar, Indaba Loft, Day Stage, The Annex, Fader Sideshow, Mercury Lounge, Gramercy Theater. Yeah not that many, no trips to Brooklyn.
Biggest Mistake of the Week: Not staying to see Spoon at Gramercy because it was late and I was tired.
Best Food: Nachos Grande at San Loco, gotta love that!
Total Bands Seen: 47 (which considering I called it an early night three of the five nights is a pretty impressive number, and this does not include the repeat performances)
Bands Seen More Than Once: Wakey! Wakey! (three times), Cut Off Your Hands (2 times + 1 song), Bad Veins (twice), The Diggs (twice)
Best Set Of the Week: The Deathset!!!
Worst Band of the Week: The Big Sleep
Worst Set of the Week: Black Kids @ The Annex
Best Overall Showcase of the Week: Cardboard Records Showcase @ Cake Shop
Best Surprise Band of the Week: Carebears On Fire (kids that rock are cool!!!)
Best Non-Traditional Venue: Indaba Loft (despite the grueling stair climb and circulation problem!)
Worst Non-Traditional Venue: R Bar
A List of the Different Beers Imbibed: Budweiser, Bud Select, Pabst, Kronenburg, Magic Hat, Miller Lite, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Blue Point, Brooklyn Lager, Dead Guy Ale, Red Stripe, Coors Lite (wtf!?!?), Stella, Grolsch, Rolling Rock, and a couple I can't remember, I wonder why.
List of Bands Missed Due to Shows Running Late: Spoon, Big Bear, A Place to Bury Strangers, Illinois, St. Vincent, Team Robespierre, Palomar, Islands, Yo Majesty, The Subjects, Walter Meego, The Shackeltons, Voxtrot, Jack Penate, and I'm sure there were more!
Venues Visited: Bowery Ballroom, Pianos, Fontanas, Cake Shop, The Delancey, R Bar, Indaba Loft, Day Stage, The Annex, Fader Sideshow, Mercury Lounge, Gramercy Theater. Yeah not that many, no trips to Brooklyn.
Biggest Mistake of the Week: Not staying to see Spoon at Gramercy because it was late and I was tired.
Best Food: Nachos Grande at San Loco, gotta love that!
Monday: Deerhunter + No Age @ Shangri La 8pm $9
So after a week in which I saw over 40 different bands I think I'm still ready for some more, and what better way then to catch to bands I meant to at CMJ but didn't. Both No Age and Deerhunter received spectacular reviews last week and having already seen them myself I am absolutely sure everyone that reviewed it in a positive light got it right. As for this venue, it's a Todd P venue so who the hell knows where it actually is????
Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
Tuesday: Film School + Land of Talk @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $12
For all the buzz that has landed Film School this headlining spot I have to say Land of Talk is the real draw here. The Toronto trio seems to play New York like they live here but that doesn't mean they should be overlooked as their alt-sound, and up beat choruses are absolutely sterling. Oh and I'm sure Film School is solid, I'm just a big proponent of Land of Talk.
Film School - "Lectric"
Land of Talk - "Dark Nature Places"
Wednesday: Division Day + Soft @ Sound Fix Records 8pm FREE
You know a week of taking in free shows all over town will leave us a bit spoiled so it's a real good thing we have Sound Fix Records to fall back on. The awesome record store's newly redone performance space has been hosting some tremendous bands for weeks now, and you can add Division Day to that list. Of course you all know Division Day by now, I mean they have been gracing blogs each week for months now thanks to their cool marketing ploy of releasing a cover or remix a week until their album came out. Check 'em out, it's free, no list needed!
Division Day - "Tigers"
Thursday: No Age @ Postscrypt Coffee House 8pm $3
In case No Age get over shadowed on Monday by some band called Deerhunter, here's a second chance to put the emphasis on this awesome lo-fi two piece. Having received comparisons to acts as varied as Lightning Bolt, Deerhunter, and Built to Spill, the band is known for their excellent live show which can be a complete blitz krieg of over the type rock music or a trippy freak out of psychadelic sounds. It's worth the $3 to take another look at such a great band.
No Age - "Get Hurt"
Friday: King Khan & the BBQ Show @ Montana's Party Place 8pm $?
A few weeks ago I highlighted a band called King Khan & the Shrines as my Band of the Week, well it turns out this band comes in several different flavors. This variation of the band probably sounds similar, or maybe it doesn't, I really don't know. What I do know is that I enjoy the other similarly named version of the band so much that I can't help but check out this variation on stage.
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "What's For Dinner?"
Saturday: Jens Lekman @ Webster Hall 7:00pm $20
Seeing Jens Lekman last year at Bowery and then at Pitchfork were two of the best performances I saw all of last year. I figure that since his new album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, is his finest yet that this show should top the two I saw last year. It's pretty simple math right?
Jen Lekman - "Your Arms Around Me"
Sunday: Boris + Michio Kurihara @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15
So I fucked up. At the beginning of this month I slept on getting tickets to the Boris show at Music Hall of Williamsburg and wound up not going the day of the show to get them. Well I'm not making that mistake again! To hell with it being Sunday I need to get my chamber metal rock on!!!
Boris + Michio Kurihara - "Rainbow"
So after a week in which I saw over 40 different bands I think I'm still ready for some more, and what better way then to catch to bands I meant to at CMJ but didn't. Both No Age and Deerhunter received spectacular reviews last week and having already seen them myself I am absolutely sure everyone that reviewed it in a positive light got it right. As for this venue, it's a Todd P venue so who the hell knows where it actually is????
Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
Tuesday: Film School + Land of Talk @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $12
For all the buzz that has landed Film School this headlining spot I have to say Land of Talk is the real draw here. The Toronto trio seems to play New York like they live here but that doesn't mean they should be overlooked as their alt-sound, and up beat choruses are absolutely sterling. Oh and I'm sure Film School is solid, I'm just a big proponent of Land of Talk.
Film School - "Lectric"
Land of Talk - "Dark Nature Places"
Wednesday: Division Day + Soft @ Sound Fix Records 8pm FREE
You know a week of taking in free shows all over town will leave us a bit spoiled so it's a real good thing we have Sound Fix Records to fall back on. The awesome record store's newly redone performance space has been hosting some tremendous bands for weeks now, and you can add Division Day to that list. Of course you all know Division Day by now, I mean they have been gracing blogs each week for months now thanks to their cool marketing ploy of releasing a cover or remix a week until their album came out. Check 'em out, it's free, no list needed!
Division Day - "Tigers"
Thursday: No Age @ Postscrypt Coffee House 8pm $3
In case No Age get over shadowed on Monday by some band called Deerhunter, here's a second chance to put the emphasis on this awesome lo-fi two piece. Having received comparisons to acts as varied as Lightning Bolt, Deerhunter, and Built to Spill, the band is known for their excellent live show which can be a complete blitz krieg of over the type rock music or a trippy freak out of psychadelic sounds. It's worth the $3 to take another look at such a great band.
No Age - "Get Hurt"
Friday: King Khan & the BBQ Show @ Montana's Party Place 8pm $?
A few weeks ago I highlighted a band called King Khan & the Shrines as my Band of the Week, well it turns out this band comes in several different flavors. This variation of the band probably sounds similar, or maybe it doesn't, I really don't know. What I do know is that I enjoy the other similarly named version of the band so much that I can't help but check out this variation on stage.
King Khan & the BBQ Show - "What's For Dinner?"
Saturday: Jens Lekman @ Webster Hall 7:00pm $20
Seeing Jens Lekman last year at Bowery and then at Pitchfork were two of the best performances I saw all of last year. I figure that since his new album, Night Falls Over Kortedala, is his finest yet that this show should top the two I saw last year. It's pretty simple math right?
Jen Lekman - "Your Arms Around Me"
Sunday: Boris + Michio Kurihara @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15
So I fucked up. At the beginning of this month I slept on getting tickets to the Boris show at Music Hall of Williamsburg and wound up not going the day of the show to get them. Well I'm not making that mistake again! To hell with it being Sunday I need to get my chamber metal rock on!!!
Boris + Michio Kurihara - "Rainbow"
The list of bands I needed to see at CMJ '07 wasn't that long but I had a problem seeing a bunch of them so it seems to make sense that I waited till the last day to see another. I had ample chances to see Foals play, hell they played the official After the Jump showcase, but hadn't made it to see Oxford's finest band until Saturday afternoon in a packed and sweaty Piano's back room. There it seemed they had a packed crowd of old fans, newly acquired ones, and people like me that wanted to jump on board the bandwagon. Well with Brooklyn Vegan actually yelling to people to move up so they could squeeze in a few dozen more, they did everything in their power to win us over.
From the very first notes from the band, they absolutely explode with energy powering their way through their songs and assuring people that they will at least leave saying "wow that band rocked out". Over the course of their 45-minute long set the band made few mistakes, allowing their instruments to do the talking for them, save for a few breathless words between songs. It's an impressive collage of Brit-pop and post-punk rock mixed with just a bit of the mathematical stylings of prog rock. And it's awesome.
The band poured more ounces of sweat on me then I've felt from any band in a long long time, as they absolutely tore their instruments apart. They all move about the stage feeling every bit of their music as the crowd does the same below them. At two separate times members of the band joined us on the floor, but the floor proved to crowded to hold them and one even hit some poor dude in the head with his guitar. But aside from that the band barley made had a misstep, and proved that out of all the bands coming into the week with hype there was at least one willing to show they were worth it.
From the very first notes from the band, they absolutely explode with energy powering their way through their songs and assuring people that they will at least leave saying "wow that band rocked out". Over the course of their 45-minute long set the band made few mistakes, allowing their instruments to do the talking for them, save for a few breathless words between songs. It's an impressive collage of Brit-pop and post-punk rock mixed with just a bit of the mathematical stylings of prog rock. And it's awesome.
The band poured more ounces of sweat on me then I've felt from any band in a long long time, as they absolutely tore their instruments apart. They all move about the stage feeling every bit of their music as the crowd does the same below them. At two separate times members of the band joined us on the floor, but the floor proved to crowded to hold them and one even hit some poor dude in the head with his guitar. But aside from that the band barley made had a misstep, and proved that out of all the bands coming into the week with hype there was at least one willing to show they were worth it.
The last day of the music marathon did not get off to a good start. I had loads of trouble getting into the city from Staten Island, lost my schedule somewhere, and couldn't decide on what bands to see. Oh also it was a hundred degrees inside of White Rabbit so I bailed on seeing Palomar and The Subjects. Luckily, we had the Brooklyn Vegan showcase to fall back on. There we got to see some teenage kids remind us what punk rock was all about.Three young boys, I think from across the pond, got on stage and blasted the sound of 1970's punk rock at us. It was joyous, it was renewing, and it was cool as shit to see kids that understand the history of this music doing it in person for real. The band sounded great, walked the walk, and then talked the talk. The lead singer, who is probably young enough to be my illegitamate love child, was amazing. He handled his vocals like a pro while rocking out on the 6-string like a young Joe Strummer. Okay maybe that's pushing it a bit, but really this band has chops.
It was a pleasant surprise to witness kids rocking out, the second time that's happened this week.
When I talk about my biggest disappointments from no on Friday afternoon will go somewhere on that list, though I don't know how high. When throwing together shows I am a very nervous individual. My big fear is that no one will come. And Friday that fear was realized as maybe a couple dozen people strolled through the Delancey to watch my greatly put together showcase of bands I actually care about. Guess people had some hype to watch over at R Bar or something.
Anyway, despite the disappointment in the turnout on Friday, I was enthused by one thing - the seven bands that played rocked my fucking ass so you all missed out. While people were hating on hype bands like Yeasayer and Black Kids, I was fucking head banging along to the likes of The Diggs and Mannequin Men! Oh yeah!
The day got started with Animandible, a band that was left off the CMJ roster like countless others, and took me up on my offer to support those bands in the comments section of Brooklyn Vegan. And let me tell you, this two-piece, Brooklyn based band can wipe the floor with 89.9% of the bands that played "official showcases" this year. Take note CMJ! The band is led by Gypsy Mazz, a spastic front man who also presses play on their iPod containing their various synth sounds. He is fucking insane! To a venue of literally five people, he pranced, danced, and yowled his freakin' head off like a mad man! Behind him his buddy Ronny Hart is absolutely thrashing his guitar apart. The strings seem like the should be splitting in half each time he hits them, but amazingly they stay together and he ably backs up Gypsy's Mick by being an awesome Keith, just in a non-classical sense of the meaning. It was awesome, I love this band, and I can't wait to see/book them again. You have been warned, get rocked by this band!!!
My next band was the last addition to the lineup and were honestly a replacement band, so it came as a great surprise the Meowskers rocked so much ass that I had DL from A Brief Smile coming up to me to tell me that "they sound like Zepplin". When people talk about a band being "tight" this is the very definition. Every note comes off like it does on the recordings. The vocals are pitch perfect, the keyboard hits every note, the drums and bass are pounding out the rhythms like a metronome, it is absolute perfection on stage. The sound is very classic rock, which is sometimes met with a sigh and a quizzical look, but in this instance should be met with a resounding "fuck yeah!". I heard people talk about their show at Pete's Candy Store earlier and the week, and though not too many people were there to witness this one I am sure it was just as good if not better!
Bridges and Powerlines are a band I have to credit Chris with bringing to my attention. He talks at great lengths about the band and I have since taken to listening to them on my own an enjoying them quite a bit. On Friday afternoon the band was awesome, loud, powerful, and tight at every turn of the bend. Each song came out crisp and clean, and I'm sure people would have been talking about it the next day if their was anyone there. I'm still talking about it though, and I guess that's all that matters at the moment. If ever you get to see them you remember this moment and know that you missed an awesome band playing an awesome set.
Out of all of the bands I had on my lineup I was most familiar with A Brief Smile. I've seen the boys countless times, listened to their albums on repeat, and yes my girlfriend is good friends with them and I'd like to think I'm becoming good friends with them too so they can buy me a cheap car or something when the fucking blow up. Which I am more sure of now then I have ever been before. A few weeks ago I saw the band performing some of their new songs live and was blown away. Well, now that they've had a little more time to work on the material my head is about ready to explode. What a performance! The band could still tighten a few things up, and if you ask Mike the bartender at Delancey for his advice he has a few notes though he did like what heard. But overall I am consistently finding myself in awe of the way these boys handle themselves. DL is the consumate, shy front man; never moving much, singing quietly most of the time, but killing his vocals and guitar parts like a rock star. Behind him the band is so strong its tough to put into words. The bass, the keyboards, lead guitar, and drums all come off with power and passion. This band should be the next record you buy, oh wait you don't have to pay for it right now!!!
I was honestly looking forward to seeing every band on my bill, but one band was standing out above the rest due to my lack of never having seen them to amount of times listened ratio. Mannequin Men are a band that are everything I love about music. Noisy, agressive, fast paced, they are the type of band I would want to be in. So when they took the stage I was as excited as I had been all day. Granted I had been drinking, but I stood front and center among the throngs of two people and proceeded to rock my neck off during their set. It was exactly as I had imagined it minus a few hundred people, with the band putting on a noise rock display I will remember always. They were tight and turned up to about 11, killing off most of my remaining hearing. It was so awesome that I wish I could be seeing them again today and tomorrow and the day after that. Too bad you missed it, you would've loved it too.
I had seen Bad Veins only hours before but I was amped to see them again. Having only seen half of their stripped down set I was left wanting more, and I was lucky to be getting it so close to the time that left me wanting. The band followed their set list from the day before but it sounded so much better coming out of an actual sound system with a sound guy that could handle all the nuances of the band. The reel-to-reel came out clearer, the vocals were less muddled, and Sebastien's drums kicked heavier then the day before. It was Bad Veins the way Bad Veins were meant to be observed. It's not exactly the rock that Mannequin Men or A Brief Smile bring to the table, but their unique sound certainly fit among the rest of the bands on the lineup. It was almost like a mini break from the loudness that had permeated through my bill, exchanging the noise for simplified melodies, synth work, and killer drums. Very cool performance, very cool band, can't wait to hear more from them.
Having headlined my anniversary show a few weeks ago, I was so impressed with The Diggs that I asked them back to headline my CMJ show. Sadly, it wasn't quite as crowded as Cake Shop but that didn't stop the band from putting on a killer show. Mixing old songs with the new ones (from their forthcoming album) the band absolutely wowed me and the three other people in attendance. They were on point just like the last time I saw them, and were so good I went to see them the next day at their only other CMJ appearance.
Even though very, very few people showed up to see it I had a blast watching the bands at their very best all day on Friday. Sure you could all dispute the validity of these claims but I'm sure the bartender and sound guy would back me up on them.
Anyway, despite the disappointment in the turnout on Friday, I was enthused by one thing - the seven bands that played rocked my fucking ass so you all missed out. While people were hating on hype bands like Yeasayer and Black Kids, I was fucking head banging along to the likes of The Diggs and Mannequin Men! Oh yeah!
The day got started with Animandible, a band that was left off the CMJ roster like countless others, and took me up on my offer to support those bands in the comments section of Brooklyn Vegan. And let me tell you, this two-piece, Brooklyn based band can wipe the floor with 89.9% of the bands that played "official showcases" this year. Take note CMJ! The band is led by Gypsy Mazz, a spastic front man who also presses play on their iPod containing their various synth sounds. He is fucking insane! To a venue of literally five people, he pranced, danced, and yowled his freakin' head off like a mad man! Behind him his buddy Ronny Hart is absolutely thrashing his guitar apart. The strings seem like the should be splitting in half each time he hits them, but amazingly they stay together and he ably backs up Gypsy's Mick by being an awesome Keith, just in a non-classical sense of the meaning. It was awesome, I love this band, and I can't wait to see/book them again. You have been warned, get rocked by this band!!!
My next band was the last addition to the lineup and were honestly a replacement band, so it came as a great surprise the Meowskers rocked so much ass that I had DL from A Brief Smile coming up to me to tell me that "they sound like Zepplin". When people talk about a band being "tight" this is the very definition. Every note comes off like it does on the recordings. The vocals are pitch perfect, the keyboard hits every note, the drums and bass are pounding out the rhythms like a metronome, it is absolute perfection on stage. The sound is very classic rock, which is sometimes met with a sigh and a quizzical look, but in this instance should be met with a resounding "fuck yeah!". I heard people talk about their show at Pete's Candy Store earlier and the week, and though not too many people were there to witness this one I am sure it was just as good if not better!
Bridges and Powerlines are a band I have to credit Chris with bringing to my attention. He talks at great lengths about the band and I have since taken to listening to them on my own an enjoying them quite a bit. On Friday afternoon the band was awesome, loud, powerful, and tight at every turn of the bend. Each song came out crisp and clean, and I'm sure people would have been talking about it the next day if their was anyone there. I'm still talking about it though, and I guess that's all that matters at the moment. If ever you get to see them you remember this moment and know that you missed an awesome band playing an awesome set. 
Out of all of the bands I had on my lineup I was most familiar with A Brief Smile. I've seen the boys countless times, listened to their albums on repeat, and yes my girlfriend is good friends with them and I'd like to think I'm becoming good friends with them too so they can buy me a cheap car or something when the fucking blow up. Which I am more sure of now then I have ever been before. A few weeks ago I saw the band performing some of their new songs live and was blown away. Well, now that they've had a little more time to work on the material my head is about ready to explode. What a performance! The band could still tighten a few things up, and if you ask Mike the bartender at Delancey for his advice he has a few notes though he did like what heard. But overall I am consistently finding myself in awe of the way these boys handle themselves. DL is the consumate, shy front man; never moving much, singing quietly most of the time, but killing his vocals and guitar parts like a rock star. Behind him the band is so strong its tough to put into words. The bass, the keyboards, lead guitar, and drums all come off with power and passion. This band should be the next record you buy, oh wait you don't have to pay for it right now!!!
I was honestly looking forward to seeing every band on my bill, but one band was standing out above the rest due to my lack of never having seen them to amount of times listened ratio. Mannequin Men are a band that are everything I love about music. Noisy, agressive, fast paced, they are the type of band I would want to be in. So when they took the stage I was as excited as I had been all day. Granted I had been drinking, but I stood front and center among the throngs of two people and proceeded to rock my neck off during their set. It was exactly as I had imagined it minus a few hundred people, with the band putting on a noise rock display I will remember always. They were tight and turned up to about 11, killing off most of my remaining hearing. It was so awesome that I wish I could be seeing them again today and tomorrow and the day after that. Too bad you missed it, you would've loved it too.
I had seen Bad Veins only hours before but I was amped to see them again. Having only seen half of their stripped down set I was left wanting more, and I was lucky to be getting it so close to the time that left me wanting. The band followed their set list from the day before but it sounded so much better coming out of an actual sound system with a sound guy that could handle all the nuances of the band. The reel-to-reel came out clearer, the vocals were less muddled, and Sebastien's drums kicked heavier then the day before. It was Bad Veins the way Bad Veins were meant to be observed. It's not exactly the rock that Mannequin Men or A Brief Smile bring to the table, but their unique sound certainly fit among the rest of the bands on the lineup. It was almost like a mini break from the loudness that had permeated through my bill, exchanging the noise for simplified melodies, synth work, and killer drums. Very cool performance, very cool band, can't wait to hear more from them.
Having headlined my anniversary show a few weeks ago, I was so impressed with The Diggs that I asked them back to headline my CMJ show. Sadly, it wasn't quite as crowded as Cake Shop but that didn't stop the band from putting on a killer show. Mixing old songs with the new ones (from their forthcoming album) the band absolutely wowed me and the three other people in attendance. They were on point just like the last time I saw them, and were so good I went to see them the next day at their only other CMJ appearance. Even though very, very few people showed up to see it I had a blast watching the bands at their very best all day on Friday. Sure you could all dispute the validity of these claims but I'm sure the bartender and sound guy would back me up on them.
Going into CMJ week I think it was safe to say that nearly everyone was looking forward to seeing Black Kids. The band went from having one official showcase to playing nearly every venue in the tri-state area in the time it took Pitchfork to listen to their myspace EP and name them Best New Music. So it was no surprise then that The Annex was packed with enthusiastic people waiting to see them, and they were especially pumped following a wild We Are Wolves performance that I heard about but didn't see. All of this expectation loaded up made the show that ensued a huge disappointment.
The band just didn't have it from what I saw, which wasn't much. It seemed to take the band forever to set up, while the sound guy was slaving away the band were acting like they had already earned their place on every stage they will ever visit. Au contrere mon frere! You guys haven't earned anything yet, so instead of looking all pissed off, maybe use your success to buy some equipment that works! After an eternity of set-up time the band played one song, and it sounded pretty rad. The vocals were solid, the guitar work was real nice, and everything seemed like it would be forgotten, till their guitar amp blew sending the band into a hissy fit and the club into a panic.
After about fifteen minutes of waiting around I called it quits. The band had stormed off the stage and were milling about in the hall acting like children. I dig the sound of the band, hell I did just name them my band of the week not too long ago, but shitty things happen occasionally during a performance and you have to know how to deal with them. Not storm off, or have a hissy fit. I'd still like to see this band live, and I'm sure next time I do they'll sound great at a venue like Mercury Lounge of Bowery Ballroom, but this time around I cannot give them a pass just because I'm still expecting big things from them.
The band just didn't have it from what I saw, which wasn't much. It seemed to take the band forever to set up, while the sound guy was slaving away the band were acting like they had already earned their place on every stage they will ever visit. Au contrere mon frere! You guys haven't earned anything yet, so instead of looking all pissed off, maybe use your success to buy some equipment that works! After an eternity of set-up time the band played one song, and it sounded pretty rad. The vocals were solid, the guitar work was real nice, and everything seemed like it would be forgotten, till their guitar amp blew sending the band into a hissy fit and the club into a panic.
After about fifteen minutes of waiting around I called it quits. The band had stormed off the stage and were milling about in the hall acting like children. I dig the sound of the band, hell I did just name them my band of the week not too long ago, but shitty things happen occasionally during a performance and you have to know how to deal with them. Not storm off, or have a hissy fit. I'd still like to see this band live, and I'm sure next time I do they'll sound great at a venue like Mercury Lounge of Bowery Ballroom, but this time around I cannot give them a pass just because I'm still expecting big things from them.
Here's what I think I know about Cardboard Records. They are a record label based out of Brooklyn, New York. The label is run by the guys from Parts & Labor. They have some of the best bands on the planet on their label. Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this guys. On Thursday night the label showcased some of their finest talent, showing all of the music industry the power of their bands and thank god I made it to this showcase!
The night started with a band called Flying. Having never heard of this band I was a bit skeptical, especially when the front woman put some odd electronic device on her snare drum to fiddle with. Then I remembered that I actually enjoyed noisy electronic music and settled in to a much calmer place to listen to their sounds. It's a crazy, noise filled sound that borders on the edge of alternative and pop. I say pop because the singing within the group is actually very melodic amongst the noises going off behind it. There's guitar, drums, and bass, but then some keyboards, and the noises from the previously described device. It's a very strange juxtoposition of sounds and melody, but it manages to work because the band makes it work. It's light sounding, never over powering, and happy music. You can almost dance to it, if anyone in the room was blessed with dancing skills. So yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing a shit load more from this band.
Following Flying most of the crowd, ahem, flew upstairs to catch Shooting Spires another one of the recently signed acts by this label. I unfortunately did not fly up the stairs, opting to grab a beer, and have a smoke before braving the crowd. So behind a packed group of people I stood and listened to the sounds coming from Shooting Spires. I saw I listened 'cause I couldn't see shit. I don't know what this band consists of, what instruments were being used, or how many people are involved in it. I'm guessing not too many, but the sounds coming from behind the bodies were cool, electronic, ethereal sounds. It seemed like the music being played was looped back several times over, with layers of tracks tacked on top by some form of player or another. Thought I didn't see anything, and don't know much about the band I can tell you I did enjoy the music and will report on them more as I learn more about them.
It was at this point that I made my only mistake of the night, leaving the venue to see the raved about Black Kids at Annex but I'll have a separate post about that debacle later. This forced me to miss Big Bear one of the bands I was really excited about seeing. Sigh. Maybe next time.
Gowns were the surprise of the evening. As good as the first two bands were, and as much as I love Pterodactyl and High Places, Gowns absolutely blew me away with their sound and musicianship. Being fronted by the possibly the hottest woman in rock music certainly doesn't hurt either. The sound is explosive, it builds throughout the songs into a crescendo being led by their front lady's voice and the propulsive rhythm section. You can feel the build of the song in each note from every member of the band, until it reaches its fever pitch and is finally brought home. It was an impressive live display of music, and probably my favorite band that I stumbled upon during the festival.
I learned from the whole Shooting Spires hour of the evening and dashed upstairs to get positioned for High Places, a duo I have come to love. It took a while to find my love for High Places, I witnessed them open several times before I realized I was seeing the same band, but now that I know them and have acquired the taste for the music I positively love them. In front of the Cake Shop's record section, nary an empty space in the room, High Places scored high marks from me on their verve, and their ability to perform. The show sounded amazing, despite not being an actual music venue, with Mary's voice sounding as lovely and relaxed as ever and Robert's synth work coming out flawlessly. It's amazing the amount of sounds they get out of the most ordinary elements. Using boxes they get an echoing sound that reminds me of forests for some reason. They use bells and chimes, and just the most simple everyday things, mix it with Mary's voice, and throw in a few synthetic sounds, all to make a perfect natural sound. Even live the music sounds like a dream, the type of absolute peaceful sleep every New Yorker dreams about but rarely experiences. It's such a beautiful, unique sound.
Following that dreamlike performance was the loud, fast paced, noise rock sounds of Pterodactyl, serving as an alarm clock for us dreamers that were lulled in by High Places. It's an aggressive, pounding sound, and was honestly the only performance of the week I wish I had ear plugs for. The sheer volume of Pterodactyl is enough to rock yours socks off, but if you throw in their ability to actually put together the sounds in a cohesive manner, you should be floored every time you see this band. I have been before and tonight was no different. The band was tremendous, much to large for the small stage, and yet absolutely perfect for the shuddering acoustics of the down stairs, small space. It was like hearing an atomic bomb go off in your basement.
So having seen five out of the six bands on the bill I can easily say this was the best full showcase of the week. There were surprises from bands I had never heard of and strong sets from the ones I had looked forward to seeing, combining for the right type of rock n' roll night, the kind you really hope for going into a week of non-stop performances.
The night started with a band called Flying. Having never heard of this band I was a bit skeptical, especially when the front woman put some odd electronic device on her snare drum to fiddle with. Then I remembered that I actually enjoyed noisy electronic music and settled in to a much calmer place to listen to their sounds. It's a crazy, noise filled sound that borders on the edge of alternative and pop. I say pop because the singing within the group is actually very melodic amongst the noises going off behind it. There's guitar, drums, and bass, but then some keyboards, and the noises from the previously described device. It's a very strange juxtoposition of sounds and melody, but it manages to work because the band makes it work. It's light sounding, never over powering, and happy music. You can almost dance to it, if anyone in the room was blessed with dancing skills. So yeah, I'm looking forward to hearing a shit load more from this band.Following Flying most of the crowd, ahem, flew upstairs to catch Shooting Spires another one of the recently signed acts by this label. I unfortunately did not fly up the stairs, opting to grab a beer, and have a smoke before braving the crowd. So behind a packed group of people I stood and listened to the sounds coming from Shooting Spires. I saw I listened 'cause I couldn't see shit. I don't know what this band consists of, what instruments were being used, or how many people are involved in it. I'm guessing not too many, but the sounds coming from behind the bodies were cool, electronic, ethereal sounds. It seemed like the music being played was looped back several times over, with layers of tracks tacked on top by some form of player or another. Thought I didn't see anything, and don't know much about the band I can tell you I did enjoy the music and will report on them more as I learn more about them.
It was at this point that I made my only mistake of the night, leaving the venue to see the raved about Black Kids at Annex but I'll have a separate post about that debacle later. This forced me to miss Big Bear one of the bands I was really excited about seeing. Sigh. Maybe next time.
Gowns were the surprise of the evening. As good as the first two bands were, and as much as I love Pterodactyl and High Places, Gowns absolutely blew me away with their sound and musicianship. Being fronted by the possibly the hottest woman in rock music certainly doesn't hurt either. The sound is explosive, it builds throughout the songs into a crescendo being led by their front lady's voice and the propulsive rhythm section. You can feel the build of the song in each note from every member of the band, until it reaches its fever pitch and is finally brought home. It was an impressive live display of music, and probably my favorite band that I stumbled upon during the festival.
I learned from the whole Shooting Spires hour of the evening and dashed upstairs to get positioned for High Places, a duo I have come to love. It took a while to find my love for High Places, I witnessed them open several times before I realized I was seeing the same band, but now that I know them and have acquired the taste for the music I positively love them. In front of the Cake Shop's record section, nary an empty space in the room, High Places scored high marks from me on their verve, and their ability to perform. The show sounded amazing, despite not being an actual music venue, with Mary's voice sounding as lovely and relaxed as ever and Robert's synth work coming out flawlessly. It's amazing the amount of sounds they get out of the most ordinary elements. Using boxes they get an echoing sound that reminds me of forests for some reason. They use bells and chimes, and just the most simple everyday things, mix it with Mary's voice, and throw in a few synthetic sounds, all to make a perfect natural sound. Even live the music sounds like a dream, the type of absolute peaceful sleep every New Yorker dreams about but rarely experiences. It's such a beautiful, unique sound.
Following that dreamlike performance was the loud, fast paced, noise rock sounds of Pterodactyl, serving as an alarm clock for us dreamers that were lulled in by High Places. It's an aggressive, pounding sound, and was honestly the only performance of the week I wish I had ear plugs for. The sheer volume of Pterodactyl is enough to rock yours socks off, but if you throw in their ability to actually put together the sounds in a cohesive manner, you should be floored every time you see this band. I have been before and tonight was no different. The band was tremendous, much to large for the small stage, and yet absolutely perfect for the shuddering acoustics of the down stairs, small space. It was like hearing an atomic bomb go off in your basement.So having seen five out of the six bands on the bill I can easily say this was the best full showcase of the week. There were surprises from bands I had never heard of and strong sets from the ones I had looked forward to seeing, combining for the right type of rock n' roll night, the kind you really hope for going into a week of non-stop performances.
When I first heard of Bad Veins it was from a simple Myspace message informing me of their music. I quickly named them my band of the week, and have spent a decent amount of my music listening of the past year listening to this band. The Cincinnati based duo is innovative, interesting, and talented, and had completely captured my attention the only other time I saw them live.Well, following a raved about show the previous evening, I knew I had to see the band again before I had them on my own bill on Friday afternoon and so I hung around Gothamist House long enough to be repulsed by The Big Sleep, and to hang around to see the band's "stripped down" set.
It was an awesome set, despite some extensive delays during setup due to sound difficulties which forced me to miss a couple of the songs towards the end. The band opened with the song that originally hooked me "The Lie". Singing through a megaphone and a backwards wired telephone, Ben Davis sounds like he is singing to you from another dimension. It comes off sounding distant and ethereal, but also, amazingly, full of passion. It's an awesome sound that shows the band is willing to experiment with different ways to put together their sound. Behind Ben's guitar, keyboards, and vocal work is Sebastien Schultz, a truly gifted drummer that keeps the beat strong throughout every one of their songs. The duo combined with their 1978 Pioneer reel-to-reel player is all the need to craft a sound that is warm, different, and awesome.I was only able to hang around for five songs knowing I would see them on Friday and wanting to catch as much as I could, but as I sat there I really had to question the idea of leaving. The songs were so crisp and fresh sounding that I was really excited by their music. Lucky for me I would be seeing them again in the week.
The Big Sleep have received a lot of press over the past few months. They're a band that seems to be becoming the next big thing; their sound is perfectly groomed for the masses, it's simple, understandable, and accessible. So why did I find their set so completely unfulfilling? Probably because they are such a boring, derivative band.
At the White Rabbit on Thursday afternoon the band pranced and plodded, pulling off all your standard rock moves, playing their standard indie sound. I suppose there's just nothing behind it. It mixes too many different genres, doesn't push the envelop at all, and is backed by the most mediocre singing you would ever want to hear from a "next big thing".
I completely get why this band could be the next big thing, they are the whole indie package rolled into a nut shell that will never make you think. It is exactly what this scene is supposed to be rebelling against, and yet here it is getting rave reviews and write-ups everywhere. Well I guess that's everywhere but here.
At the White Rabbit on Thursday afternoon the band pranced and plodded, pulling off all your standard rock moves, playing their standard indie sound. I suppose there's just nothing behind it. It mixes too many different genres, doesn't push the envelop at all, and is backed by the most mediocre singing you would ever want to hear from a "next big thing".
I completely get why this band could be the next big thing, they are the whole indie package rolled into a nut shell that will never make you think. It is exactly what this scene is supposed to be rebelling against, and yet here it is getting rave reviews and write-ups everywhere. Well I guess that's everywhere but here.
We Are Wolves are a band that I have a mixed history with. I enjoyed their first album, but have pretty much been unreceptive of their follow-up each chance I give it. It seems to me that it is more or less a carbon copy of the previous album, more simplified dance punk, a few more French lyrics, and not much else to take away from it. Which is fine for a Friday night DJ set or a late night tryst with someone that you won't wake-up with, but any other time it just doesn't it seem to fit.Luckily you can throw away just about all of those points when a band is playing live. You don't care what they sound like on record when they are making your hips gyrate and the ladies swoon. Shit they could fart on your head so long as they were getting the room pumped full of energy thanks to their dancing grooves. And that's exaclty where We Are Wolves succeed as a band - they are awesome live and get the people dancing.
With just three members; bassist, drummer, keyboardist, the band manages to transform their sound into the kind of dance hall music hat would be played at a club I might actually frequent. Its fast, its up beat, and it has a seriously catchy beat to it. I still can't understand half the things they say within their songs, but I don't think that matters much when the room is dancing about with their arms raised high.
I still don't know if I care much for the new album, but following today's performane I will be sure to give it another chance. Perhaps there is something on their I missed that they surely brought today in winning me over with their live performance.
It seems like it's becoming a habit of miune to catch a band I already know and love to start off my days here at CMJ. It's really not a bad plan, though it may mean missing the set of some cool unknown band, it allows me to feel my way into the day.This afternoon started with The Muggabears' set at Gothamist House, aka White Rabbit. The place was neat and tidy, and honestly not nearly packed enough to get the full vibe of what The Muggabears are all about. In order to get the full feel I think it needs to be tightly packed, and a bit sweaty. There needs to be some scent of animal life in the air before the sounds The Muggabears pound out can full take effect.
But even without all the pieces in place the show must go on and so The Muggabears still brought their A-game to the White Rabbit. With a new drummer aiding the band along, Travis and Emily completely plowed through a set of Muggabear favorites and new songs alike. The new songs seem to be another big step in the right direction for the band, focusing on the writing of the music and allowing the lyrics to come secondary. Musically is where the band is at though, Travis' guitar absolutely wails throughout the entire set, bordering on the fine line between sonic music and a sound that would blow the ears off a bat. Emily is as steady as ever on the bass, simply pounding out her licks, adding a back up vocal here or there, and calling it a fucking day. I didn't catch the name of the new drummer but he filled in well, though from what I hear he isn't just a fill in.
Overall its wasn't the best I've seen the band, but it still kicks the shit out of 87.5% of the other bands in the world, and hell that's okay with me. A few tweaks here and there and this band could be fading off into obscurity in five years only to come back in ten as the most revered come back in the history of rock n' roll!
Among all the nascent bands playing CMJ this year are a couple of legendary old timers. I already told you about my Thurston Moore experience, KRS-One is playing tonight, there are members of the Wu-Tang Clan doing a quiet, invite only performance late night this week, and a few others that are observed with utter reverence at the mere drop of their name. Yesterday afternoon at Piano's, Brooklyn Vegan invited a huge old school band to be part of the festivities.If you're anything like me your first exposure to The Meat Puppets was watching the band get called to the stage by Kurt Kobain to play alongside Nirvana during their MTV Unplugged session. Yesterday I got to watch the legendary band and I have to say I was blown away by the sheer idea of seeing this band.
With the back room at Piano's completely packed, to the point where the alley ways out of the room were completely full of people, the brothers Meat performed songs from throughout their storied catalog. It was a pretty cool experience, and amazingly the elder statesmen of rock really brought their A-game to the table.
Probably the coolest part of the experience was seeing the band play "Plateu" a song they played alongside Nirvana during that historic Unplugged performance. It's not the band's best song, but it may be their best known thanks to that three-minute performance in 1994. It was pretty mind blowing to hear something I have listened to so many times live.
Whether it was spilled on the floor or injested by their insane fans, red bull and vodka seemed to be a theme that hung over The Deathset's performance at Piano's this afternoon. The beverage seemed to be on everyone's breath, permeating the atmosphere and delivering jolts of energy to everyone in the room. With their set-up in the middle of the floor The Deathset lived up to every bit of anticipation I had in waiting to see them here. Last time I saw the band they were on the big stage at the South Street Seaport, and though it was a great performance it was certainly lacking something. As it turns out that something was intimacy.
Standing directly next to Johnny Siera the entire set the band played a shit load of their songs, with their synths playing on a non-stop tape player while the drummer and the two actual members of The Deathset did their best to demolish the wall between music and noise. The crowd was frantic, slipping and sliding on the spilled drinks, lifting the band into the air, and flailing about like a bunch of drunken 10-year olds on pogo sticks. It was an insane performance that rarely paused to take a breath, and will certainly be one of the most talked about performances of the week.
At one point a fan yelled out to the band "You sound fucking awesome!" to which Johnny replied, "No we don't, we're the fucking Deathset!", truer words may never have been spoken. It's hard to hear bits and pieces of the bands music live, the vocals are screamed through mostly broken and useless microphones, the guitars are wailing and loaded with so much feedback it could make Sonic Youth complain, and the sampled sounds sound awful coming through the beat up old player they use. But with the pounding rhythms of a drummer and all the amps turned up as high as they go the band make up for their lack of live musicianship with an energy that cannot be topped.
Knowing the words to the band's fast-paced, over the top songs may help you navigate your way through the craziness of their live show, as people are screaming them at the top of their lungs throughout, but the best bet is to just go with the flow. Lose yourself in the beat, dance around like a maniac, and enjoy the simplicity of the muical noise, and you are sure to have a fucking awesome time seeing this band.
Here's a little piece of advice for all you CMJ festival goers: if a band has been freakin' huge for over two decades DO NOT run late for their shows!!! Such was the case for me in heading to see Thurston Moore at the Apple Store in Soho, I was running behind, I was sweating profusely from the unseasonable weather outside and I was forced to watch Thurston and his band perform from an aisle that they sell laptop cases in.
Needless to say the place was packed with people that came to worship at the temple of a true rock god, and having never seen Thurston solo I felt the draw of him pulling at me hard. Unfortunately the aisle where they backpacks is not the best place to stand and watch Thurston Moore perform.
I stood for two and half songs, barely able to see the band performing and listened as Thurston treated us to a couple of songs from his new album. The sound was stellar and the band was tight, but standing so far back at a festival of small bands and smaller venues seemed a bit wrong.
So after just the two and a half songs I left the Apple Store, happy that I had seen Thurston but wishing I had gotten there a bit early.
As a band you have to deal with some awful tough predicaments. You have to play shows at any time of the day while being on top of your game no matter what. You have to deal with half empty rooms, and hecklers, and a slew of other ridiculous circumstances. So it's always awesome to see a band rise up and meet the challenge.At 12:30pm, or "8 o'clock rock star time", Wakey! Wakey! took the upstairs stage by storm. Considering their show the night before was just a drunken haze to me, their show in the morning of day two was a welcome chance to truly absorb the band for the 600th time. And the band was dead on throughout their set.
Maybe it was the free bloody Mary's, or maybe it was just the musical abilities of the band but for some reason they seemed to take their live show to a whole new level this afternoon. Mike's voice was pitch perfect, the band seemed to hit every note, and the crowd quickly grew throughout their performance as the sounds floated down the staircase to waiting music lovers below.
It was the perfect storm of a performance where everything just seems to fall into place. The banter was well timed and amusing, they played the songs I've come to love, and other people were extremely receptive of the growing band. It wouldn't surprise me to see Wakey! Wakey! come out of this week with some major buzz blowing them along until they release their debut live album.
Starting off your second day at a festival with a band you saw the previous day is usually not a good idea. However, when that band is one of the buzziest bands of the entire festival I think it's perfectly acceptable to take your chance seeing them again.Cut Off Your Hands were certainly impressive last night at Indaba, but with the abbreviated set I was left wanting to see more of the super buzz band. Piano's served at the perfect venue, though the back room was less then packed as the band were pretty much being served as the sacrificial lamb with the opening 12 o'clock slot.
The band were certainly not deterred by the half full room and the early start time as they set off to continue building the buzz that's surrounding them with a frantic, energetic set that was fuller and longer then the first time I saw them. Sure there was no crawling across the pipes at Piano's this afternoon, but on stage they thrashed about playing their up tempo, angular, post-punk tunes.
After seeing them the second time you can tell that its not the most original music in the world, but the band manages to make up for the lack of originality with an absolute air of energy and that pure rock n' roll vibe that just can not be learned.
It's only day two of the CMJ Music Marathon and I am completely wiped out. I think I may have twisted or sprained my ankle during The Deathset, and I'm not sure if the wall hit me or I hit the wall, but it's been a while since I've been this tired. With that in mind I will keep this very brief.
I spent most of my day at Piano's being surrounded by other bloggers stopping in to see what Brooklyn Vegan had in store from us and chatting with people between bands. The conversations were certainly enjoyable, and though I pooped out at a relatively early time I still saw a shit load of bands I wanted to see.
Tomorrow I think I am going to rely on Red Bull, which I hate to propel me through the day and well into the night. It's a busy, busy, busy day tomorrow so I think it's off to bed for me kiddies. I will see you in the morning, circles under my eyes, and bushy tail no where to be seen.
I spent most of my day at Piano's being surrounded by other bloggers stopping in to see what Brooklyn Vegan had in store from us and chatting with people between bands. The conversations were certainly enjoyable, and though I pooped out at a relatively early time I still saw a shit load of bands I wanted to see.
Tomorrow I think I am going to rely on Red Bull, which I hate to propel me through the day and well into the night. It's a busy, busy, busy day tomorrow so I think it's off to bed for me kiddies. I will see you in the morning, circles under my eyes, and bushy tail no where to be seen.
I was literaly minutes away from crashing at this point but there was still one band on my list of people to see and that was the Irish dance rock duo known as Oppenheimer. In the past I have covered Oppenhiemer as much as any other band that has graced the pages of my blog, and so it was only fitting that I caught the band once again during an all out music week. Still, I was still feeling the effects of a few too many drinks and pretty much ready for bed after a crazy first day of bands and beer.Luckily its not hard for me to start feeling Oppenheimer's music. It's rawy, energetic music that is meant to get people moving, and though its hard to get jaded festival goers to boogey I think I saw a few bodies trying to shake it up during the band's set.
Rocky and Shaun were as tight as ever, obviously well rehearsed thanks to their opening slot with They Might Be Giants, and energetic thanks to the large crowd on hand to see the band. Rocky pranced back and forth on the stage going between his keyboards, synths, and guitar like a mad musical genius, while Shaun pounded out the beats with his normal professional demeanor. The band has also started to blend in some of the new songs that will be gracing their sophomore album early next year with their older "classics" like "Breakfast in NYC". Its an egaging set that should have had more people dancing but I will accept that it was late and like me most people were half in the bag already.For me the band were one of the finest moments of a very impressive first day, the perfect blend of the familiar with some new tricks added to their set.
I think I need to declare that at this point in day one I had been drinking for about eight hours, it would be pretty unfair of me to aver certain aspects of performances seeing as everything from this point on is a bit hazy. That said its pretty good that I was able to see a few artists that I am really familiar with while under my haze of alcohol.Wakey! Wakey! is a band and a man that I am utterly falling in love with. I could blame my affections towards the band and the man on my girlfriend who pressured me into seeing them the first time but that would be unfair and understate the point of my adoration. Mike Grubbs, the man, the brain, and the voice behind the incomparable Wakey! Wakey! has a spell on me. It's plain, it's simple, and it's positively unbreakable. In fact, while I am sitting here writing this a lyric fr one of his songs is playing on a non-stop loop in my head.
Last night he played to a completely packed house as part of Cross Pollination's CMJ showcase. I have no idea who else played this show and whether or not I saw them play. All I know is that as soon as Mike's voice begins singing through the speakers of a venue I melt, and last night was no different, though the puddle of me would have had a crazy high blood alcohol content. His music has a strange effect on me, it more or less turns me into a blabbering idiot, as you can probably tell by this post. I have had numerous conversations with Mike about his music and the majority of the time all I can saw are words like "awesome" "mind blowing" and "rad". It's a bit awkward honestly but such is the power of his music.His music is mostly humorous takes on the various romances of his life. Each song has an undertone of seriousness which is overshadowed by Mike's ability to turn a lyric into a heartfelt joke. With his backing band joinging him on drums, bass, and violin, Mike tears apart his keyboard with mostly upbeat notes to songs that involve metaphors of loving car crashes and the like. As a word smith and a musician Mike is well ahead of the curve and last night's show was drunkenly wonderful. That's it, that's all I remember or that's all I can articulate at this point thanks to my ability to black out from alcohol.
It seems like eons ago now but there was a time when the music scene was dominated by teenagers. Bands like The Who, The Beatles, The Clash, etc, all came into prominence when they were barely out of secondary school. But even in those days it was rare to see a band start to develop a bit of buzz around them when they were in their pre-high school days, but somehow bands like Tiny Masters of Today, Smoosh, and Care Bears on Fire have managed to completely ignore the rarity of such a young band hitting the big time.Thanks to their hipster parents these kids have been raised on a steady diet of influential, excellent bands of the days gone by. They weren't raised on crappy crooners or disco, instead they were raised on Black Flag, the Clash, Husker Du, and a shit load of other bands we wish our parents would have listened to when we were growing up.
Last night I got to see care Bears on Fire and considering it was the first night of the festival and all they may just be the surprise of the week. Sure the music is completely ripped from the catalogs of previously mentioned bands, but when you consider the age of these kids, their abilities with their instruments, and the fact that they can get up in front of a room full of semi-adults and play their own music, well I just have to bow down and worship at the feet of these mini rock gods!From the first note to the final power chord this trio brings out the inner child in all of us, and dresses them up in worn out tour t-shirts from concerts of the days gone by. They tear through their material and people begged for one more, so the oblige, mercifully treating us elder rockers to the visions of the future they hold in the palms of their hands. Who knows what will happen to a band this young. They could be completely abused by this industry and quit playing music by the time their next report card comes out, or they can go on to write the next great album in the history of rock n' roll, but last night on that stage they had us all in awe at their impressive musical prowess.
As a music blogger I am pretty excited about the leaps and bounds my fellow bloggers have taken over the past year. Last year it seemed we had a few people representing us with a handful of shows during CMJ, but this year we are all over the place. There's After the Jump shows, days shows, my own show, and a slew of other blog related events taking place. Probably the most impressive of the bloggers though is one of the most well known, Brooklyn Vegan. Vegan was invited to host the first ever official showcase by a blogger and did so by filling a lineup at Bowery Ballroom with up-and-coming artists that have been inundated by critical raves about their music.I stopped by last night's show only to find out that the artist I had most wanted to see, Miracle Fortress, was denied entry into the US due to visa issues at the Canadian border. I don't know what's up with our border protection but it seems ridiculous that all these musicians get stopped and are forced to cancel shows at the very last minute all the time. But I guess I'll save that rant for another time.
With Miracle Fortress off the bill every band got pushed back an hour, cutting the amount of time I had to see Bon Iver in half. But I am glad I got to see the half set that I did see. Featuring three members, Bon Iver lived up to every rave I've read about them so far. The band is tight, talented, and led by Justin Vernon the brains behind Bon Iver. With Matt McCaughn (Rosebuds, Portastatic) and Mark Paulson (Bowerbirds) joining him on stage, Matt tore through his material, playing his guitar and singing with a powerful confidence over the half full Bowery Ballroom. Considering his early spot and the disappointment that hovered from the cancellation, Bon Iver really did everything they could to win over the Bowery crowd, and succeeded in most every way.I wish I could have stuck around for the rest of the set, but during CMJ the slightest delay will throw off your entire schedule to it was off to see the next band knowing that Bon Iver would return and I would catch them then.
With the next week of my life being completely devoted to live music, I found myself a bit baffled at the lack of options going on during the day on the first day of the CMJ Music Marathon. It seemed everyone had decided to sleep in and wait to get on line for their badges, eschewing any thoughts of kick ass parties on the first day. No Vegan, no Gothamist, no Fader, not much of anything. Luckily there is still my kick ass girlfriend and her very well stacked day shows at the Indaba Loft on Bowery, so that is where my CMJ adventure began yesterday afternoon.At 2pm the first music of the marathon began to filter into my ears, being sung by a wonderfully gifted singer songwriter named Krystle Warren. The music is simple, with just her acoustic guitar playing along with her powerful voice it would be easy to overlook such a sound. But its a good thing I was awake and alert enough to take in every bit of Krystle's music, her strong voice echoing each of her lyrics with a furious passion. It's music that is wrapped in melancholy, but never too sad to take away from the enjoyment you get listening to her music.
Quintis were the next band on the bill, and honestly having never heard the band I had no idea of what to expect from the four boys that took the stage. I only stuck around for a handful of songs, I wanted to make it to the Voxtrot show at Fontana's, but what I heard should prompt me to delve a little deeper into the the band's music. Following a prolonged trip to Fontana's that involved not seeing any bands (starting at 4pm my ass!) and a couple too many Blue Point Ales I decided to head back to Indaba to catch one of the early front runners for the most buzzed about bands at CMJ. Cut Off Your Hands, a band that not too long ago was sharing names with another band, have been raved about on blogs all over and are scheduled to play about 45,000 shows this week.
Though they played a very brief five or six song set the band were absolutely mesmerizing. They are loud, rambunctious, and immediately familiar with an ability to take the noisy art punk music we've been hearing for years and make it a little bit original. The band was a pretty spectacular live act though, dancing about wearing their tight little jeans they were inmpossible to take your eyes off of. The lead singer was your standard loud front man that crawled across the low hanging pipes and was a maniac behind the microphone. The rest of the band, though not as wild, truly lived the role of rockers as they pranced about while playing their respective instruments. If their first show of the week was any indication this band will be raved about as the week goes on and will only build on their buzz as they go along. With the exception of my little jaunt to Fontana's the first stop of the marathon was a fantastic first experience to start off the week.
Here we are on the second day of the CMJ Music Marathon and I'm already a day behind posting on here. I apologize to the dozens and dozens of people that read this blog and rely on it for information or to kill their work day. It was a pretty crazy first day that saw me take way too much advantage of the plentiful amounts of free booze that are abounding everywhere and completely disregard the schedule I had made up for the week. Oh well, I guess that's really what CMJ is all about anyway.
So I'm going to do individual posts to review the shows that I've seen, but the recap will serve some of the highlights and non-band related stuff that goes on.
My day began with the obligatory visit to the Marathon headquarters to pick up the much needed badge. I was lucky to avoid the massive lines that came later in the day, but was unfortunate in that I had no idea where my badge was and had to get on three different lines before finding the right one. Apparently I am not part of the press, and am certainly not a VIP member. This is good info to know for future reference.
The first day's day shows were not abounding so I spent most of my afternoon annoying my girlfriend and the people at the Indaba Loft with my ability to drink free Pabst and make annoying comments about bands I don't like. I guess this is what people refer to as networking at CMJ.
At Bowery Ballroom I met up with one of Rachael's former interns and began to expunge on the reasons I hate the band Takka Takka. Unfortunately she was sitting with a member of the band. Take about your awkward moments. Luckily he was cool with my taste in music and we came to the agreement that I should bury my hatred and give the band another chance. I'll let you know how that goes in the future.
Saw the best band that is not even in high school yet ever at Crash Manison, drank way way way too much, and called it a night. Hope you're ready for some individual reviews now!!!
So I'm going to do individual posts to review the shows that I've seen, but the recap will serve some of the highlights and non-band related stuff that goes on.
My day began with the obligatory visit to the Marathon headquarters to pick up the much needed badge. I was lucky to avoid the massive lines that came later in the day, but was unfortunate in that I had no idea where my badge was and had to get on three different lines before finding the right one. Apparently I am not part of the press, and am certainly not a VIP member. This is good info to know for future reference.
The first day's day shows were not abounding so I spent most of my afternoon annoying my girlfriend and the people at the Indaba Loft with my ability to drink free Pabst and make annoying comments about bands I don't like. I guess this is what people refer to as networking at CMJ.
At Bowery Ballroom I met up with one of Rachael's former interns and began to expunge on the reasons I hate the band Takka Takka. Unfortunately she was sitting with a member of the band. Take about your awkward moments. Luckily he was cool with my taste in music and we came to the agreement that I should bury my hatred and give the band another chance. I'll let you know how that goes in the future.
Saw the best band that is not even in high school yet ever at Crash Manison, drank way way way too much, and called it a night. Hope you're ready for some individual reviews now!!!
Hey folks, being as this release week is kind of, well, weak and due to the fact that today is also the first day of the CMJ Music Marathon might I suggest you continue listening to Radiohead's In Rainbows like you already knew you were going to. Thanks folks, I'll be back with a true recommended release next week!!!
Keeping with the theme of the show, Meowskers are completely unpredictable. The initial song I heard on their Myspace started off like it would be your usual post-punk bit but all of a sudden a piano breaks in and then the harmonies begin assaulting your ears in perfect harmony. Sure it doesn't completely follow along with the loudness I was aiming for, but I'm sure they can turn up their amps to 11 if I ask nicely.Musically the band is a true talent, using harmonies and skilled musicianship to craft near perfect pop songs. The music will never leave you deaf, but it will leave you humming along and eventually singing as you pick up each of their well penned lyrics. It's cute music that won't make you feel like you're listening to som whinny British pop singer.
Hailing from Brooklyn this group has slowly picked up steam over the past year. With a Daytrotter session under their belt, a thoroughly enjoyable album released, and a bunch of CMJ shows lined up this band could be one of the big surprise breakouts of the week. If you do't get the chance to see any of their other shows make sure you catch them at mine so you can say you saw them when.
Meowskers @ CMJ:
Tuesday October 16th @ Pete's candy Store 11pm
Friday October 19th @ The Delancey 12:30pm
Friday October 19th @ Arlene's Grocery7pm
Saturday October 20th @ Southpaw 11pm
Meowskers on Myspace
Meowskers - "Colors That Lie"
When I was picking the bands for my CMJ Day Show there was definitely a running idea I had in my head. I wanted the bands to be loud, a bit on the obscure side, and completely unpredictable. It was pretty lucky for me then that the Brooklyn based Animandible actually reached out to me wanting to play the show. The band is just a two piece yet somehow make some crazy sounds using just the two members. It can be loud, they are certainly fairly obscure (though I doubt they will be for long), and I'm hoping the only predictable part of their set is that they show up on time. It's an awesome place to kick off this show, and certainly your Friday afternoon at CMJ.
Take a listen to a couple of the band's tracks on their myspace and listen for the simple beats that set off their sound. Then follow along as the vocals kick in and start to really take you in. All the while they have an effects laden guitar bladting through the other sounds of synths and other odds and ends making it just a complete mess of sounds and mhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifusic, but its a beautiful, carefully constructed mess.
Animandible will be taking the stage at 12pm on the dot! Get their for their high noon action or you can consider your CMJ experience a complete failure!!!
Animandible @ CMJ:
Friday October 19th @ The Delacney 12pm
Saturday October 20th @ UNCMJ Fest Cooper Park 8pm
Animandible on Myspace
Animandible - "Is It Noise"
Tuesday October 16th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - 1090 Club @ CMJ Day Stage [Puck Building] (Badges Only)
2:00pm - Krystle Warren @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show] (FREE)
3:00pm - Quintis @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show] (FREE)
4:00pm - Arizona @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show] (FREE)
Arizona - "Some Kind Of Chill"
5:00pm - Cut Off Your Hands @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show](FREE)
Cut Off Your Hands - "You And I"
Night/Official Showcases;
6:00pm - Bon Iver @ Bowery Ballroom [Brooklyn Vegan Showcase] ($16/badge)
Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"
7:00pm - The Shaky Hands @ Bowery Ballroom [Brooklyn Vegan Showcase] ($16/badge)
The Shaky Hands - "Whales Sing"
8:00pm - Malkovich @ Cake Shop (FREE)
Malkovich - "039"
9:00pm - Ravens & Chimes @ Fontana's ($10/badge)
Ravens & Chimes - "January"
10:00pm - Oppenheimer @ Crash Mansion
Oppenheimer - "Breakfast in NYC"
11:30pm - Sam Champion @ Piano's ($10/badge)
Sam Champion - "Like A Secret"
12:30am - Stylophone @ Piano's ($10/badge)
Wednesday October 17th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - Cut Off Your Hands @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
12:30pm - Team Robespierre @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
2:00pm - Thurston Moore @ Apple Store Soho (FREE)
Thurston Moore - "Never Light"
3:00pm - The Deathset @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
The Deathset - "Intermission"
3:45pm - The Meat Puppets @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
The Meat Puppets - "Enemy Love Song"
4:30pm - Celebration @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
6:00pm - No Age @ Other Music (FREE)
No Age - "Get Hurt"
7:00pm - The Undisputed Heavyweights @ Indaba Lounge [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
The Undisputed Heavyweights - "Roll Your Windows Down"
8:15pm - High Places @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
High Places - "Head Spins"
Night/Official Showcases;
9:00pm - Tim Williams @ Fat Baby [Dovecote Showcase]($?/badge)
Tim Williams - "Novel"
9:30pm - Bad Veins @ Fat Baby [Dovecote Showcase]($?/badge)
Bad Veins - "The Lie"
10:00pm - No Age @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out/badge)
11:00pm - Dan Deacon @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out/badge)
Dan Deacon - "Jimmy Roche"
12:00am - Deerhunter @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out/badge)
Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
1:00am - A Place to Bury Strangers @ MHOW [After the Jump Showcase]($14/badge)
A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
Thursday October 18th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - Look Mexico @ CMJ Day Stage [Puck Building](badges only)
1:00pm - Eagle*Seagull @ CMJ Day Stage [Puck Building](badges only)
Eagle*Seagull - "Hello Never"
2:00pm - A Brief Smile @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
A Brief Smile - "Vicious"
3:00pm - Let's Go Sailing @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
3:30pm - We Are Wolves @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
We Are Wolves - "Little Birds"
5:00pm - Bad Veins @ White Rabbit [Gothamist House](FREE)
6:00pm - Eagle*Seagull @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
7:00pm - Wakey! Wakey! @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
8:00pm - KRS-One @ Club Element ($?/badge)
9:00pm - Le Loup @ Knitting Factory ($12/badge)
Le Loup - "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!"
10:00pm - Big Bear @ Cake Shop [Cardboard Records Showcase]($8/badge)
Big Bear - "Track 1"
11:00pm - Jay Reatard @ Mercury Lounge ($12/badge)
Jay Reatard - "Let It All Go"
11:30pm - High Places @ Cake Shop [Cardboard Records Showcase]($8/badge)
12:00am - Pterodactyl @ Cake Shop [Cardboard Records Showcase]($8/badge)
Pterodactyl - "Esses"
12:30am - Air Traffic @ Gramercy Theater (RSVP Only)
1:30am - 1990's @ Gramercy Theater (RSVP Only)
1990's - "You Made Me Like It"
2:30am - Spoon @ Gramercy Theater (RSVP Only)
Spoon - "Don't You Evah"
Friday October 20th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - Animandibles @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
12:45pm - Meowskers @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
1:30pm - Bridges & Powerlines @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
Bridges & Powerlines - "Carmen"
2:15pm - A Brief Smile @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
A Brief Smile - "Big Sky"
3:00pm - Mannequin Men @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
Mannequin Men - "The Boys"
3:45pm - Bad Veins @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
4:30pm - The Diggs @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
The Diggs - "Careen"
5:00pm - Black Kids @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane"
5:30pm - Saturday Looks Good to Me @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
Saturday Looks Good To Me - "Can't Ever Sleep"
6:30pm - Islands @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
7:15pm - Yo Majesty @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
Yo Majesty - "Club Action"
8:00pm - Atlas Sound @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
Atlas Sound - "Knife"
10:00pm - Wild Light @ Crash Mansion ($?/badge)
11:00pm - The Walkmen @ Mercury Lounge ($12/badge)
12:00am - MGMT @ Crash Mansion ($?/badge)
2:00am - MSTRKRFT @ Studio B ($13/badge)
Saturday October 20th:
Day Shows;
1:00pm - The Lisps @ The Yard [After the Jump Fall Fest]($5/badge)
The Lisps - "Pepper Spray"
2:00pm - Palomar @ White Rabbit [Gothamist House](FREE)
Palomar - "Cindy"
3:30pm - Foals @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
4:30pm - White Denim @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
5:00pm - Drug Rug @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
6:00pm - Yeasayer @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
7:00pm - White Williams @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
8:00pm - Mussels @ Midway ($10/badge)
9:00pm - The Shackeltons @ Cake Shop ($8/badge)
10:00pm - Jukebox the Ghost @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
Jukebox the Ghost - "Static to the Heart"
11:00pm - A Place to Bury Strangers @ The Delancey ($5/badge)
A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
12:00am - Morning State @ Galapagos (invite only)
12:30am - Zambir @ Galapagos (invite only)
1:00am - Black Kids @ Galapagos (invite only)
Black Kids - "Hit the Heartbreaks"
1:30am - Peter & Bjorn @ Galapagos (invite only)
2:30am - King Opression @ 205 [Brooklyn Vegan After Party](FREE)
3:30am - Walter Meego @ 205 [Brooklyn Vegan After Party](FREE)
Walter Meego - "Romantic"
Day Shows;
12:00pm - 1090 Club @ CMJ Day Stage [Puck Building] (Badges Only)
2:00pm - Krystle Warren @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show] (FREE)
3:00pm - Quintis @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show] (FREE)
4:00pm - Arizona @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show] (FREE)
Arizona - "Some Kind Of Chill"
5:00pm - Cut Off Your Hands @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Show](FREE)
Cut Off Your Hands - "You And I"
Night/Official Showcases;
6:00pm - Bon Iver @ Bowery Ballroom [Brooklyn Vegan Showcase] ($16/badge)
Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"
7:00pm - The Shaky Hands @ Bowery Ballroom [Brooklyn Vegan Showcase] ($16/badge)
The Shaky Hands - "Whales Sing"
8:00pm - Malkovich @ Cake Shop (FREE)
Malkovich - "039"
9:00pm - Ravens & Chimes @ Fontana's ($10/badge)
Ravens & Chimes - "January"
10:00pm - Oppenheimer @ Crash Mansion
Oppenheimer - "Breakfast in NYC"
11:30pm - Sam Champion @ Piano's ($10/badge)
Sam Champion - "Like A Secret"
12:30am - Stylophone @ Piano's ($10/badge)
Wednesday October 17th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - Cut Off Your Hands @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
12:30pm - Team Robespierre @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
2:00pm - Thurston Moore @ Apple Store Soho (FREE)
Thurston Moore - "Never Light"
3:00pm - The Deathset @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
The Deathset - "Intermission"
3:45pm - The Meat Puppets @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
The Meat Puppets - "Enemy Love Song"
4:30pm - Celebration @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
6:00pm - No Age @ Other Music (FREE)
No Age - "Get Hurt"
7:00pm - The Undisputed Heavyweights @ Indaba Lounge [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
The Undisputed Heavyweights - "Roll Your Windows Down"
8:15pm - High Places @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
High Places - "Head Spins"
Night/Official Showcases;
9:00pm - Tim Williams @ Fat Baby [Dovecote Showcase]($?/badge)
Tim Williams - "Novel"
9:30pm - Bad Veins @ Fat Baby [Dovecote Showcase]($?/badge)
Bad Veins - "The Lie"
10:00pm - No Age @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out/badge)
11:00pm - Dan Deacon @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out/badge)
Dan Deacon - "Jimmy Roche"
12:00am - Deerhunter @ Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out/badge)
Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
1:00am - A Place to Bury Strangers @ MHOW [After the Jump Showcase]($14/badge)
A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
Thursday October 18th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - Look Mexico @ CMJ Day Stage [Puck Building](badges only)
1:00pm - Eagle*Seagull @ CMJ Day Stage [Puck Building](badges only)
Eagle*Seagull - "Hello Never"
2:00pm - A Brief Smile @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
A Brief Smile - "Vicious"
3:00pm - Let's Go Sailing @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
3:30pm - We Are Wolves @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
We Are Wolves - "Little Birds"
5:00pm - Bad Veins @ White Rabbit [Gothamist House](FREE)
6:00pm - Eagle*Seagull @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
7:00pm - Wakey! Wakey! @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
Wakey! Wakey! - "Falling Apart"
8:00pm - KRS-One @ Club Element ($?/badge)
9:00pm - Le Loup @ Knitting Factory ($12/badge)
Le Loup - "We Are Gods! We Are Wolves!"
10:00pm - Big Bear @ Cake Shop [Cardboard Records Showcase]($8/badge)
Big Bear - "Track 1"
11:00pm - Jay Reatard @ Mercury Lounge ($12/badge)
Jay Reatard - "Let It All Go"
11:30pm - High Places @ Cake Shop [Cardboard Records Showcase]($8/badge)
12:00am - Pterodactyl @ Cake Shop [Cardboard Records Showcase]($8/badge)
Pterodactyl - "Esses"
12:30am - Air Traffic @ Gramercy Theater (RSVP Only)
1:30am - 1990's @ Gramercy Theater (RSVP Only)
1990's - "You Made Me Like It"
2:30am - Spoon @ Gramercy Theater (RSVP Only)
Spoon - "Don't You Evah"
Friday October 20th:
Day Shows;
12:00pm - Animandibles @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
12:45pm - Meowskers @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
1:30pm - Bridges & Powerlines @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
Bridges & Powerlines - "Carmen"
2:15pm - A Brief Smile @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
A Brief Smile - "Big Sky"
3:00pm - Mannequin Men @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
Mannequin Men - "The Boys"
3:45pm - Bad Veins @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
4:30pm - The Diggs @ Delancey [Pop Tarts Showcase](FREE)
The Diggs - "Careen"
5:00pm - Black Kids @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane"
5:30pm - Saturday Looks Good to Me @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
Saturday Looks Good To Me - "Can't Ever Sleep"
6:30pm - Islands @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
7:15pm - Yo Majesty @ R Bar [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
Yo Majesty - "Club Action"
8:00pm - Atlas Sound @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
Atlas Sound - "Knife"
10:00pm - Wild Light @ Crash Mansion ($?/badge)
11:00pm - The Walkmen @ Mercury Lounge ($12/badge)
12:00am - MGMT @ Crash Mansion ($?/badge)
2:00am - MSTRKRFT @ Studio B ($13/badge)
Saturday October 20th:
Day Shows;
1:00pm - The Lisps @ The Yard [After the Jump Fall Fest]($5/badge)
The Lisps - "Pepper Spray"
2:00pm - Palomar @ White Rabbit [Gothamist House](FREE)
Palomar - "Cindy"
3:30pm - Foals @ Piano's [Brooklyn Vegan Day Show](FREE)
4:30pm - White Denim @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
5:00pm - Drug Rug @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
6:00pm - Yeasayer @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
7:00pm - White Williams @ Fader Sideshow (invite only)
8:00pm - Mussels @ Midway ($10/badge)
9:00pm - The Shackeltons @ Cake Shop ($8/badge)
10:00pm - Jukebox the Ghost @ Indaba Loft [Underrated Magazine Showcase](FREE)
Jukebox the Ghost - "Static to the Heart"
11:00pm - A Place to Bury Strangers @ The Delancey ($5/badge)
A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
12:00am - Morning State @ Galapagos (invite only)
12:30am - Zambir @ Galapagos (invite only)
1:00am - Black Kids @ Galapagos (invite only)
Black Kids - "Hit the Heartbreaks"
1:30am - Peter & Bjorn @ Galapagos (invite only)
2:30am - King Opression @ 205 [Brooklyn Vegan After Party](FREE)
3:30am - Walter Meego @ 205 [Brooklyn Vegan After Party](FREE)
Walter Meego - "Romantic"
Grizzly Bear has had quite a meteoric rise to the top of the indie heap. Last year they came from nowhere to wow everyone with their brilliant second album Yellow House and have spent the last few months following that up with touring that has been raved about. The simple reason for their ascent is their sound is perfectly made for today. They seemed to lead the charge into the resurgence of Beach Boy like harmonies and accent that with quiet, pretty music that is interesting, challenging, and catchy all at the same time. It is everything us indie rock geeks look for in an album. So how do you follow all that success up? Well you release an EP with remixes, covers, and a few b-sides while working on the actual follow-up of course.With their Friend EP Grizzly Bear are going to keep their name out there on all the blogs and magazines, while allowing themselves the time to put together a true follow-up to Yellow House. Their method here should be no surprise as the band has a history of doing this, following their debut album Horn of Plenty with a remix album while working on the sophomore effort. It's a pretty smart strategy so long as you don't bore people, which Grizzly Bear certainly manage to avoid on this EP. The short player kicks off with "Alligator (Choir Version)", which features Zach Condon of Beirut and Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors. The song is a series of rising and falling tempos and sounds as they build to a crescendo and then slowly fall back to a slower pace. The voices are blended beautifully on the track, and the sounds behind the vocals alternate between a calming sound and a suddenly violent blast of music. It's an amazing song that should be considered among the year's finest.
From there the band doesn't let up. "He Hit Me" is a quiet, soothing song that has some well blended harmonies amongst a host of subtle instruments crashing in throughout the track, "Little Brother" is an electric take on the same song off of Yellow House, and "Granny Dinner" is your standard slow building, beautiful Grizzly Bear song. But all those songs, brilliant as they are, are probably going to take a back burner to some of the covers found on the EP. Relying on the friends theme here, Grizzly Bear reached out to some of the musicians they have played with and got a host of brilliant tunes out of it. Both CSS and Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter side project) cover the oft-covered "Knife" in amazing, unique ways. CSS makes it a trippy dance hall tune, while Atlas Sound turns it into a slow dream sequence of music. And though I have sworn the band off, I have to admit Band of Horses' cover of "Plans" is a strong bluegrass version of the song that wouldn't have been out of place on the soundtrack for Oh Brother Where Art Thou (editor's note: I really didn't know Band of Horses were on this album, please forgive me and my lapse on my promise).
For an EP that is really a place holder between albums this is a tremendously strong release. Thanks to the powerful covers and some excellent b-sides Grizzly Bear have really put together a fine recording here and it really sets the band up for a tremendous addition to their already excellent discography. Friend EP will be released in stores on November 5th.
Grizzly Bear - "Alligator (Choir Version)"
Grizzly Bear - "He Hit Me"
Atlas Sound - "Knife"
Friday: This weekend I am aiming to be as lethargic and relaxing as possible. With the craziness of CMJ looming next week I am hoping to catch up on my tv watching, play some Madden '08, and do little to nothing to prepare for the week ahead. Unfortunately the crazy ass bookers in this town booked some excellent shows for this weekend and it may just be cause to leave the comforts of my home. Tonight one of my favorite bands of the year come to town, and having missed them the last time they were hear I may just have to atone for my sins. Architecture in Helsinki has one of my favorite albums of the year, have written one of the best songs of the year, and are a crazy good live band. Those three factors may play a big part in getting me off the couch. They play Studio B beginning at 8pm, tickets are $20.
Architecture in Helsinki - "Debbie"
Also Playing Tonight:
The Raveonettes + Nicole Atkins & The Sea @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15
The Makes Nice @ Cake Shop 8pm $?
Enon + Frightened Rabbit @ Death By Audio 8pm $?
*The Budos Band @ Highline Ballroom 6pm $15
The Mother Hips + Pink Nasty @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $15
The National @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8pm $20
The Jealous Girlfriends + Nada Surf @ Union Hall 7:30pm $15
Klaxons @ Webster Hall 7pm $20
Saturday: Okay so AIH may get me off the couch on Friday night but nothing will stop me from relaxing on Saturday night. "Hey dude, Oneida and Old Time Relijun are playing a free show tonight at Southpaw!" Fuck me. Well how can you turn down a free performance from the likes of those two??? Beats me, the show starts at 8pm what time are you getting there???
Oneida - "Up With People"
Old Time Relijun - "Liberation"
Also Playing Tonight:
Oakley Hall + Yeasayer @ Bowery Ballroom 8:30pm $15
Division Day @ Maxwell's 10pm $8
The National + Elvis Perkins @ Music Hall of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
Of Montreal @ Roseland Ballroom 7pm $22
*Thurston Moore + Wolf Eyes @ The Hook
Queens of the Stoneage @ The Theater at MSG
The Mother Hips + Pink Nasty @ Union Hall 7:30pm $12
Hot Hot Heat + De Novo Dahl @ Webster Hall 6pm $25
Sunday: Thank god its Sunday. There can't possibly be anything to get me away from football on the tv and the couch under my ass! "You going to Sound Fix to catch Tiny Master of Today?" Jesus, you are so demanding inner concert going voice! While I think I might pass on this in order to save my strength for the week ahead, I'd suggest catching the tweens as they rock out for free beginning at 4pm.
Tiny Masters of Today - "Pictures"
Also Playing Tonight:
1990's @ Maxwell's 9pm $10
Voxtrot + Pratique @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 7pm $18
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Friday's Links:
- What could possibly make indie rock music better? How about having a band going on a cooking show? Sounds pretty tasty to me, and season one of Dinner With the Band is available for free download on iTunes right now!
- Brooklyn Vegan has a rundown of the bands playing at the Apple Store in Soho during CMJ week. The list includes such small acts as Thurston Moore, Simian Mobile Disco, and Q-Tip.
- My Old Kentucky Blog has a rundown of bands and singers that have covered Rihanna's infectious "Umbrella".
- Al Gore has won a share of the Nobel Peace Prize.
- The A.V. Club has an interview with the legendary Weird Al.
Architecture in Helsinki - "Debbie"
Also Playing Tonight:
The Raveonettes + Nicole Atkins & The Sea @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15
The Makes Nice @ Cake Shop 8pm $?
Enon + Frightened Rabbit @ Death By Audio 8pm $?
*The Budos Band @ Highline Ballroom 6pm $15
The Mother Hips + Pink Nasty @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $15
The National @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8pm $20
The Jealous Girlfriends + Nada Surf @ Union Hall 7:30pm $15
Klaxons @ Webster Hall 7pm $20
Saturday: Okay so AIH may get me off the couch on Friday night but nothing will stop me from relaxing on Saturday night. "Hey dude, Oneida and Old Time Relijun are playing a free show tonight at Southpaw!" Fuck me. Well how can you turn down a free performance from the likes of those two??? Beats me, the show starts at 8pm what time are you getting there???
Oneida - "Up With People"
Old Time Relijun - "Liberation"
Also Playing Tonight:
Oakley Hall + Yeasayer @ Bowery Ballroom 8:30pm $15
Division Day @ Maxwell's 10pm $8
The National + Elvis Perkins @ Music Hall of Williamsburg SOLD OUT
Of Montreal @ Roseland Ballroom 7pm $22
*Thurston Moore + Wolf Eyes @ The Hook
Queens of the Stoneage @ The Theater at MSG
The Mother Hips + Pink Nasty @ Union Hall 7:30pm $12
Hot Hot Heat + De Novo Dahl @ Webster Hall 6pm $25
Sunday: Thank god its Sunday. There can't possibly be anything to get me away from football on the tv and the couch under my ass! "You going to Sound Fix to catch Tiny Master of Today?" Jesus, you are so demanding inner concert going voice! While I think I might pass on this in order to save my strength for the week ahead, I'd suggest catching the tweens as they rock out for free beginning at 4pm.
Tiny Masters of Today - "Pictures"
Also Playing Tonight:
1990's @ Maxwell's 9pm $10
Voxtrot + Pratique @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 7pm $18
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Friday's Links:
- What could possibly make indie rock music better? How about having a band going on a cooking show? Sounds pretty tasty to me, and season one of Dinner With the Band is available for free download on iTunes right now!
- Brooklyn Vegan has a rundown of the bands playing at the Apple Store in Soho during CMJ week. The list includes such small acts as Thurston Moore, Simian Mobile Disco, and Q-Tip.
- My Old Kentucky Blog has a rundown of bands and singers that have covered Rihanna's infectious "Umbrella".
- Al Gore has won a share of the Nobel Peace Prize.
- The A.V. Club has an interview with the legendary Weird Al.
Details: After the Jump North vs. South @ The Annex, Friday October 19th
1:00pm - Dead Confederate
1:40pm - The Antlers
The Antlers - "Stairs to the Attic"
2:20pm - Shovels & Rope
3:00pm - Nous Non Plus
Nous Non Plus - "Allô Allô"
3:40pm - The Pendletons
4:20pm - The Silent Years
5:00pm - Morning State
Morning State - "Must Go Up (Acoustic)"
RSVP at Going.com
Details: After the Jump Fall Fest @ The Yard Saturday October 20th ($5)1:00pm - The Lisps
The Lisps - "Pepper Spray"
2:00pm - Balthrop Alabama
3:00pm - Eagle*Seagull
4:00pm - Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central - "My Children, Be Joyful"
5:00pm - Old Time Relijun
Old Time Relijun - "Chemical Facotry"
6:00pm - O'Death
O'Death - "Down to Rest"
7:30pm - White Magic
In this day and age it seems everyone is using the internet to make a name for themselves. Bands get big by posting a few songs on myspace, kids get tv shows by being mildly amusing on YouTube, and everyone has the chance to be seen by millions of people. With all those endless possibilities its kind of refreshing when a band makes it the old fashioned way, with a phenomenal live show and some really solid song writing.Sure, Black Kids have released their EP Wizard of Ahhhs via their Myspace, but no one would have visited them there without the word of mouth generated by their amazing live performance at Athens Popfest a few weeks ago. There the band blew away everyone in attendance, generating a buzz that has since been met with rave reviews from bloggers and the print media alike. Earlier this week Pitchfork named the four songs on their Myspace page Best New Music, and the buzz is just starting to reach a fever pitch.
But it's not just buzz and hype with Black Kids, their songs are genuine pop classics. They are catchy, well written, and are certain to be the kind of thing that will have music people talking big things for them. Using a pair of keyboards, some simple guitar work, and some shouted refrains the band is undoubtedly the next big thing in the indie rock world. Their music sometimes evokes images of The Go! Team thanks to their ability to get everyone shouting along in unison, but that's pretty much where the comparisons will end. The band are something new, they are refreshing, and yet they do it the old fashioned way, with talent, hard work, and energy.
The internet has made it so that everyone can be a celebrity, it's no longer up to labels and taste makers to decide what's good and what's hip, it's all open to individual preference. But in a week where a traditional band like Radiohead makes big news by adapting to the future, it's nice to know there are still bands like Black Kids that keep the traditional flame of rock n' roll burning while still utilizing all the modern tools that are at their finger tips.
Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane"
Black Kids - "Hit the Heartbreaks"
Black Kids on Myspace
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Thursday's Links:
- Sit Down Stand Up points us in the direction of the lead single from the new Jay-Z album American Gangster.
- Subinev lists his long list of suggestions during CMJ. Stay tuned for my big, bad CMJ post coming soon.
- Music for Kids Who Can't Read Good has trolled the search pages for cover art to go with Radiohead's In Rainbows, with some very strange results.
- Insound.com and CMJ have combined to create an mp3 sampler of some of the bands playing during next week's marathon.
- The Fader sits down with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem for a little Q+A.
- Drowned in Sound interviews Jens Lekman.
I guess it was bound to happen eventually, but it appears the bloggers are making the jump to the big leagues with this year's CMJ Music Marathon. We've seen signs of the future from way back as more and more blog showcases take over events like SXSW, Pop Montreal, and of course CMJ, but nothing like what we're about to see this month. Aside from my own day show and the shows being but together by the 22-blogger strong After the Jump coalition we'll have shows from such world reknowned bloggers as Brooklyn Vegan, Ear Farm, ProductShop NYC, Underrated Magazine, and a few others. It's going to be absolutely bonkers!!!
Brooklyn Vegan Shows:
Tuesday October 16th; official showcase @ Bowery Ballroom (6pm - 1am) featuring; Voxtrot, The Rosebuds, Dean & Britta, The Most Serene Republic, Miracle Fortress, The Shaky Hands, and Bon Iver
Wednesday October 17th; @ Pianos (12pm - 6pm) [downstairs] featuring; Meat Puppets, Celebration, The Deathset, Joan As Policewoman, Le Loup, Team Robespierre, Cut Off Your Hands
Friday October 19th; @ R Bar (12pm - 8pm) featuring; Yo Majesty, Islands, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Black Kids, Yeasayer, Mika Miko, Health, Other Passengers, Fatal Flying Guilloteens, iLiKETRAiNS
Saturday October 20th; @ Pianos (12pm - 7pm); Tiny Masters of Today, The Maccabees
Saturday October 20th; @ 205 (10pm - 4am) featuring; King Oppression
Dave - creator of Brooklyn Vegan
- You're the first blogger with an official showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon, do you think that this is a small victory for blogging as a major player in the music industry or is it just some sort of abberation thanks to the tremendous popularity of your blog?
I think more than anything it shows CMJ is open to keeping with the current trends.
- Last year your shows were some of the most talked about day shows of the entire week. How do you plan to top yourself this year? Is it solely a matter of the bands that you book or do other factors come into play here?
I wouldn’t say I need to top myself necessarily, but I am doing five shows this year instead of the three I did last year. Three day parties (like last year), one official showcase, and one late-night afterparty.
- Out of your lineups what bands are you most excited to see?
I’m really excited to see everyone, but of course there’s the Black Kids coming up here from Florida, and then there’s the return of the Maccabees from the UK who I loved last time they played NYC. Then there’s the Meat Puppets. Saturday night at 205 I’m doing an afterparty with David Bruno, and we have Professor Murder playing as King Oppression which is like their other identity –they sing Professor Murder songs over other people’s beats - live remixes I guess – or something like that. They did it at a Pitchfork Festival after-party in Chicago, and supposedly it went over really well there, so I can’t wait.
- Were there any bands that you were hoping to book that you couldn't get?
Definitely - lots. Some because they were too busy, and some because they just weren’t playing CMJ. I tried really hard to get Dirty Projectors until I found out they weren’t even going to be in the country. St Vincent would have been amazing, but said she just had too much else going on – opening for the National at Terminal 5, and her own CMJ showcase at Knitting Factory. I didn’t even bother asking M.I.A.
- I happen to know who your secret guest is at Bowery, would you like to tell the whole world on a blog that isn't your own who it is?
n/a anymore http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/10/ramesh_underwen.html
(p.s. - it's Voxtrot!)
- Are there any other blogger's shows that you are interested in seeing during the week?
Gothamist, Underrated, After the Jump, Big Stereo, and Pop Tarts Suck Toasted of course. Are there others? I haven’t totally figured out everything going on yet.
- Other then your own shows any bands or showcases you suggest everyone else check out?
Honestly my picks are going to be all the obvious ones - The show Wednesday night at Bowery is solid – especially if you’ve never seen Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, No Age and White Williams – bam, all in one show. The Kill Rock Stars showcase at the Gramercy that night is nice too. Xiu Xiu is headlining. Wed night at Highline Ballroom is exciting – Islands, Thunderheist, Yo Majesty, Trail of Dead, etc., and then there’s the St Vincent / Papercuts show at Knitting Factory that same night. Friday night you have that show with Spank Rock, Earl Greyhound & Santogold @ Irving. MIA is playing Terminal 5….
If my own show wasn’t on Tuesday night October 17th @ Bowery, I’d probably be going to see The Bouncing Souls and Lifetime play together at Webster Hall. I’m not sure that’s a suggestion, but more of a “wanting to relive my childhood”, and an amazing double bill (if the Souls and Lifetime are your thing).
Gothamist House Shows: (all shows at White Rabbit and 2pm - 8pm)
Wednesday October 17th; Reverand Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, Charles Bissell, The Forms, Aaron Behrens, Peasant, O'Death, Cut Off Your Hands
Thursday October 18th; iLiKETRAiNS, Sam Champion, Dead Confederate, Bad Veins, The Big Sleep, The Teeth, Jealous Girlfriends, The Muggabears
Friday October 19th; Bound Stems, Deadly Syndrome, White Denim, The Mugs, Pattern Is Movement, Jukebox the Ghost, The Epochs, Illinois
Saturday October 20th; The Narrator, Eagle*Seagull, The Spinto Band, Luke Temple, Ford & Fitzroy, Andrew Dost, The Subjects, Palomar
Jen Carlson - Gothamist Arts + Entertainment Editor
- Last year you guys took over the same venue you're at this year, why'd you choose the same place instead of going for a larger, more recognizable venue?
With the White Rabbit, we have the place to ourselves all week -- so we don't have to worry about ending our show in time for another one happening right afterwards. CMJ is so crazy, this is one way to make the week less chaotic (for myself!). I also like the more non-traditional venues during CMJ, it makes it feel less like just any other week in New York. And the stripped down sets there make it a little different from the other shows. On top of all that, it's a space that I don't mind hanging out in for 8 hours each day!
- As of right now you've only announced two of your lineups, but who are you most looking forward to seeing so far?
I'm really looking forward to seeing Aaron Behrens, I don't really know what he has planned. And of course Charles of The Wrens is always amazing.
- It seems this year that there are far more blog sponsored shows then there ever have been before, do you think this is a trend that we will continue to see in the years to come or do you think its a fad that's going to fade away as quickly as it came?
I think this has been a growing trend for a few years now. In some cases the venues are certainly getting bigger though, and it seems like everyone with a blog has a show now - which wasn't always the case. I hope it continues to grow because the blog shows are usually the best/most fun -- and they're usually what everyone is left talking about by the end of the week.
- Aside from the Gothamist shows what bands or showcases are you looking forward to seeing during the marathon?
I'm looking forward to seeing Ghostland Observatory at Webster Hall. I don't always love that venue, but it seems like the perfect place to see them, especially with their Pink Floyd lighting guy in tow with those lasers! I also want to see the Meat Puppets. And after finally jumping on the Deerhunter bandwagon, I wouldn't mind seeing them again.
- Are there any other blog currated shows you're interested in seeing?
I haven't looked around yet at what's going on -- I know Brooklyn Vegan usually has great shows, but sadly I probably won't be able to go to any other blog shows because they are usually during the day and I'll be at Gothamist House.
- If someone from out of town were coming in for just one day to see one of the Gothamist shows which one would you recommend they attend?
This is a hard question, I like all of the days! I would ask this person why they would come to CMJ for only one day...then suggest they go to day one. I guess that is my personal favorite. Aaron Behrens > The Forms > Charles Bissell > Reverend Billy! It's going to be really fun I think.
Underrated Magazine Shows: (all shows co-sponsored by Indaba and at the Indaba Loft on Bowery and Houston) [all shows also from 2pm - 8pm unless noted]
Tuesday October 16th; Matt Singer, Some Velvet Morning, Cut Off Your Hands, Arizona, Quintis, Krystle Warren
Wednesday October 17th; The Undisputed Heavyweights, Beat Radio, Natalie Prass, Seth Kallen and the Reaction, Middle Distance Runner, Division Day
Thursday October 18th; Mancino, The Jaguar Club, Mason Proper, Tim Williams, Let's Go Sailing, A Brief Smile
Friday October 19th; Wakey! Wakey!, Eagle*Seagull, Princeton, Mook, The Sister Lovers
Saturday October 20th (7pm - 12am); Catfish Haven, Jukebox the Ghost, Nous Non Plus, The Diggs, Sure Juror
Rachael Darmanin - writer, editor, do-it-all for Underrated Magazine
- You have put together a pretty impressive lineup of bands for the entire week of CMJ, other then the bands themselves what's is going to be so different and great about the Underrated Magazine shows? Why should I go to those shows instead of something else?
Well shucks, thank you. The great part about the Underrated/Indaba/This Side Up shows is that it’s really a chance for people to just take a break, hang out, and listen to some new artists. Most of the acts we have booked for our day shows are acoustic singer songwriters from New York and all over, we’re so happy to give them a chance to strut their stuff. Plus, a bunch of bands will be stopping by for stripped down sets, so you’ll get to hear some songs in a completely different environment. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Indaba, we get to take over their loft every day. All ages are invited to come by (it’s also free) to check out the acts and find out what Indaba is all about. Since it’s right in the center of everything CMJ, we’re hoping that people will stop by to relax to some sweet sounds of our favorite artists. Ah yes, there will also be free beer.
- Out of the bands you have assembled here, who are you most excited to see?
I’d hate to pick just one, but I’ve been dying to get the band Princeton out to New York for over a year now. They will be finally heading out from California for CMJ, so I am really excited to see them live. Other than that, I have a bunch of my favorites, but it looks like Cut Off Your Hands! may be the big buzz band of CMJ this year, so I’m excited to see them on our first day.
- If someone were coming to town for only one of those days, which day would you suggest they stop by for?
Each day show is fantastic in its own right so if they had to only come for one day, I would suggest they come for our Saturday night show. This will definitely not be stripped down, as we’re prepared for a hot sweaty mess of good old rock ‘n roll. Catfish Haven will be headlining the night, but you’d be silly to not come early for Sure Juror, The Diggs, Nous Non Plus and Jukebox The Ghost.
- Outside of your shows, which shows are you looking forward to during the marathon?
I sure hope I get to make it out to a couple more shows this week. I’m looking forward to seeing Georgie James at Mercury, the Dovecote Showcase, and of course a bunch of blogger showcases.
- Do you think the presence of bloggers as a force of musical influence is a trend that's going to continue, or do you see it as a fluke that's going to fizzle out after a while?
I definitely think it will continue and get stronger. This is the first year we’ve seen a blogger (Brooklyn Vegan) get an official showcase, and I know that in subsequent years more and more will. Everyone is starting to realize that bloggers aren’t just silly kids behind a computer, they are the real music fans who are determining the future of music. For a festival like CMJ, it’s important to realize that they are a prominent presence in discovering new bands.
- Are there any bands you wish you could have gotten for your shows that you didn't?
We wanted Georgie James to play, but schedules didn’t work out. I was also looking forward to booking my favorite Brooklynite Kevin Devine, but again, it’s a crazy week and only so many artists. Britt Daniels also didn’t return my phone calls. Oh well.
- Are there any other bloggers' shows that you are looking forward to attending?
I hear the Pop Tarts Suck Toasted showcase is pretty amazing.(editors note: Rachael just happens to be my wonderful girlfriend and though I think my show is pretty great, she may just be trying to score brownie points!) Definitely am going to try and make it out to After The Jump, although Brooklyn is looking less and less likely with my time constraints. I’d be interested in seeing who the Brooklyn Vegan special guest is…although, I think I already have an idea. All in all, it should be a pretty spectacular week.
Ear Farm Shows:
Wednesday October 17th @ Matchless (7pm - 12am); Hull, Goes Cube, Man In Gray, Kickstart, The Unsacred Heart
After the Jump Shows:
Wednesday October 17th @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (6pm - 12am $12/$14); A Place to Bury Strangers, Cadence Weapon, Foals, Sam Champion, Yeasayer, Alberta Cross
Friday October 19th @ The Annex (1pm - 6pm, FREE); The Antlers, Nous Non Plus, The Silent Years, The Pendeltons, Cary Ann Hearst, Dead Confederate, Morning State
Saturday October 20th @ The Yard (noon - ? $5); White Magic, Rock Plaza Central, O'Death, Old Time Relijun, Eagle*Seagull, The Lisps, Balthrop Alabama, Two Man Gentlemen Band
Jen Kellas - project manager After the Jump/co-creator of The Music Slut
- After the Jump has three shows planned for CMJ and each lineup is very different, what brought about three shows that are so varied in their sound?
All of the bloggers involved with After the Jump have such a wide taste when it comes to music and CMJ is a great time to show that off with interesting, genre specific shows like the one at The Yard on October 20th. CMJ is also a time though when a bill like the eclectic mix at The Music Hall of Williamsburg works because people come to CMJ from all over to experience as many different bands as possible. Overall, we wanted to create three very different showcases for people to come and enjoy, so different that if you came to all three, you might think they were curated by completely different groups.
- Out of the bands booked for these shows who are you most looking forward to seeing?
I am pretty excited to hear the new material from The Silent Years. Old Time Relijun from Washington and Rock Plaza Central from Toronto will both be a real treat to see as well. I've also heard nothing but amazing things about Foals, who are coming over from the UK the day of for the show at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on the 16th.
- This year it seems that Marathon week is being taken over by the bloggers with a huge array of blogger currated shows. Do you think this is just a short term fad or is it possible that blogging will become even bigger then we all imagined it could within the music world?
I think blogging is a really good example of how the voice of one person making a stand can make a difference. With the advent of the internet, this noise is able to resonate louder than ever before and record companies are finally listening by either forming small labels under their large umbrella, or signing smaller bands to the types of contracts that include shopping their music to companies for advertising use, something that would never have been heard of 10, 20 years ago.
I hope blogging continues to be a new force within the music world, but I already see that the corporate world is getting hip to the power of blogging by creating their own "blog" on their sites. Hopefully, this won't detract people from reading blogs by people who really do care about artists and new music, like this one.
- If someone from out of town were only able to make it out for one of the After the Jump shows which one would you suggest they get to?
If you were to make it to one, then perhaps our show on the last day at The Yard would have to be it. It features both great local and out of state bands in a beautiful setting, outside on the Gowanus Canal. It is going to be a fun, relaxed, way to end the insane CMJ week.
- Other then After the Jump shows, what shows are you looking forward to seeing during the week?
I am excited to see one of my all time favourite bands, The Gaskets, 4 times during the week. I'll also be hitting up MIA at the new Terminal 5, which should be interesting.
- Are there any bands you wish you had been able to book that you weren't?
Surprisingly, a lot of bands are skipping CMJ this year such as Man Man and We Are Scientists who were high on my list. A few had to randomly cancel their tour dates for October as well, like Shitdisco and Cloud Cult. They should all be warned though, After the Jump has our sights set on them playing one of our future gigs.
- Are there any other blogger shows you're planning on attending?
There are other blogger shows? Brooklyn Vegan's show with After the Jumper, Slap You in Public, Saturday the 20th at 205 looks super fun. Rachael of Underrated Magazine is helping to curate the lounge at Indaba Studios all week, and she has some great bands. And if I didn't have to run the After the Jump show Friday the 19th during the day, I'd probably your line-up at The Delancey.
Brooklyn Vegan Shows:
Tuesday October 16th; official showcase @ Bowery Ballroom (6pm - 1am) featuring; Voxtrot, The Rosebuds, Dean & Britta, The Most Serene Republic, Miracle Fortress, The Shaky Hands, and Bon Iver
Wednesday October 17th; @ Pianos (12pm - 6pm) [downstairs] featuring; Meat Puppets, Celebration, The Deathset, Joan As Policewoman, Le Loup, Team Robespierre, Cut Off Your Hands
Friday October 19th; @ R Bar (12pm - 8pm) featuring; Yo Majesty, Islands, Saturday Looks Good To Me, Black Kids, Yeasayer, Mika Miko, Health, Other Passengers, Fatal Flying Guilloteens, iLiKETRAiNS
Saturday October 20th; @ Pianos (12pm - 7pm); Tiny Masters of Today, The Maccabees
Saturday October 20th; @ 205 (10pm - 4am) featuring; King Oppression
Dave - creator of Brooklyn Vegan
- You're the first blogger with an official showcase at the CMJ Music Marathon, do you think that this is a small victory for blogging as a major player in the music industry or is it just some sort of abberation thanks to the tremendous popularity of your blog?
I think more than anything it shows CMJ is open to keeping with the current trends.
- Last year your shows were some of the most talked about day shows of the entire week. How do you plan to top yourself this year? Is it solely a matter of the bands that you book or do other factors come into play here?
I wouldn’t say I need to top myself necessarily, but I am doing five shows this year instead of the three I did last year. Three day parties (like last year), one official showcase, and one late-night afterparty.
- Out of your lineups what bands are you most excited to see?
I’m really excited to see everyone, but of course there’s the Black Kids coming up here from Florida, and then there’s the return of the Maccabees from the UK who I loved last time they played NYC. Then there’s the Meat Puppets. Saturday night at 205 I’m doing an afterparty with David Bruno, and we have Professor Murder playing as King Oppression which is like their other identity –they sing Professor Murder songs over other people’s beats - live remixes I guess – or something like that. They did it at a Pitchfork Festival after-party in Chicago, and supposedly it went over really well there, so I can’t wait.
- Were there any bands that you were hoping to book that you couldn't get?
Definitely - lots. Some because they were too busy, and some because they just weren’t playing CMJ. I tried really hard to get Dirty Projectors until I found out they weren’t even going to be in the country. St Vincent would have been amazing, but said she just had too much else going on – opening for the National at Terminal 5, and her own CMJ showcase at Knitting Factory. I didn’t even bother asking M.I.A.
- I happen to know who your secret guest is at Bowery, would you like to tell the whole world on a blog that isn't your own who it is?
n/a anymore http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2007/10/ramesh_underwen.html
(p.s. - it's Voxtrot!)
- Are there any other blogger's shows that you are interested in seeing during the week?
Gothamist, Underrated, After the Jump, Big Stereo, and Pop Tarts Suck Toasted of course. Are there others? I haven’t totally figured out everything going on yet.
- Other then your own shows any bands or showcases you suggest everyone else check out?
Honestly my picks are going to be all the obvious ones - The show Wednesday night at Bowery is solid – especially if you’ve never seen Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, No Age and White Williams – bam, all in one show. The Kill Rock Stars showcase at the Gramercy that night is nice too. Xiu Xiu is headlining. Wed night at Highline Ballroom is exciting – Islands, Thunderheist, Yo Majesty, Trail of Dead, etc., and then there’s the St Vincent / Papercuts show at Knitting Factory that same night. Friday night you have that show with Spank Rock, Earl Greyhound & Santogold @ Irving. MIA is playing Terminal 5….
If my own show wasn’t on Tuesday night October 17th @ Bowery, I’d probably be going to see The Bouncing Souls and Lifetime play together at Webster Hall. I’m not sure that’s a suggestion, but more of a “wanting to relive my childhood”, and an amazing double bill (if the Souls and Lifetime are your thing).
Gothamist House Shows: (all shows at White Rabbit and 2pm - 8pm)
Wednesday October 17th; Reverand Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping, Charles Bissell, The Forms, Aaron Behrens, Peasant, O'Death, Cut Off Your Hands
Thursday October 18th; iLiKETRAiNS, Sam Champion, Dead Confederate, Bad Veins, The Big Sleep, The Teeth, Jealous Girlfriends, The Muggabears
Friday October 19th; Bound Stems, Deadly Syndrome, White Denim, The Mugs, Pattern Is Movement, Jukebox the Ghost, The Epochs, Illinois
Saturday October 20th; The Narrator, Eagle*Seagull, The Spinto Band, Luke Temple, Ford & Fitzroy, Andrew Dost, The Subjects, Palomar
Jen Carlson - Gothamist Arts + Entertainment Editor
- Last year you guys took over the same venue you're at this year, why'd you choose the same place instead of going for a larger, more recognizable venue?
With the White Rabbit, we have the place to ourselves all week -- so we don't have to worry about ending our show in time for another one happening right afterwards. CMJ is so crazy, this is one way to make the week less chaotic (for myself!). I also like the more non-traditional venues during CMJ, it makes it feel less like just any other week in New York. And the stripped down sets there make it a little different from the other shows. On top of all that, it's a space that I don't mind hanging out in for 8 hours each day!
- As of right now you've only announced two of your lineups, but who are you most looking forward to seeing so far?
I'm really looking forward to seeing Aaron Behrens, I don't really know what he has planned. And of course Charles of The Wrens is always amazing.
- It seems this year that there are far more blog sponsored shows then there ever have been before, do you think this is a trend that we will continue to see in the years to come or do you think its a fad that's going to fade away as quickly as it came?
I think this has been a growing trend for a few years now. In some cases the venues are certainly getting bigger though, and it seems like everyone with a blog has a show now - which wasn't always the case. I hope it continues to grow because the blog shows are usually the best/most fun -- and they're usually what everyone is left talking about by the end of the week.
- Aside from the Gothamist shows what bands or showcases are you looking forward to seeing during the marathon?
I'm looking forward to seeing Ghostland Observatory at Webster Hall. I don't always love that venue, but it seems like the perfect place to see them, especially with their Pink Floyd lighting guy in tow with those lasers! I also want to see the Meat Puppets. And after finally jumping on the Deerhunter bandwagon, I wouldn't mind seeing them again.
- Are there any other blog currated shows you're interested in seeing?
I haven't looked around yet at what's going on -- I know Brooklyn Vegan usually has great shows, but sadly I probably won't be able to go to any other blog shows because they are usually during the day and I'll be at Gothamist House.
- If someone from out of town were coming in for just one day to see one of the Gothamist shows which one would you recommend they attend?
This is a hard question, I like all of the days! I would ask this person why they would come to CMJ for only one day...then suggest they go to day one. I guess that is my personal favorite. Aaron Behrens > The Forms > Charles Bissell > Reverend Billy! It's going to be really fun I think.
Underrated Magazine Shows: (all shows co-sponsored by Indaba and at the Indaba Loft on Bowery and Houston) [all shows also from 2pm - 8pm unless noted]
Tuesday October 16th; Matt Singer, Some Velvet Morning, Cut Off Your Hands, Arizona, Quintis, Krystle Warren
Wednesday October 17th; The Undisputed Heavyweights, Beat Radio, Natalie Prass, Seth Kallen and the Reaction, Middle Distance Runner, Division Day
Thursday October 18th; Mancino, The Jaguar Club, Mason Proper, Tim Williams, Let's Go Sailing, A Brief Smile
Friday October 19th; Wakey! Wakey!, Eagle*Seagull, Princeton, Mook, The Sister Lovers
Saturday October 20th (7pm - 12am); Catfish Haven, Jukebox the Ghost, Nous Non Plus, The Diggs, Sure Juror
Rachael Darmanin - writer, editor, do-it-all for Underrated Magazine
- You have put together a pretty impressive lineup of bands for the entire week of CMJ, other then the bands themselves what's is going to be so different and great about the Underrated Magazine shows? Why should I go to those shows instead of something else?
Well shucks, thank you. The great part about the Underrated/Indaba/This Side Up shows is that it’s really a chance for people to just take a break, hang out, and listen to some new artists. Most of the acts we have booked for our day shows are acoustic singer songwriters from New York and all over, we’re so happy to give them a chance to strut their stuff. Plus, a bunch of bands will be stopping by for stripped down sets, so you’ll get to hear some songs in a completely different environment. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Indaba, we get to take over their loft every day. All ages are invited to come by (it’s also free) to check out the acts and find out what Indaba is all about. Since it’s right in the center of everything CMJ, we’re hoping that people will stop by to relax to some sweet sounds of our favorite artists. Ah yes, there will also be free beer.
- Out of the bands you have assembled here, who are you most excited to see?
I’d hate to pick just one, but I’ve been dying to get the band Princeton out to New York for over a year now. They will be finally heading out from California for CMJ, so I am really excited to see them live. Other than that, I have a bunch of my favorites, but it looks like Cut Off Your Hands! may be the big buzz band of CMJ this year, so I’m excited to see them on our first day.
- If someone were coming to town for only one of those days, which day would you suggest they stop by for?
Each day show is fantastic in its own right so if they had to only come for one day, I would suggest they come for our Saturday night show. This will definitely not be stripped down, as we’re prepared for a hot sweaty mess of good old rock ‘n roll. Catfish Haven will be headlining the night, but you’d be silly to not come early for Sure Juror, The Diggs, Nous Non Plus and Jukebox The Ghost.
- Outside of your shows, which shows are you looking forward to during the marathon?
I sure hope I get to make it out to a couple more shows this week. I’m looking forward to seeing Georgie James at Mercury, the Dovecote Showcase, and of course a bunch of blogger showcases.
- Do you think the presence of bloggers as a force of musical influence is a trend that's going to continue, or do you see it as a fluke that's going to fizzle out after a while?
I definitely think it will continue and get stronger. This is the first year we’ve seen a blogger (Brooklyn Vegan) get an official showcase, and I know that in subsequent years more and more will. Everyone is starting to realize that bloggers aren’t just silly kids behind a computer, they are the real music fans who are determining the future of music. For a festival like CMJ, it’s important to realize that they are a prominent presence in discovering new bands.
- Are there any bands you wish you could have gotten for your shows that you didn't?
We wanted Georgie James to play, but schedules didn’t work out. I was also looking forward to booking my favorite Brooklynite Kevin Devine, but again, it’s a crazy week and only so many artists. Britt Daniels also didn’t return my phone calls. Oh well.
- Are there any other bloggers' shows that you are looking forward to attending?
I hear the Pop Tarts Suck Toasted showcase is pretty amazing.(editors note: Rachael just happens to be my wonderful girlfriend and though I think my show is pretty great, she may just be trying to score brownie points!) Definitely am going to try and make it out to After The Jump, although Brooklyn is looking less and less likely with my time constraints. I’d be interested in seeing who the Brooklyn Vegan special guest is…although, I think I already have an idea. All in all, it should be a pretty spectacular week.
Ear Farm Shows:
Wednesday October 17th @ Matchless (7pm - 12am); Hull, Goes Cube, Man In Gray, Kickstart, The Unsacred Heart
After the Jump Shows:
Wednesday October 17th @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (6pm - 12am $12/$14); A Place to Bury Strangers, Cadence Weapon, Foals, Sam Champion, Yeasayer, Alberta Cross
Friday October 19th @ The Annex (1pm - 6pm, FREE); The Antlers, Nous Non Plus, The Silent Years, The Pendeltons, Cary Ann Hearst, Dead Confederate, Morning State
Saturday October 20th @ The Yard (noon - ? $5); White Magic, Rock Plaza Central, O'Death, Old Time Relijun, Eagle*Seagull, The Lisps, Balthrop Alabama, Two Man Gentlemen Band
Jen Kellas - project manager After the Jump/co-creator of The Music Slut
- After the Jump has three shows planned for CMJ and each lineup is very different, what brought about three shows that are so varied in their sound?
All of the bloggers involved with After the Jump have such a wide taste when it comes to music and CMJ is a great time to show that off with interesting, genre specific shows like the one at The Yard on October 20th. CMJ is also a time though when a bill like the eclectic mix at The Music Hall of Williamsburg works because people come to CMJ from all over to experience as many different bands as possible. Overall, we wanted to create three very different showcases for people to come and enjoy, so different that if you came to all three, you might think they were curated by completely different groups.
- Out of the bands booked for these shows who are you most looking forward to seeing?
I am pretty excited to hear the new material from The Silent Years. Old Time Relijun from Washington and Rock Plaza Central from Toronto will both be a real treat to see as well. I've also heard nothing but amazing things about Foals, who are coming over from the UK the day of for the show at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on the 16th.
- This year it seems that Marathon week is being taken over by the bloggers with a huge array of blogger currated shows. Do you think this is just a short term fad or is it possible that blogging will become even bigger then we all imagined it could within the music world?
I think blogging is a really good example of how the voice of one person making a stand can make a difference. With the advent of the internet, this noise is able to resonate louder than ever before and record companies are finally listening by either forming small labels under their large umbrella, or signing smaller bands to the types of contracts that include shopping their music to companies for advertising use, something that would never have been heard of 10, 20 years ago.
I hope blogging continues to be a new force within the music world, but I already see that the corporate world is getting hip to the power of blogging by creating their own "blog" on their sites. Hopefully, this won't detract people from reading blogs by people who really do care about artists and new music, like this one.
- If someone from out of town were only able to make it out for one of the After the Jump shows which one would you suggest they get to?
If you were to make it to one, then perhaps our show on the last day at The Yard would have to be it. It features both great local and out of state bands in a beautiful setting, outside on the Gowanus Canal. It is going to be a fun, relaxed, way to end the insane CMJ week.
- Other then After the Jump shows, what shows are you looking forward to seeing during the week?
I am excited to see one of my all time favourite bands, The Gaskets, 4 times during the week. I'll also be hitting up MIA at the new Terminal 5, which should be interesting.
- Are there any bands you wish you had been able to book that you weren't?
Surprisingly, a lot of bands are skipping CMJ this year such as Man Man and We Are Scientists who were high on my list. A few had to randomly cancel their tour dates for October as well, like Shitdisco and Cloud Cult. They should all be warned though, After the Jump has our sights set on them playing one of our future gigs.
- Are there any other blogger shows you're planning on attending?
There are other blogger shows? Brooklyn Vegan's show with After the Jumper, Slap You in Public, Saturday the 20th at 205 looks super fun. Rachael of Underrated Magazine is helping to curate the lounge at Indaba Studios all week, and she has some great bands. And if I didn't have to run the After the Jump show Friday the 19th during the day, I'd probably your line-up at The Delancey.
- Sports Note #1: Well baseball season is over here in New York. I was only able to predict a single series in the playoffs and that was the advancing of the Red Sox. I think the World Series will be Boston and the Rockies and I hope to god a National League team wins it at this point. The one good thing about the Yanks being eliminated, at least I won't have to worry about missing a Yankees vs. Red Sox game during CMJ next week.
- Muzzle of Bees has a handful of questions with Bowerbirds, who are sure to be darlings of the CMJ Music Marathon next week.
- TV Note #1: Have not watch any of my shows yet this week. Missed half of last week's episode of The Office, all of 30 Rock, all of Heroes. Fucking playoff baseball has ruined my TV watching schedule.
- Big Apple Music Scene has an interview with White Rabbits, quite possibly the best new band of the year even after all these months.
- Movie Note: I don't remember the last movie I saw in the theaters. I have missed so many movies this year that its getting a bit ridiculous. There are some that I really want to see and I know I won't go pay $12 a ticket for a movie when I could pay $12 a ticket to see a really good band. That's just where my mind is right now.
- Gothamist has a wonderful interview with Scott Adsit who plays Pete on 30 Rock and is one of the executive producers of Morel Orel one of the greatest cartoons in the history of cartooning.
- Sports Note #2: Since Monday I have been wondering whether or not Joe Torre should come back to the Yankees. I've reached the conclusion that if he wants to come back he should be welcomed with open arms, but if he doesn't come back hire Joe Girardi!!!
- Pretty much every blogger in the world has downloaded a copy of In Rainbows and posted something about it. I just finished my download and will be listening sooner or later.
- Sports Note #3: This is a list of Yankee free agents I hope to see return; Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Andy Phillips, Bobby Abreu
- The bloggers are staying by a template tonight, they either have a Radiohead review, the Justice on Jimmy Kimmel video, or both. Vegan has the video.
- Sports Note #4: This is a list of Yankee free agents I hope to never see again; Roger Clemens, A-Rod
Here's the tracks...
The Hourly Radio - "Gun In Hand"
West Indian Girl - "To Die In LA"
Chris Stills - "Fool For Love"
House of Brothers - "Deadman"
Grizzly Bear - "Alligator (Choir Version)"
How is it that one man can be responsible to much good music? Spencer Krug, member of Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, and Sunset Rubdown has been dishing out tremendous songs for all four of those bands for a couple of years now at a prolific rate. It seems that every album he is a part of gets raved about in every publication from here to Siberia, and somehow they all manage to merit these accolades. This time out Spencer managed to write the Sunset Rubdown album as well as songs for a Wolf Parade album that is supposed to be coming soon. It's an amazing feat especially considering the differences between the two bands.While Wolf Parade prefer to fill every nanosecond of recording space with sound, Sunset Rubdown opts to space things out a bit more. On Random Spirit Lover piano's are stretched out and there are large gaps that are filled only by Spencer's voice. It leads the listener to be even further drawn in by the parts that are loaded by the keyboards, guitar, and various other sounds found throughout the album.
The songwriting remains a focus with Sunset Rubdown throughout the album. Like he did on Shut Up I Am Dreaming, Snake's Got A Leg, and even in his writing for his other bands Spencer uses his knack for sensationalized imagery to convey the deep meanings of his songs. Sung through his creaky, warbling voice, Krug takes his words and makes them the center point of each song. They are deep, have meaning, and make the listener think throughout the album, all of which adds another layer to Sunset Rubdown.
With the more nuanced sound and Spencer's charming songs, Sunset Rubdown is an A-list band but still is only a side project amongst a host of other projects. Lucky for us it seems Krug has a never ending well to draw his songs from and never seems to run short on new ideas and new ways to present his music. It is truly a gift to the indie rock fans of the world to have a musician like Spencer Krug among us.
Sunset Rubdown - "Winged/Wicked Things"
Sunset Rubdown - "Up On Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days"
buy it at insound!
When Beirut released Gulag Orkestar last year, people fell head over heels for their old world sound. The sound was full of Eastern European influences that had people conjuring ideas of gypsies and an odd mythical world. It won audiences and critics alike with the use of these sounds and of course it also helps to have the powerful voice Zach Condon has to sing behind you. Then earlier this year the band released an EP call Lon Gisland that, while having some similarities to the first album, seemed to show the band growing as a whole instead of relying on Zach and of course it showed a slight change in the sound of the band.On The Flying Club Cup Beirut change locations, continuing with an old world feel, but a little more modern and a little further east. The sound is akin to what you would hear on the streets of Paris at the turn of the century, a kind of French chason music with sweeping string arrangements, plentiful use of horns, and of course Zach's lyrics being sung over everything. It is a lot less dreary, more playful, and more upbeat then anything found on Gulag Orkestar.
With The Flying Club Cup, Zach has finally allowed other people into his musical world. On the debut album it was mostly Zach with a little help from Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trost of A Hawk and A Hacksaw helping him out, but on the sophomore release he has the full band on it and the string arrangements come courtesy of Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett. The resulting sound is fuller and much more defined then the earlier release. There is more sound in every second of The Flying Club Cup giving listeners a seemingly new listening experience with each successive listen. On the first time around you'll focus on Condon's lush voice, with more thought out and mature lyrics being sung. Then the next time you take a listen you'll pick up accordions, French horns, organs, and a ton of other traditional instruments not often found in contemporary music. It's a fascinating listen that should open worlds that you never knew existed.
A lot of bands that achieved the immediate success of Beirut may have been content to stay put where they were. They could have easily recorded the nearly the same album as Gulag Orkestar and sold records and continued to tour with great success, but they pushed themselves as musicians to a new world, exploring new instruments, and sounds and they should certainly reap the great rewards for taking such a risk. The Flying Club Cup is by far a much more complete and pleasant album in every way imaginable. Let's hope that the band continue to be successful taking these kinds of risks and continue to branch out to other sounds and instruments, but for now lets bask in the greatness of this one fantastic album.
Beirut - "Nantes"
Beirut - "In the Mausoleum"
buy it at insound!
For some reason the three full albums Jens Lekman has now released have all been collections of various recordings he has done over the course of several years, yet somehow these recordings usually wind up flowing together extremely well. On Night Falls Over Kortedala Jens uses the same formula to create one of the sweetest, bets sounding albums of the year. Romantic at the core, Jens Lekman is a brilliant crooner that has a way with words even though the words aren't in his native language, and throughout this album he gives us an exaggerated tour through the world before his eyes.Starting with the simple and mostly sedated "And I Remember Every Kiss", Jens introduces us to his little neighborhood of Kortedala, a world that has been the scene of his memories that have been greatly romanticized and stretched on the album. The opening song starts with a simple Jens croon before exploding into a full symphony with Jens remembers his very first kiss. From here we are given such simple ideas and thoughts as Jens sings about the every day life in Kortedala. There are songs where he'll sing just as happily about an avocado as he does about his sister. It's an impressive take on using song as a first person, semi-autobiographical account of one's life, especially considering all the mundane stuff Jens romanticizes.
The music is your standard Jens Lekman album taken to a new height. Night Over Kortedala takes Jens sampling techniques and cranks them up with even more catchy beats, a more full sound, and loads of additional instruments that haven't been heard on previous recordings. It's a thoroughly impressive album from start to finish with some true standout tracks. "The Opposite of Hallelujah", a favorite live track, finds its way onto the album an is probably the first definitive moment of the album. It manages to draw us even further into the album with a simple beat and piano leading into a highly contagious, well sung chorus by Jens. "A Postcard to Nina" also has been a standout live track for a while now, but finds even more depth being recorded with its hyper chorus being more comprehensible and even funnier then what I remember him singing from the stage.
So whatever the reason behind Jens' recording style it is working. If it takes him three years and going through hundreds of songs to find 12 keepers like this we will all stomach it and enjoy the results whenever they are released. Night Fall Over Kortedala is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of the year, and I'm pretty sure you guys will have no problem falling in love with it just as I have.
Jens Lekman - "A Postcard for Nina"
Jens Lekman - "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
Jens Lekman - "Your Arms Around Me"
buy it at insound!
Also Released Today:
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Tuesday's Links:
- Sit Down Stand Up has posted a 1996 battle between some MC's named Kanye West and Common. Hmmm wonder whatever happened to those guys?
- Obscure Sound has compiled some of the best tracks of September onto one nice little ZIP file for your downloading pleasure. It includes tracks from Murder Myster, The Go! Team, The GoStation, and many more.
- The A.V. Club sits down for an interview with the Meat Puppets.
- Pitchfork interviews Steve Earle.
After the Jump @ CMJ '07
Wednesday October 17th @ Music Hall of Willamsburg;
6pm $12 advance/$14 day of;
Bowery Presents + After the Jump Present:
A Place to Bury Strangers
Cadence Weapon
Foals
Sam Champion
Yeasayer
Alberta Cross
Friday October 19th @ The Annex;
1pm, FREE
Indie Outlaw + After the Jump Present: North Vs. South
North: The Antlers, Nous Non Plus, The Silent Years
South: The Pendeltons, Cary Ann Hearst, Dead Confederate, Morning State
Saturday October 20th @ The Yard;
Noon, $5
After the Jump's Fall Mini Fest:
White Magic, O'Death, Old Time Relijun, Eagle*Seagull, The Lisps, Balthrop Alabama, Two Man Gentlemen Band, Rock Plaza Central
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted @ CMJ '07
Friday October 19th @ The Delancey
Noon, $5
12pm - 12:30pm; Animandible
12:45pm - 1:15pm; Meowskers
1:30pm - 2:00pm; Bridges & Powerlines
2:15pm - 2:45pm; A Brief Smile
3:00pm - 3:30pm; Mannequin Men
3:45pm - 4:15pm; Bad Veins
4:30pm - 5:00pm; The Diggs
Here's some tunes from a few of these bands to get you hyped up for the marathon...
The Diggs - "Careen"
A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
Cadence Weapon - "Sharks"
The Antlers - "The Universe Is Going to Catch You"
Bad Veins - "The Lie"
Mannequin Men - "The Boys"
The Lisps - "Pepper Spray"
O'Death - "Down to Rest"
Monday: Sunset Rubdown @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8pm $15
I am a big fan of any project and member of Wolf Parade has ever done, but I think we've all reached the consensus that Sunset Rubdown is easily the best side project and may even be as good as Wolf Parade themselves. Thanks to Spencer's amazing gift of songwriting and his terrific voice, this band is able to slow things down more then Wolf Parade and reveal all the intricacies of Spencer's writing. Plus, they have a fantastic live show (so long as Spencer is not sick!).
Sunset Rubdown - "Winged/Wicked Things"
Tuesday: The Cave Singers @ Sound Fix Records 7pm FREE
The Cave Singers are one of those bands that are very quickly making stirs in the indie pond. They were tabbed to support Black Mountain are their current tour (which is a show that will be hitting town that I'd like to recommend but there are slightly better things going down when they are here this week) and are really getting some rave reviews throughout the country. I've only listened to a couple of their tunes but I have to say I love what I've heard so far and will definitely be listening to some more from this band soon.
The Cave Singers - "Seeds of Night"
Wednesday: Jay Reatard @ Cake Shop 8pm $7
My brother is the reason I am so fond of Jay Reatard. He has pushed the band on me time and time again and at some point I broke down, listened, and heard what he was so excited about. Apparently this band has a phenomenal live show, and Cake Shop seems like the type of venue that will barely be able to contain the insanity of the live experience.
Jay Reatard - "Let It All Go"
Thursday: The National + St. Vincent @ Terminal 5 7pm SOLD OUT
People going to The National show tonight will get the very first glimpse of the brand new Bowery Presents venue Terminal 5. You also get the tremendous opening talent that is St. Vincent! So combine those two things with the fact that The National have released one of the best albums of the year and I think we have the makings of a very solid show.
The National - "Start A War"
St. Vincent - "Paris Is Burning"
Friday: Architecture in Helsinki @ Studio B 8pm $20
As an avid twee rocker I am a big fan of Architecture in Helsinki's quirky sound. Their previous album, In Case We Die, quickly became one of my favorite albums and is still in constant rotation within what I listen to. But this year's release, Places Like This, with it's absolutely infectious single "Heart It Races" has been one of my most listened to albums of the year. I'm always excited by this band and seeing them on Friday should be no less exciting.
Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
Saturday: Oneida + Old Time Relijun @ Southpaw 8pm FREE
During CMJ there are always a few bands that load up on shows and start garnering a lot of early attention because of the amount of shows they are playing. One of those bands is Old Time Relijun, a band that seems to be playing every showcase going on. Well I just might get a head start on my CMJ viewing here by catching the band for free at Southpaw with the always fantastic Oneida.
Oneida - "Up With People"
Sunday: Tiny Masters of Today @ Sound Fix Records 4pm FREE
The buzz on the street about the two tweens in Tiny Masters of Today is reaching a height few pre-pubescent teens even know exist. With friends in high profile bands all over the place, Tiny Masters of Today are starting to get looked at not for their ages, but for what they can do with their instruments. It's a pretty impressive feat to be this popular this early in you life.
Tiny Masters of Today - "Bushy"
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Monday's Links:
- Pitchfork has an interview with the wonderful Jens Lekman who's new album Night Falls Over Kortedala arrives in American stores tomorrow.
- Have you seen the newest Old Navy commercial yet? Well if you watch tv you probably have and you may have noticed the extremely catchy song featuring the handclaps playing during it. Well that song is by Staten Island native Ingrid Michaelson, i guess i'm floating has an mp3 of the song and some more Inrgrid info.
- CMJ.com has a huge profile of their annual College Day, a track from the brand new Beirut album, and some other interesting news tidbits today.
I am a big fan of any project and member of Wolf Parade has ever done, but I think we've all reached the consensus that Sunset Rubdown is easily the best side project and may even be as good as Wolf Parade themselves. Thanks to Spencer's amazing gift of songwriting and his terrific voice, this band is able to slow things down more then Wolf Parade and reveal all the intricacies of Spencer's writing. Plus, they have a fantastic live show (so long as Spencer is not sick!).
Sunset Rubdown - "Winged/Wicked Things"
Tuesday: The Cave Singers @ Sound Fix Records 7pm FREE
The Cave Singers are one of those bands that are very quickly making stirs in the indie pond. They were tabbed to support Black Mountain are their current tour (which is a show that will be hitting town that I'd like to recommend but there are slightly better things going down when they are here this week) and are really getting some rave reviews throughout the country. I've only listened to a couple of their tunes but I have to say I love what I've heard so far and will definitely be listening to some more from this band soon.
The Cave Singers - "Seeds of Night"
Wednesday: Jay Reatard @ Cake Shop 8pm $7
My brother is the reason I am so fond of Jay Reatard. He has pushed the band on me time and time again and at some point I broke down, listened, and heard what he was so excited about. Apparently this band has a phenomenal live show, and Cake Shop seems like the type of venue that will barely be able to contain the insanity of the live experience.
Jay Reatard - "Let It All Go"
Thursday: The National + St. Vincent @ Terminal 5 7pm SOLD OUT
People going to The National show tonight will get the very first glimpse of the brand new Bowery Presents venue Terminal 5. You also get the tremendous opening talent that is St. Vincent! So combine those two things with the fact that The National have released one of the best albums of the year and I think we have the makings of a very solid show.
The National - "Start A War"
St. Vincent - "Paris Is Burning"
Friday: Architecture in Helsinki @ Studio B 8pm $20
As an avid twee rocker I am a big fan of Architecture in Helsinki's quirky sound. Their previous album, In Case We Die, quickly became one of my favorite albums and is still in constant rotation within what I listen to. But this year's release, Places Like This, with it's absolutely infectious single "Heart It Races" has been one of my most listened to albums of the year. I'm always excited by this band and seeing them on Friday should be no less exciting.
Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
Saturday: Oneida + Old Time Relijun @ Southpaw 8pm FREE
During CMJ there are always a few bands that load up on shows and start garnering a lot of early attention because of the amount of shows they are playing. One of those bands is Old Time Relijun, a band that seems to be playing every showcase going on. Well I just might get a head start on my CMJ viewing here by catching the band for free at Southpaw with the always fantastic Oneida.
Oneida - "Up With People"
Sunday: Tiny Masters of Today @ Sound Fix Records 4pm FREE
The buzz on the street about the two tweens in Tiny Masters of Today is reaching a height few pre-pubescent teens even know exist. With friends in high profile bands all over the place, Tiny Masters of Today are starting to get looked at not for their ages, but for what they can do with their instruments. It's a pretty impressive feat to be this popular this early in you life.
Tiny Masters of Today - "Bushy"
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Monday's Links:
- Pitchfork has an interview with the wonderful Jens Lekman who's new album Night Falls Over Kortedala arrives in American stores tomorrow.
- Have you seen the newest Old Navy commercial yet? Well if you watch tv you probably have and you may have noticed the extremely catchy song featuring the handclaps playing during it. Well that song is by Staten Island native Ingrid Michaelson, i guess i'm floating has an mp3 of the song and some more Inrgrid info.
- CMJ.com has a huge profile of their annual College Day, a track from the brand new Beirut album, and some other interesting news tidbits today.
A lot of people have used a lot of strange terms to describe Castanets. The brain child of Raymond Raposa has a constantly shifting lineup, and has been lumped in with this freak folk movement we are in the middle of while being labeled goth-folk, avante-country, psyche-Americana, and a million other ridiculous sub-sub genres. It gets to the point where the labeling becomes all anyone talks about and they miss out on the fantastic sounds Castanets are producing.On his new album, In The Vines, Raposa has written some of the best music of his career. Slow paced, drawn out ballads, that focus on his intricate lyrics are backed by a slow banjo, and some freaked out sounds in the background. Castanets also gets an assist here with several solid guest appearances from the likes of Jana Hunter, Viking Moses, Matthew Houck, and Nanhorse. The ten songs on In The Vines are slow, dark ballads that work amazingly well thanks to Raposa's raspy voice, his skills with the banjo, and his ability to write a damn good song.
Good albums don't need to be put into all these different genres, they don't need labels, and they don't need to be associated with what they sound like. Instead good albums should just be appreciated as a good album, its not good because it's "goth-folk" or anything of that nature, it's good because the artist has talent and worked hard on it. In The Vines is a damn good album, make sure you pick it up when its released on October 23rd.
Castanets - "Sway"
Castanets - "This Is the Early Game"
Friday: From 5:00pm till the end of the game I will be plopped square in front of a TV set watching my Yankees playing the Cleveland Indians in their Division Series. After that though there is a lot of stuff going down in the city. My girlfriend is throwing a party celebrating her move to Chelsea so I will be attending that at some point, but before that I'm feeling in the mood for some solid live music to get the weekend off to the right start. That's why I'll be taking in my current Band of the Week, The Austerity Program over at the Cake Shop. For $7 you get to see the best duo in metal today during their thing in a small, sure to be packed space, while getting sweaty and head banging your way through the set. If that's not enough they'll be playing with Pet Genius, Tournament, and Tombs. Show starts at 8pm.The Austerity Program - "Song 17B"
Also Playing Tonight:
Ford & Fitzroy @ Midway 11pm $5
The Blow, High Places, + Saturday Looks Good To Me @ Gramercy 8pm $15
Diplo @ Hiro 10pm $20
Dax Riggs + Goes Cube @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $12
The Roots @ Nokia Theater 7pm + 11pm $40
The End of the World + The Rosewood Thieves @ Piano's 8pm $8
Melvins @ Irving Plaza 8pm $20
Big Bear @ Union Pool 8pm
Minus the Bear @ Warsaw 8pm $20
Saturday: Remember several months ago that excitement you felt hearing that Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem were going to be touring together? Well the wait is finally over as thousands of hipsters, indie rock kids, and dance hall mavens will be flocking to a (fingers crossed) sun filled Randall's Island to take in the mini-festival that could be the show of the year. For $40 you are getting to see not only Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem, but Les Savy Fav, Blonde Redhead, and Wild Light as well. This is going to be huge and I hear tickets are still available so uh if you haven't yet get one!!!Arcade Fire - "Intervention"
LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You"
Les Savy Fav - "Kiss Kiss Is Getting Old"
Blonde Redhead - "The Dress"
Also Playing Tonight:
Caribou @ Bowery Ballroom 9pm $18
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ The Apollo 8pm $25
Melvins @ Luna Lounge 8pm $20
The Fiery Furnaces @ Sound Fix Records 6pm FREE
Sunday: Yankees play host to game 3 of the division series against Cleveland! Game time 6pm!Also Playing Tonight:
Common + Q-Tip @ Nokia Theater 9pm $40
Paradise Island + Dynasty Handbag @ Cake Shop 8pm
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Friday's Links:
- Music Snobbery checks out the strangely named bands playing at this year's CMJ Music Marathon. I wonder if he'll check out bands based solely on their odd names, it would probably be better then handing out cookies to underage pop singers!
- The Best Week Ever blog has found disturbing visual evidence of a once proud TV star now living in the gutter. So please folks, if you see a TV star in trouble please adopt them and bring them and give them a nice home.
- The AV Club is given us all a primer on Bruce Springsteen, which is good for the 12 people out there that have never heard of the guy.
- Pitchfork has announced they will be curating the spring ATP in Sussex, England. Featuring bands like Man Man, Caribou, Pissed Jeans, and Los Campesinos! I am sure this will be a tremendous party that they will then copy and bring to Chicago and call the Pitchfork Music Festival.
So the CMJ Music Marathon supplied us with the schedule for their official showcases today so that we can begin to rack our brains over which venue to see A Place to Bury Strangers in and which showcases to absolutely avoid like the plague. Last year I took the 'lost puppy' approach to CMJ, mostly following other people's choices and testing the waters. This year I plan on taking it really, really easy. Floating through showcases, making sure I see a handful of bands that I really want to see, and picking shows based on venues and accessiblity. It should be fun, here's a look at some of the choicest Official Showcases of each day. Also, remember there are a lot of day shows to get to, most of which offer much better lineups, for much better prices!!!Tuesday October 16th:
Best Overall Show: Brooklyn Vegan Showcase @ Bowery Ballroom; The Rosebuds, Dean & Britta, The Most Serene Republic, Miracle Fortress, & Bon Iver
Must See Bands: Q-Tip @ Gramercy Theater, Oppeneheimer @ Crash Mansion, Care Bears On Fire @ Crash Mansion, Ravens & Chimes @ Fontana's, Aeroplane Pageant @ Mercury Lounge, LOOKER @ Piano's, Higgins @ The Tank
Best Reason to Head to Brooklyn: The Elephants + My Teenage Stride @ Union Hall or Dragons of Zynth + Celebration @ Union Pool
Wednesday October 17th:
Best Overall Show: After the Jump Showcase @ Music Hall of Williamsburg; A Place to Bury Strangers, Foals, Cadence Weapon, Sam Champion, Alberta Cross, Yeasayer...or @ Bowery Ballroom; Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, No Age, White Williams, Ponytail (this is by far the toughest call of the entire week!!!)
Must See Bands: Xiu Xiu and Marnie Stern @ Gramercy Theater, The Hourly Radio @ Crash Mansion, Rock Plaza Central @ the Day Stage (Puck Building), Oh No! Oh My! @ The Delancey, Tim Willams + Bad Veins @ Fat Baby, Team Robespierre @ Knitting Factory (Tap Bar), Meat Puppets @ Lion's Den, The Gaskets @ R Bar
Worst Show of the Week: a bunch of DJ's at the Knitting Factory
Thursday October 18th:
Best Overall Show: @ Highline Ballroom; Islands, Octopus Project, Enon, ...Trail of Dead, Yo Majesty, Thunderheist
Must See Bands: Datarock @ Gramercy Theater, Pela @ Bowery Ballroom, KRS-One @ Club Element, Phonograph @ Fontana's, St. Vincent + Bowerbirds + Le Loup @ Knitting Factory, Jay Reatard @ Mercury Lounge, Simian Mobile @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Walter Meego @ Webster Hall
Must Underrated Show of the Week: @ Cake Shop; Pterodactyl, High Places, Gowns, Big Bear, Shooting Spires, Flying
Friday October 19th:
Best Overall Show: @ Cake Shop; Canada, Cotton Jones, Chris Bathgate, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Ha Ha Tonka, Mike Wexler, Papercuts, Essie Jain, Patrick Cleandenim, Douglas Armour, Lights, Fred Thomas, Begushkin, Theo Angell
Must See Bands: The Epochs @ BAMCafe, Foreign Islands + MGMT @ Crash Mansion, Bowerbirds @ Day Stage (Puck Building), Bling Kong + Mannequin Men + Bound Stems @ The Delancey, Ezra Furman @ Fat Baby, The Noisettes @ Irving Plaza, Old Time Relijun @ Knitting Factory, Aa + Health @ Knitting Factory (Tap Bar), Illinois + The Jealous Girlfriends @ Midway, MSTRKRFT @ Studio B, Old Podrida @ Union Hall, The Shapes @ Trash
Biggest Line of the Week: M.I.A. @ Terminal 5
Saturday October 20th:
Best Overall Show: @ The Delancey; El Jezel, Up the Empire, A Place to Bury Strangers, Man In Gray, Mancino, Gold Streets, The Secret Life of Sofia, Chop Shop
Must See Bands: Wooden Shjips @ The Annex, Jesu @ Gramercy, Nakatomi Plaza @ Bowery Poetry Club, The Shackeltons @ Cake Shop, Professor Murder + Harlem Shakes @ Mercury Lounge, Mussels + Goes Cube @ Midway, Matt & Kim @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Other Passenegers + Bell + Great Northern @ Piano's, Justice @ Terminal 5, The Mugs + Beat Radio + Aeroplane Pageant @ Union Hall
Show I Am Least Likely to Appear at: Sub Pop Showcase @ Bowery Ballroom; Band of Horses, The Brunettes, Foals, Le Loup
It must be awesome to be a celebrity in the United States. Not only do you get millions of dollars, the adoration of millions of people, and all the perks and priveledges that come along with it, but you can also get away with almost any crime known to man! Thanks to this little perk of fame R. Kelly has announced that he will be touring after all. You may remember that the tour plan was vehemently denied when Kelly's reps thought he would be on trial a month later, but with that trial on hold indefinitely R. Kelly is going to be taking his R&B brilliance out for a spin. The only unfortunate thing about this is that there are no actual stops in actual New York City!!! He'll be out in Uniondale, Long Island one day and Newark, New Jersey another but no stops at the Garden! WTF!?! Yo, someone needs to step up to the plate here and get R. Kelly a New York gig! I don't wanna take a train to Jersey!!! Here's the rest of the dates!!!
11/14 - Columbus, GA @ Columbus Civic Center
11/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
11/16 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
11/17 - Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Arena
11/18 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Bobcats Arena
11/21 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Wachovia Center
11/22 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
11/23 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
11/24 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
11/25 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
11/29 - North Little Rock, AR @ Alltel Arena
11/30 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
12/1 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena
12/2 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
12/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
12/7 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
12/8 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse
12/9 - Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
12/13 - Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center
12/15 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
12/16 - Sacramento, CA @ Arco Arena
12/19 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
12/21 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
12/22 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
12/23 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
12/27 - North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
12/28 - Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
12/29 - Columbia, SC @ Colonial Center
12/30 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
12/31 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
1/3 - Louisville, KY @ Kentucky Exposition Center
1/4 - Cleveland, OH @ Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University
1/5 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
1/6 - Dayton, OH @ Ervin J. Nutter Center
1/9 - Savannah, GA @ Savannah Civic Center
1/11 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
1/12 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
11/14 - Columbus, GA @ Columbus Civic Center
11/15 - Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
11/16 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
11/17 - Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Arena
11/18 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Bobcats Arena
11/21 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Wachovia Center
11/22 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
11/23 - Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
11/24 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
11/25 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
11/29 - North Little Rock, AR @ Alltel Arena
11/30 - New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
12/1 - Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Arena
12/2 - Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
12/6 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
12/7 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
12/8 - Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse
12/9 - Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum
12/13 - Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center
12/15 - Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
12/16 - Sacramento, CA @ Arco Arena
12/19 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
12/21 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
12/22 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
12/23 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
12/27 - North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
12/28 - Orlando, FL @ Amway Arena
12/29 - Columbia, SC @ Colonial Center
12/30 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
12/31 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
1/3 - Louisville, KY @ Kentucky Exposition Center
1/4 - Cleveland, OH @ Wolstein Center, Cleveland State University
1/5 - Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
1/6 - Dayton, OH @ Ervin J. Nutter Center
1/9 - Savannah, GA @ Savannah Civic Center
1/11 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
1/12 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum
I spent my morning commute in the strange stages between waking and sleep. As the 1-train plowed along on its tracks my eyes kept opening and shutting, opening and shutting, as my night of restless sleep was already beginning to have harsh consequences (damn playoff baseball!). While in this perverse region of insomnia my head was being pounded into submission by a brilliant new-ish metal act called The Austerity Program. For over ten years Thad Calabrese and Justin Foley have been playing music together releasing an EP, a demo, and a practice session that was recorded and sold on tour. This year the band finally released an album full of eight tracks of synth metal. I say synth metal because the duo rely on that, ever prevalent in metal music, machine known as a drum machine. I can see you metal dudes rolling your eyes over there, but wait till you hear what these bastards can do with their machine and their skills.On Black Madonna, The Austerity Program strike out to invade your brains and your souls with deep, hard metal. It's an impressive album that somehow combines the mathmematical side of music with the deeply emotional side. The album starts off with "Track 12", a song that takes its time building up, a la Jesu, with numerous transitions that continue on throughout the song. From there the band mix and match sounds ranging from an almost shoegaze type sound, to some aborted form of chamber metal, and even manages to mix in a little prog here in there. But this band is not really about the labels so forget that last sentence even exists. What The Austerity Program really does is bash your head in with some of the finest music that has been released this year. Vocally the music resembles a hardcore band in a lot of ways, but it works and fits in with the music brilliantly.
The band currently only has one New York show listed on their site but if you're in town on Friday (that's October 5th people) check them out at the Cake Shop. If you're not in town or you can't make it to the show make sure that you check out Black Madonna immediately! Fall in love with it, make it part of your regular listening routine, add it to your year end lists, and for god's sake skip the late night baseball so you can keep your eyes open and mosh appropriately while listening.
The Austerity Program - "Song 17B"
Stream the Album
Band's Site
The Austerity Program on Myspace
(Photo above from the band's site)
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Thursday's Links:
- Pitchfork presents Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene presenting his own personal guest list spot. Yes I hate the fact that his solo album is "Broken Social Scene Present..." but it's a pretty good album.
- Fader has a video of Jay Reatard playing on a sidewalk in Boston. Please take note of people crowd surfing through trees and the sidewalk mosh pits that take place, then realize that you must see Jay Reatard live and make it happen!
- Oh Word has the new Wu-Tang Clan single "The Heart Gently Weeps". This is the one that features that sample from The Beatles that turns out isn't really a sample after all.
- Esquire has a minute by minute breakdown of the brilliant, amazing, possibly the best song of the year, "Atlas" by Battles. Now you'll know when to loop your vocals properly while covering the tune.