Pop Tarts Suck Toasted: August 2008

September's Concert Calendar

Free Shows: (only 1 this month. BOOOOOO!!!)

Saturday Sept. 6th: East Village Radio Fest @ South Street Seaport
Boris - "Farewell"
Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To"
High Places - "Golden"
Awesome Color - "Burning"

Cheap Shows: ($10 or less)

Tuesday Sept. 2nd: Vivian Girls @ Death By Audio $7
Vivian Girls - "Damaged"

Friday Sept. 5th: Bear Hands @ Mercury Lounge $8
Bear Hands - "Long Lean Queen"

Wednesday Sept. 10th: Maps and Atlases @ Mercury Lounge $10
Maps and Atlases - "Artichokes"

Thursday Sept. 18th: Oppenheimer @ Mercury Lounge $10
Oppenheimer - "Fireworks Are Illegal in the State of New Jersey"

Friday Sept. 19th: Mount Eerie @ Lutheran Church of the Messiah $8
Mount Eerie - "I Whale"

Saturday Sept. 27th: Oxford Collapse @ Mercury Lounge $10
Oxford Collapse - "Back of the Yards"

Not So Cheap: ($20 and less)

Thursday Sept. 4th: Ellen Allien @ Studio B $15
Ellen Allien - "Ondu"

Sunday Sept. 7th: Flying Lotus @ (le)poisson rouge $15
Flying Lotus (feat. Lil' Wayne) - "Robo Tussin"

Thursday Sept. 11th: Land of Talk @ Mercury Lounge $10
Land of Talk - "Some Are Lakes"

Friday Sept. 12th: Tom Verlaine, Thurston Moore, Nels Cline, + J Mascis @ Knitting Factory $20
Television - "See No Evil"
Sonic Youth - "Teenage Riot"
Wilco - "You Are My Face"
Dinosaur Jr. - "Been There All the Time"

Monday Sept. 15th: A Place to Bury Strangers @ Music Hall of Williamsburg $13
A Place to Bury Strangers - "Never Going Down"

Tuesday Sept. 16th: Sunset Rubdown @ Music Hall of Williamsburg $15
Sunset Rubdown - "They Took A Vote and Said No"

Monday Sept. 22nd: Low @ Mercury Lounge $15
Low - "Like A Forest"

Wednesday Sept. 24th: Black Mountain @ Music Hall of Williamsburg $16
Black Mountain - "Angels"

Sunday Sept. 28th: Jose Gonzalez @ The Yard $tba
Jose Gonzalez - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

Monday Sept. 29th: The Dodos @ Spiegeltent $20
The Dodos - "Fools"

Mad Expensive: (over $20)

Monday Sept. 8th: Silver Jews @ Mexwell's $25
Silver Jews - "Strange Victory, Strange Defeat"

Wednesday Sept. 17th: Sigur Ros @ United Palace Theater $30
Sigur Ros - "Avalon"

Sunday Sept. 21st: Cut Copy @ Webster Hall $22
Cut Copy - "Strangers in the Wind"

Tuesday Sept. 23rd: My Bloody Valentine @ Roseland Ballroom $52
My Bloody Valentine - "Cigarette In Your Bed"

Thursday Sept. 25th: Built to Spill @ Terminal 5 $32
Built to Spill - "Carry the Zero"

Who: No Age
When: November 10th
Where: Market Hotel
More Dates
Thoughts: We are now almost through the first 8-months of the year and No Age's Nouns still stands as my favorite record of the year. Not only that but I've already caught these noise punks twice this year and they are so good the made me spew once! For real, not making that up, ask Rachael. If you haven't seen No Age lately (or ever) it's time to tighten up those Cons and jump into the pit and get a bit sweaty.
Listen: No Age - "Things I Did When I Was Dead"

Who: Tokyo Police Club (& Weezer)
When: September 24th
Where: Madison Square Garden
More Dates
Thoughts: So the news of Tokyo Police Club opening for Weezer was pretty cool but it didn't hit me till I just typed it out that they are opening for the band at Madison Square Garden! Holy shit that's huge! That's 16,000 people listening to their music in one shot! They may not be shitting their pants just yet, but I'm super excited for them to be playing such a huge venue with a band that has a huge following! Go TPC, it's yo burfday!
Listen: Tokyo Police Club - "Listen to the Math"

Who: King Khan & BBQ Show
When: November 30th
Where: Bowery Ballroom
More Dates
Thoughts: I'm so pissed I haven't seen King Khan and BBQ Show play together yet! Now these dudes are gonna be playing to a packed house at Bowery Ballroom and I'm gonna have to see them with a lot of other people. Not that that isn't cool for them, I just wish I would have seen them at one of their sweaty Cake Shop shows or something of that sort! Maybe I can get them to come out to Staten Island when they're in town! Hah, yeah right.
Listen: King Khan & BBQ Show - "Waddlin' Around"

Who: Love Is All
When: October 10th (w/Of Montreal) October 13th (w/Titus Andronicus & Abe Vigoda)
Where: Roseland Ballroom + Maxwell's
More Dates
Thoughts: I was a bit confused reading the press release for Love Is All's upcoming tour. As you can see they are pairing with a lot of different bands and that's just here in New York! Obviously all the bands they are playing with are excellent, but I really wanna see Love Is All bad!!! I've never seen them but I really enjoy their stuff, maybe I'll see you folks at Maxwell's!
Listen: Love Is All - "Kung-Fu On the Internet"
Of Montreal - "Id Engager"
Titus Andronicus - "Fear & Loathing in Mahwah, NJ"
Abe Vigoda - "Animal Ghosts"

Who: Ingrid Michaelson
When: October 29th
Where: College of Staten Island
More Dates
Thoughts: When she finishes up touring with Dave Matthews, Ingrid will once again be hitting the road this time as the headliner in support of her forthcoming album Be OK. Her only scheduled New York appearance on that tour is on Staten Island so be prepared to take the ferry out if you plan on seeing Ms. Michaelson and the new music she has made for all of us to enjoy! In other Ingrid news, she has teamed up with Stand Up! to Cancer by donating a song to them for their September 2nd national broadcast and by donating a portion of the sales from her new album to the charity! Phew, that's a lot of stuff right there.
Listen: Ingrid Michaelson - "Breakable"

Who: The Antlers
When: October 21st
Where: TBA (CMJ show)
More Dates
Thoughts: In case you guys have missed it, I like The Antlers a lot! These Brooklyn boys are hitting the road for a couple of weeks in October so if you're in one of the cities they're hitting make sure you stop in and catch their awesome tunes! New York, you'll have to wait till CMJ and I'm not telling where they're playing yet.
Listen: The Antlers - "Two"

Short Takes + Weekend Shows

Let us start with the weaknesses of the new GZA album Pro Tools, the title of which implies that GZA doesn't need Pro Tools to compose his songs. Well, maybe he should have thought about stopping at the Apple store to pick up a copy because the beats throughout this album are weak and difficult to remember. There is nothing here that will capture and demand your presence on the dance floor, but GZA does make up for that in other ways. Instead a grind and shake your ass hip-hop album GZA gives us something more cerebral, with his verbose rhymes and plays on words. GZA has always had a razor sharp tongue, but on Pro Tools he's doing it with almost nothing to back that up just his smooth, laid back flow and his ability to turn a rhyme into something so much more. The songs here cover so much territory that it's tough to wrap your mind around. Women, a G-Unit diss track, politics, poverty, practically anything you can imagine is touched upon with depth and insight and intelligence. There really aren't many rappers doing anything like this right now and that alone makes this worth listening to.
GZA (feat. Masta Killa & RZA) - "Pencil"
GZA (feat. Justice Kareem) - "Groundbreaking"

I have to admit it's a little weird hearing Glen Campbell, a legendary country musician, covering acts like the Foo Fighters, U2, and Green Day. The first time you listen to this you may not even realize that these are all covers but they certainly are and they are of bands that you probably never would have guessed Glen Campbell knew about. I mean this is the guy that wrote "Rhinestone Cowboy" and here he is doing "Good Riddance". Wow. But after the initial shock of listening to the album you might come to realize that he has actually done an excellent job interpreting the songs of people two generations younger then himself. By far the best tracks on this album are the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These", U2's "All I Want Is You", and the true star of the album Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)", but the other tracks are strong in their own rights. Yes, they all get away from their original alternative and rock sounds and move towards the country twangs Campbell is known to trek through, but that just gives the songs a whole new perspective and whole new power. It's it is really eye opening listening to a 70-year old man sing songs like these and make them his own.
Glen Campbell - "All I Want Is You"
Glen Campbell - "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

I was unaware of the baroque pop stylings of Parenthetical Girls before this album dropped firmly in my lap. Boy was I missing out before this. Lush expanses of instrumentals, full string sections, lovely percussion, all accompany sweet, pretty vocals throughout the entirety of albums. Forgive me if I sound like I've just discovered a vein of gold in the ground, but that's exactly how I feel about this. This is a beautiful album. It's terribly similar to the likes of Andrew Bird and Final Fantasy and I love those bands so why wouldn't I love this? I only wish someone had introduced me to this band earlier but now I'll be seeking out their previous two albums immediately! If you were unaware of their existence like me I'd highly suggest jumping on this bandwagon now!! This is some fantastic music all around!
Parenthetical Girls - "Avenue of Trees"
Parenthetical Girls - "Young Eucharists"

Friday, August 29th:

Neon Lights @ Glasslands [info] (Recommended)
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan"
My Teenage Stride - "Theme from Teenage Suicide"
Capstan Shafts - "61 Sideburns"
The Beets - "No Blood"

Oneida @ South Street Seaport [FREE]
Oneida - "Cream Puff War"

Saturday, August 30th:

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted's 4th Anniversary Bash! @ Matchless [info] (Recommended)
New York Times - "Burn"
Brilliant Sweaters - "Sexy Genius"
Boy Genius - "Failing Gravity"
The Great Unwashed - "Mirage a la Mode"

Sonic Youth @ McCarren Park Pool [tix]
Sonic Youth - "The Sprawl"

Sunday, August 31st:

The Dutchess & the Duke @ Mercury Lounge [tix]
The Dutchess & the Duke - "Mary"

Pop Tarts Anniversary Bands: New York Times

Who: New York Times
Slot: 11pm
Resides In: Brooklyn, NY
Why You Should See Them: Each time I hear New York Times I am reminded of so many of the powerful rocking women that came before this band. Sleater-Kinney, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and so many others are found in their powerful songs that at times it can be difficult to separate them from their influences. Luckily the band have forged an identity all their own with their unique blend of punk, new wave, and power pop that is immediate and welcoming, but still undeniably strong. This band has grown a lot since they were first named my Band of the Week and now here they are finally playing one of my shows and headlining it and we're thrilled to have them on board!!!
Listen: New York Times - "Burn"
New York Times - "Start Big, Stay Big"

Thursday's Track Reviews

The Good:
Matt & Kim - "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare"; On this first tune of the new Matt & Kim album, Matt and Kim continue doing what they do best with Matt singing and playing a slightly poppier piano then what we're used to and Kim giving some heavy percussions and hand claps throughout the tune. It's not nearly as fast paced as what we've heard from this Brooklyn duo but that doesn't mean it's any less catchy. I mean it has hand claps for Pete's sake! This is really good and I'm now super interested to hear where this album will take us.
Grade: A

88-Keys (feat. Kanye West) - "Stay Up! Viagara"; Throughout this track from 88-Keys debut album, Kanye takes the role of main MC while 88-Keys generally stays in the background. Kanye's lines a re pretty good, though he definitely takes some liberties by talking about the subject in the third person. Come on Kanye, we understand how stressful your like can be what with producing three beats a day for five summers and all, we understand that once in a while performance anxiety will creep in and rear it's ugly head. Don't worry we won't be telling anyone on the street, but next time try being straight with us. Oh, you're rhymes are still fly though and I love the smooth jazz feel to the music.
Grade: B+

Anni Rossi - "Wheelpusher"; Anni Rossi is terribly similar to Joanna Newsom. Both are classically trained musicians, both choose a slightly unconventional instrument of choice (Rossi's is the viola), and both write songs that follow large narrative arcs. But let's be honest here we all love Newsom so why wouldn't we love Rossi? On this tune off her upcoming 4AD debut the song rises and falls beautifully and Rossi shows off a tremendous ability to sing and play in one fell swoop. This name is going to be on the lips of a lot of people in the coming months, jump on board now and enjoy the ride.
Grade: B

Final Fantasy - "The Butcher"; This fall will see the arrival of a pair of EP's from Final Fantasy. The first finds Owen Pallett hosting his pals in Beirut for a grand old mythical journey through an imaginary land. There are loads of percussion, lots of brass parts and some lovely vocal harmonies thrown in for shits and giggles. It's an excellent, large track that should be listened in full stereo so you can hear every bit.
Grade: B+

Final Fantasy - "Ultimatum"; On the second Final Fantasy EP, Pallett pays homage to Alex Lukashevsky of Deep Dark United with a reinterpretation of his music for a 35-piece band. Once again the sound is huge with so many instruments and working parts, but overall it's Pallett's voice that truly shines through. Both of these EP's seem like they're gonna be really solid piece of work!
Grade: B+

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - "Everything With You"; Wow, someone listened to a lot of 80's bands to get to this sound, but wow does it sound freakin' good! This tune is apparently on The Pains of Being Pure At Heart's debut record which is due in 2009, but you can get it on a blue vinyl if you go see them live. I'd highly suggest getting to one of those shows ASAP!
Grade: B+

Track of the Week:
The Antlers - "Two"; I got a sneak peak at the new album from Brooklyn's The Antlers this week and all I can say about the album right now is that it's amazing! The band released this track to the public this week and it happens to be my favorite on the album. It incorporates what the band was when it was just solo and what it is now that it's a four-piece. There are elements of folk and shoegaze permeating and the lyrics are absolutely gorgeous throughout. This album is going to seriously challenge anything else released this year as my album of the year. It is absolutely beautiful.
Grade: A+

The Bad:
Metallica - "My Apocalypse"; It is all too obvious that Metallica is attempting to return to their glory days, the days of And Justice for All and Ride the Lightning, with an aggressive, fast paced attack of what could only be classified as metal. But unfortunately for Metallica the drums on this album sound pretty flat, like maybe they replaced Lars' skins with plaster cans or something. It's a decent attempt for a band that hasn't made a decent album in nearly two decades, but it's still not quite what it once was.
Grade: C-

Readymade Breakup - "One By One"; This is the kind of song that could take the blogosphere by storm, but it's also the type of song that is single handedly holding back the blogosphere at the same time. On one hand this is definitely catchy and Hype Machine ready, but on the other hand it's completely trite and cliched to the point of irrevlevance. Basically this is an utter derivative (if not a copycat) of dozens of bands and it doesn't explore any new territory or create it's own identity at all. I wouldn't be able to pick this band out of an auditory lineup if my life depended on it.
Grade: D+

T.I. (feat. Rihanna) - "Live Your Life"; T.I. has an album named King. He needs to give that crown back after this.
Grade: D-

Video of the Week:

Kanye West - "Good Morning"; I've told you many times before that Kanye just doesn't make bad videos. I don't know why you think that if a Kanye video is released it won't be posted right here in this spot. That's just plain crazy! This shit right here is outstanding! Check it out, though I know you have already!
Grade: A

Band of the Week: Satin Gum

After one listen to Satin Gum's Myspace page I went on to iTunes and downloaded their EP. It's the first thing I've gotten off of iTunes in ages (mostly because I don't have an eMusic account right now), but it also shines a light on how good these tunes are. If they could get my, a totally cynical blogger, to download their music then shit they must have something going for them. And yes, Satin Gum have a lot going for them.

You can start with the wicked, heavy hitting drums, move on to the tight bass lines, wax poetic about how their guitar riffs shimmer, or start chatting about their ability to write a catchy, humorous pop song and turn it into something totally rocking. No matter what you choose to focus on it's a valuable, rocking part to what makes Satin Gum immediately accessible and immediately addictive. This band is solid, even when they're throwing down some synths on "I Got A DUI Babe". At times some of the lyrics can be a little bit cheesy, but it only serves to make the tunes more endearing.

I am not kidding at all about this band! I know I say you should listen to all my Bands of the Week but Satin Gum is one that you absolutely must hear! Like now! Listen to the tunes below, go to their Myspace, go buy the album from iTunes (or eMusic), you will really like these tunes!!!
Satin Gum - "I Got A DUI Babe"
Satin Gum - "No, We Are Not Naming Our Kids After Ikea Products"
Satin Gum on Myspace

Upcoming Satin Gum Dates:
Aug. 31st @ Howler's Coyote Club, Pittsburgh, PA
Sept. 11th @ Mr. Small's Theater, Millvale, PA
Nov. 2nd @ Liquid Sunday's, Pittsburgh, PA

Pop Tarts Anniversary Bands: Brilliant Sweaters

Who: Brilliant Sweaters
Slot: 10pm
Resides In:
Why You Should See Them: Last year a band called Animandibles opened up my CMJ day show to a total audience of about 4-people. They proceeded to rock out like the place was packed and since then I have adored anything the band had done until they called it quits earlier this year. But out of the ashes of Animandibles rose a new punk band called Brilliant Sweaters, every bit as rocking as Animandibles just with a bit more of a pop penchant then there predecessors. These guys still know how to rock though, as their performance at After the Jump proves. That was a rocking 30-minute set, Saturday night we're given 'em 45-minutes to see what they can do to push us over the edge and out of our minds along with them!
Listen: Brilliant Sweaters - "Sexy Genius"
Brilliant Sweaters - "I Dropped Out of High School"

Questionable Corner: Passion Pit

For the past month Passion Pit have been rocking Pianos every Wednesday with packed crowds cramming into the tiny venue to catch of glimpse of indie's next big things. This band, and their ability to craft crazy catchy electro-pop jams, are on the verge of becoming something huge and it's all thanks to a Valentine's Day gift to a girlfriend. I had a chance to chat with Michael Angelakos about his band and it's sudden growth spurt!

PTST: So honestly we don't know too much about you guys, except that we're crazy about the EP. How did Passion Pit come about and how long have you guys been playing music together?
Passion Pit: This all pretty much started as a very simple, personal songwriting project of mine. It wasn't initially intended for anything in particular other than just getting my act together, to start writing again. I was in something of a rut. The songs came really quickly, really naturally. I then collected what I had in terms of songs and gave them to my girlfriend as a present for Valentine's Day. After playing a show, singing with my laptop backing tracks, Ian came up to me and said we should flesh it out and put together a band. So we tried it, and we've been working on it ever since. We started playing together May of 2007 with virtually no plan to develop it into anything really.

PTST: Are you aware that your band's name shares the name of a pretty famous porn movie starring Traci Lords? Was that the basis behind the name?
Passion Pit: I became aware of that after the fact. You can actually see most of the dialogue parts on youtube, I found out. She was definitely underage when she did that, I'm pretty sure. But, no, the name came from some class I was taking at school. I just thought it was funny and I like alliteration.

PTST: It seems like things are happening very quickly for you guys, signing to Frenchkiss, opening for Death Cab, winning Best New Act in the FNX Radio poll, how are you guys dealing with the quick rise through the indie ranks? Is it difficult to keep yourself grounded when so much praise and success is being heaped upon you?
Passion Pit: We tend to look at each other from time to time, totally in awe, thinking "how is this actually happening?" It's amazing. It's stressful for us but we're obviously very excited. It's a nice surprise. I think the most interesting facet to deal with is the blog world - all those reactions. We're really a bit freaked out by it, but so far it seems to be pretty positive. We're doing fine with it though - we don't really take ourselves very seriously at all. I guess in the end it just seems more overwhelming than anything else. I do think, however, that at times we wish the attention could have come later. I suppose we feel like we have a lot of work to do and we're never where we totally want to be when things like this start happening. Hopefully this attention affords us that kind of time, though - that time to really grow and develop. We're very aware of it.

PTST: Musically you guys have been compared to a bunch of really good acts, including Hot Chip and Fujiya & Miyagi on my own site, who do you think you guys resemble? Or maybe the better question would be where do you take influence from?
Passion Pit: I'm really not too sure, but I can tell you that we're all very interested in different music. I personally have always been extremely influenced by more classic songwriters. Off the top of my head: Rodgers & Hart or Randy Newman. Or obviously people like Brian Wilson or producers like Phil Spector. And I think what it comes down to is you're always going to be somewhat derivative. What we really don't get is the 80's throwback reference which we've received a few times. But anything else is fair game, pretty much. Anyway, we really love Hot Chip and Fujiya Miyagi, so that's a great thing. I feel like they're a bit more reserved and we're noisier? I don't really know. At least live, maybe.

PTST: How does the Passion Pit sound fit in up in Boston, a town known for acts like Aerosmith and Pixies but not really for their dance rock acts?
Passion Pit: We have no idea. There's a lot of dance, there's a lot of college rock, there's a lot of punk. These scenes are all very neatly partitioned. I think there is an electronic/dance/pop sort of thing beginning to grow (like in most other scenes), but as far as where we fit, we have no idea. We've played with all different types of bands and it's always fun. It's a pretty scatterbrained, diverse scene, to be sure.

PTST: Are there bands with a similar style in Boston that you play around town with or do you just try and mix and match with different styles?
Passion Pit: It really wasn't pre-meditated in any way, shape, or form - our style, or where we fit, I mean. We have friends that play electronica as well but we all have this very unique end point where, even if it was some kind of unified scene, it wouldn't really matter. At the end of the day we all just . . . you know, go our own way.

PTST: You're doing a month long residence at New York's Pianos with two weeks already in the book, how's it seem to be going so far? Do you have plans to change things up from week to week to keep the new fans on their toes?
Passion Pit: We love Pianos. We like that it's small. The crowds have been really wonderful, receptive, nice to us. We've been very happy. It's what we wanted to work with. We haven't been playing that long and it's been great testing out a short and sweet set. We have over 20 songs that we're able to play or start working on - there will be a full-length coming out early 2009 - but we've only been playing a few songs off of that. We've mostly just been playing songs off Chunk of Change, and even forgoing the covers we've played/have been wanting to play. This coming week will feature a cover and probably a new song. We're debating doing a new version of an older song as well. We've been playing songs differently at each show. But, you know, we're not at that stage in our career when anyone notices. That's probably a good thing, actually.

PTST: After the residency what comes next for Passion Pit?
Passion Pit: Lots of shows, the release of Chunk of Change, finishing up the full-length, and hopefully some small tours here and there.

Passion Pit - "Better Things"

Passion Pit - "I've Got Your Number"

Passion Pit - "Sleepy Head"

Passion Pit on Myspace

Passion Pit's Tour Dates:

Aug 27 - Pianos, NYC

Sep 12 - Newbury Comics on Newbury St, Boston, Massachusetts

Sep 13 - Monolith Fest: Red Rocks CO, Denver, Colorado

Sep 18 - Great Scott ( CD RELEASE SHOW! 18+), Allston, Massachusetts

Oct 4 - POP MONTREAL w/ The Dodos, MONTREAL, Quebec

Blast from the Past: Soul Coughing's El Oso

I hate the term "one-hit wonder". To me it's derogatory to a band's existence to label them as such, no matter how little success they had beyond the one song that everyone knows. I don't know if people would honestly classify Soul Coughing as a "one-hit wonder" but if I were ever to use the term I think I'd probably apply it to Soul Coughing. Well, that's not entirely true because I actually enjoy all of El Oso not just "Circles" but beyond this album I've never really found much to enjoy about the band. So I guess a more appropriate classification would be a "one-album wonder".

Kicking off with "Rolling", El Oso is a strange album and one that is sure to be divisive among music lovers. The songs are catchy, but terribly repetitive throughout. Simple synths supply the beats for most of the tunes, the lyrics can be sung along to but have very little depth, and most abuse the chorus until it can't possibly be forgotten by the listener, yet I find it to be a thoroughly enjoyable listen from beginning to end. Obviously the key track is the lead single "Circles", which propelled the band to the national level and probably made them some pretty sweet bank. And why not? This song is ridiculously addictive. Right now you're probably humming it to yourself just by being reminded of the title, that's how easy it is to remember a tune this repetitive. But does the catchiness of the song actually make it good? Or does it just make it easy to remember and therefore more likeable? That is of course a question that permeates the entire existence of pop music and would be a heated debate amongst all who read these pages. But for better or for worse, catchiness does allow a band to stick into a fan's head and keeps them coming back to the song often for a does of some sing-a-long goodness. Soul Coughing takes full advantage of this throughout El Oso with chorus after chorus of repetitive sentences meant to make the listener a part of the song by singing-a-long.

Maybe that's not what M. Doughty and company had in mind on El Oso but that's what they accomplished more or less. "Circles" went all the way to #3 on the modern rock radio charts and was a terribly popular song in the fall of '98, thanks to the chorus, "I don't need to walk around in circles/walk around in circles/walk around in circles". Can it get more basic then that? This is an alternative version of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", another song which you couldn't possibly forget if you tried. Amazingly the rest of the album follows suit and pretty much sucks you in.

It may not be the most artistically or critically respected way to get your music to a large audience, but it certainly works. If you check the annals of musical history the most repetitive songs are generally considered the most popular. The Beatles did it, The Rolling Stones did it, The Ramones, Nirvana, Madonna, Michael Jackson, they've all utilized the tool to get the audience singing along to their music and become huge because of it. Soul Coughing did it for one album and jumped to a level they didn't see before or after the release of El Oso so obviously something's working with this idea and my brain is certainly wired to enjoy that something.

Maybe you hate this sort of music, but you can't deny how powerful it is and how addictive this songs truly are. Listen to "Circles" (it's posted below) and try to stop yourself from singing along to the song by the second chorus. It's impossible to avoid, and if you do listen I guarantee you'll be humming it all day long to yourself. I know I have been recently.
Soul Coughing - "Rolling"
Soul Coughing - "Circles"
Soul Coughing - "Maybe I'll Come Down"
Soul Coughing - "I Miss the Girl"

Pop Tarts Anniversary Bands: Boy Genius

Who: Boy Genius
Slot: 9pm
Resides In: Brooklyn
RIYL:
Why You Should See Them: If you're a fan of catchy indie pop, and if you read this blog you probably are, then you might wanna add Boy Genius to your list of favorite bands right now. This band is doing indie pop the way it has been done for nearly two decades, with catchy hooks and shimmering choruses and slightly of key harmonies. It's pretty, it's cute, and there's no denying how addictive this music can be. I haven't caught their live performance just yet but I'm sure it all comes to life when they are standing there playing for all of us and I know I'm really excited to see them do their thing! You should be too!
Listen: Boy Genius - "No Beginning"
Boy Genius - "Failing Gravity"

Buzzworthy??? Or Not???

Who: School of Seven Bells
Location: Brooklyn, NY
elbo.ws Rank: #29
Thoughts: I was going through the list of bands on the elbo.ws top artists list and this was the first band that I hadn't heard of. It seems even the blogosphere is starting to just cover the big popular bands that have taken over radio and gotten there way for years. Sigh, what is becoming of this scary new medium for criticism and personal expression. Anyway, School of Seven Bells is a new band from Brooklyn, they are a bit psychadelic and in all honesty a bit boring. The songs posted on their Myspace page are slow downers that never really get my blood pumping. You could blame the fact that I'm really freakin' tired right now or maybe this band just isn't to great. There's some redeeming values, some very nice vocal harmonies, interesting quiet beats, but overall this is not something I can picture myself listening to very much of.
Verdict: Not!!!!
Listen: School of Seven Bells - "Connjur"
School of Seven Bells - "Chain"

Titus Andronicus @ McCarren Park Pool (video)

Yo La Tengo + Titus Andronicus @ McCarren Park Pool (8/24)

For three straight years our summer Sunday's have been full of indie rocking, hipster watching, and general tomfoolery at the venue known as McCarren Park Pool. As most of you know the pool is being turned back into a pool after hosting our free show loving asses for three years, and yesterday Brooklyn celebrated by inviting two bands from New Jersey (must not have been any Brooklyn bands available) and a few thousand of it's neighboors into the empty pool one last time. Of course there's still one more paid show to go (Saturday's Sonic Youth show) but I never paid once to step foot inside of McCarren and I'm guessing few of my intrepid readers ever did either. So this really was the last for folks like myself, people that won't be using the area as a community pool (people piss in those things) and helped revive the landmark structure that had stood dangerously empty for more then a decade before we got to rock there for three summers.

Yesterday's lineup wasn't the best the Jelly NYC folks had thrust upon us, but it was damn close. The up-and-coming Titus Andronicus and the tried and true Yo La Tengo paired together in homage to the land of Jersey which will probably host all our local festivals from here on out (not After the Jump though, don't worry). Opening the day was a band I've never heard of or from called Ebony Bone, I listened while on the line to get in but I don't think that does fair justice to any band because really you're just standing there wishing you were inside already and wondering why it takes so long to get people into a huge free venue (hopefully the swimmers won't have to deal with lines like we did!).

From there the sounds were provided by a member of Les Savy Fav and the ghost of David Cross (didn't see that motha fucka once!) who played an odd mix that made all the sense in the world to the sea of people playing one last game of dodgeball, running for one more trip down the slip n' slide, and drinking one more Six Point ale (they should've kept Brooklyn Lager for one last year!). Tunes from everyone from Rihanna to Neutral Milk Hotel rang through the cavernous venue and that would have been enough for everyone in attendance who were just there for one last Sunday before this wonderful community was dispersed for good.

But it wasn't just DJ'ed tunes to keep us company, we had two awesome bands to witness before we could truly call it a summer and first up was Titus Andronicus. Now faithful readers of this site know I am a big fan of this band. I named it my number 4 album of the year so far and had already seen the band 5 times this summer before the show started, so it's safe to assume that I wouldn't print a bad word about the band in my life. And that will remain true, even though the set wasn't the best sounding set I've seen from them, they persevered with a huge amount of booming energy and a fantastic selection of songs. Patrick Stickles cut his beard off during a song and pranced all over the stage during every other one. And the band was solid despite some minor sound problems. It wasn't a sparkling performance, but they are a punk band so you don't get the same show each time you see them, and they seemed genuinely excited to be on that stage for this show.

Yo La Tengo have been a constant in this independent world of ours for ages and were certainly a great pick to close out an era of free show going that may never be duplicated. As most of you know no two Yo La Tengo shows are ever the same, thanks in part to their huge body of work and their ability to change a set list on a whime the band sound fresh and exciting every time you see them. This was only the second time I've seen the indie legends, so I'm still a newbie to their live show but it's absolutely amazing that they can sound so crisp no matter where they are playing. It sounds like it's a recording, but it's not. Yesterday the band's setlist was outstanding covering a huge array of their material doing a couple of covers and finding time to bring their fellow Jersians out to the stage for a cover of the Misfits' "Where Eagles Dare" (I actually missed that but I heard it was cool, if a bit muddied). Unforuntaely I only got to see half of Yo La Tengo's set (I had my brother's birthday party to go to) but what I did see was as good as the first time I saw them if not better.

And that's it folks. No more pool parties. We're a week away from the end of the summer. There's only two free shows listed for September. And I'm a bit bummed about all of it. Before we know it we will be spending weeks at a time indoors, closed off from the rest of the world, and suffering from some bitter cold. I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm gonna miss these pool parties and it's gonna be a long winter without knowing if they are going to take place anywhere else next year.

Tuesday's Recommended Release

There are a few albums being released today, but I wouldn't recommend you buy any of them. That is of course just my 2 cents, but seriously do you want the new Verve album or the new record from Slipknow? I didn't think you would, nor do I really want to write about them and so I am giving you this tiny little post with no real information because it's a light week. Hopefully things will pick up soon.

Pop Tarts Anniversary Bands: The Great Unwashed

Who: The Great Unwashed
Slot: 8pm
Resides In: 1/2 Staten Island, 1/2 Astoria
RIYL: At the Drive-In, Fugazi
Why You Should See Them: It's always tough to be a band hailing from Staten Island. You live in the shadows of bands from Manhattan and Brooklyn, you have to commute over bridges and through tunnels to every gig and they generally don't get the respect the deserve not matter how good they are, and The Great Unwashed are a really good band that are just starting to expand to the boroughs outside of SI. It's that expansion that has them buzzing on my iPod constantly, but it's also a shift in their sound from a hard driven emo like band to something a little more post-punk or post-hardcore. The shift has come because a member of the band left, but they are still rocking plenty hard as a three piece. They'll kick off the night, but they also may be the hardest act hitting the stage on Saturday evening. So bring you're ear plugs for the early band and be ready to rock out!!!
Listen: The Great Unwashed - "I Am a Speck of Dust"
The Great Unwashed - "Winter Classic"

Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Of Montreal
Title: Skeletal Lamping
Release Date: October 7th
Label: Polyvinyl
Thoughts: Listening to Of Montreal hurts my head. There are so many different things going on during their songs that it's difficult to pinpoint central themes or to listen casually to this music. Instead you are listening to tempo changes and multi-part harmonies, and different sounds throughout each and every song. It borders on schizophrenia. But all that said there is still something that is definitely appealing to this music. Maybe it's the oddity of it or the overtly sexual content or maybe the multitude of sounds keeps us on our toes just enough that we kind of find it thrilling to hear what's gonna come next. There are aspects to the album that I'm not enjoying but as an overall listen I'd have to say this is a pretty good one.
Listen: Of Montreal - "Nonpareil Of Favor"
Of Montreal - "Beware Our Nubile Miscreants"(Removed by label Request)
Of Montreal - "Id Engager" (Label Approved!)

Who: High Places
Title: High Places
Release Date: September 23rd
Label: Thrill Jockey
Thoughts: Last year we fell in love with High Places through their dreamy singles and subdued, but lovely live performances. This year the band has already released a collection of those singles and is now ready to give us their true debut, a self-titled effort that once again showcases their abilities to craft intricate bedroom pop. The music on High Places has a huge number of working parts; classic instruments like 12-string guitars, banjos, shakers, and bells mix with your unconventional noise makers; mixing bowls, wood blocks, and a number of other found objects, and of course Mary's whispered vocals to create a sound that should be muddied and chaotic but instead is quite soothing and very natural sounds. It's amazing that so many pieces can come together to create something that sounds so simple and quiet, but such is the style of High Places and why we enjoy listening. Each time you listen to this album you can hear a new sound and with each passing sound you discover you realize you like it more and more. The music may be less surprising on High Places then it was on their singles and their singles collection, but it is no less beautiful.
Listen: High Places - "You In Forty Years"
High Places - "Golden"

Who: Department of Eagles
Title: In Ear Park
Release Date: October 7th
Label: 4AD
Thoughts: With his other band Grizzly Bear blowing up in the indie world, Daniel Rossen has had to push his project with Fred Nicolaus, Department of Eagles, to the back burner. Lucky for us Department of Eagles didn't disappear entirely and now the band are releasing their 4AD debut In Ear Park for mass consumption. After a few listens I think any fan of Grizzly Bear's will be a devout lover of this album as well. It's very similar in styles and approach, but it differs in small ways here and there. There are a few truly spectacular tracks on the album such as the title track and "No One Does It Like You", making for a very impressive opening pair of songs. Ultimately, Grizzly Bear is a stronger full band but Rossen and Nicolaus do a fine job off on their own.
Listen: Department of Eagles - "In Ear Park"
Department of Eagles - "Teenagers" (Removed by Label Request)
Department of Eagles - "No On Does It Like You" (Label Approved)

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead @ Santo's Party House 10pm $tba
This show was announced last week and is a pretty big deal for folks that know anything about Trail of Dead. The original two members, Jason Reece and Conrad Keely, will perform alone for the first time in god knows how long. It's pretty freakin' awesome! Is there really any better way to kick off your week than this? I don't think so.
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - "Will You Smile Again?"

Tuesday: Nada Surf (acoustic), Dean & Britta, Sam Champion & More @ Bowery Ballroom 7pm $20
This is serving as a benefit for musician Frank Bango who is suffering from cancer and needs some cash to be able to pay his doctor bills. That we need such a benefit here in America highlights the need for change in our health care system, but for tonight shell out the $20, see some good music, and help out someone in need.
Nada Surf - "Popular"
Dean & Britta - "I Deserve It"
Sam Champion - "So Good To Me"

Wednesday: Passion Pit @ Pianos 8pm $8
Tonight is the last night of Passion Pit's month long residency at Pianos. Based on the past two weeks this will be a jam packed, sweat soaked crowd, and it should be the best of them all since they had to save something for this and now they don't! This is the one I've planned to attend all along so I suppose I'll see some of you rubbing against my shoulders during the show!
Passion Pit - "Better Things"

Thursday: Lykke Li @ (le) poisson rouge 9:30pm $15
I believe this show may be sold out but I also might be wrong about that. Either way you should try to get into this show because I love Lykke Li's tunes and I think you all do too. She's blowing up too in case you hadn't noticed. Oh who am I kidding you don't need any reminders or prodding to get to this show you're all big fans already because you all know everything about good pop music! Good for you guys!
Lykke Li - "I'm Good. I'm Gone"

Friday: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, My Teenage Stride, Capstan Shafts, + The Beets @ Glasslands 9pm $10
Neon Lights is hosting their monthly show at Glasslands for the first time, and they've put together quite a lineup for it. All of these bands are buzzing through the ranks of the internets right now and all are much sought after acts for the CMJ Music Marathon. In other words see them now before you need a $400 badge to see them!
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan"
My Teenage Stride - "Theme from Teenage Suicide"
Capstan Shafts - "61 Sideburns"
The Beets - "No Blood"

Saturday: Pop Tarts Suck Toasted's 4th Anniversary Bash!!! @ Matchless 7:30pm $7
It's not every day my very own personal music blog turns 4 years old so I thought it would be a good idea to celebrate with some of my past, local bands of week. I'm keeping it cheap, Matchless has lots of booze, and you can come right after you Sonic Youth at the last ever McCarren Pool show. Come on out!
New York Times - "Burn"
Brilliant Sweaters - "Sexy Genius"
Boy Genius - "Failing Gravity"
The Great Unwashed - "Mirage A La Mode"

Sunday: The Dutchess & the Duke @ Mercury Lounge 9pm $10
No free pool parties to attend, so you might as well get used to the inside of the dark clubs you're going to be spending the next six or seven months in. Plus, Hardly Art's latest signees The Dutchess & the Duke are another reason why they are quickly becoming one of my favroite labels out there.
~~The Dutchess & the Duke - "Mary"~~

This Week's Tour News

Who: Neil Young (w/Wilco)
When: December 15th
Where: Madison Square Garden
More Dates
Thoughts: Neil Young is going out on tour and he's bringing some freakin' huge names along with him. For part of the tour the opening act will be Death Cab for Cutie, but for us here in New York we'll get to see Wilco. Haven seen both opening acts I can say I'm thrilled with who we're getting, but I still don't know if I will be able to justify the lofty prices of the seats for this show. Those with deep pockets should make it a priority to see this show though.
Listen: Neil Young - "Harvest Moon"
Wilco - "Poor Places"

Who: TV On the Radio
When: October 14th, 15th, + 16th
Where: Brooklyn Masonic Temple
More Dates
Thoughts: I must have missed the news that TV On the Radio were gonna be touring during my little hiatus and as such two of these three Brooklyn shows are sold out. That sucks but tickets are available for the third show, just act quickly or they'll be gone too.
Listen: TV On the Radio - "Staring At the Sun"

Who: The Hold Steady + Drive By Truckers
When: November 6th + 7th
Where: Terminal 5
More Dates
Thoughts: This tour is being hailed as the "Rock and Roll Means Well Tour". I'm not exactly sure of what that is supposed to mean but they got the rock n' roll part correct as both of these bands rock hard. It's also a better pairing then having The Hold Steady open for Counting Crows.
Listen: The Hold Steady - "Most People Are DJ's"
Drive By Truckers - "Daddy Needs A Drink"

Who: Earth
When: October 19th
Where: Knitting Factory
More Dates
Thoughts: Earth is a heavy band. Make sure you understand that and plan accordingly before walking into the tiny Knitting Factory for their huge sound.
Listen: Earth - "Rise to Glory"

Who: Cloud Cult
When: November 11th
Where: Bowery Ballroom
More Dates
Thoughts: Cloud Cult seems to be more like a cult then I initially thought they were. It seems that you either love this band and follow along like a member of a cult or you just pay them no mind. For a minute I was following along, but after the last album I think I'm gonna go a different way.
Listen: Cloud Cult - "Your 8th Birthday"

Who: Mad Decent Tour (feat. Diplo, Abe Vigoda, & Telepathe)
When: October 16th
Where: Webster Hall
More Dates
Thoughts: This sounds like a hell of a lot of fun!
Listen: Abe Vigoda - "The Garden"

Who: Pattern Is Movement
When: October 4th
Where: Webster Hall
More Dates
Thoughts: Pattern won't be headlining this show, that honor goes to Shudder to Think, but that's okay. The bill also includes The Jealous Girlfriends which is pretty sweet too!
Listen: Pattern Is Movement - "Right Away"

Short Takes + Weekend Shows

Who: Conor Oberst
Title: Conor Oberst
Label: Merge Records
Thoughts: After a sub-par Bright Eyes album Conor has decided to disband and strip things down to the bare essentials. For most of his self-titled, solo debut Conor Oberst relies on just a guitar, his voice, and his thoughtful lyrics and it honestly hits a little bit better then his last couple of releases with Bright Eyes. The narratives are fuller and more thought out then they had been, his voice sounds vibrant and alive like it hasn't since I'm Wide Awake..., and of course there's a lot less filler on this then what we were starting to get used to. Overall this is sort of a comeback album for Oberst, though it doesn't quite capture the imaginativeness of his earlier work where we were just learning who Oberst was. Still, few artists can ever recapture the emotions that were felt when they were first starting out on their musical journey so it's difficult to blame Oberst for the changes in his style and in his writing. If anything we should attempt to separate Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes, which was probably his general idea in changing the name with which he's recording.
Listen: Conor Oberst - "Eagle On a Pole"
Conor Oberst - "NYC - Gone, Gone"

(Editor's Note: I'm a little swamped right now so I'm only giving one short take. I'll try to hit some more next week.)

Friday, August 22nd:

Crystal Stilts + caUSE co-MOTION @ Death By Audio [info]
Crystal Stilts - "Converging On the Quiet"
caUSE co-MOTION - "I Lie Awake"

Professor Murder + Free Blood @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [FREE] (Recommended)
Professor Murder - "Civilization Three"
Free Blood - "Never Hear Surf Music Again"

Grand Archives + Violens @ South Street Seaport [FREE]
Grand Archives - "A Setting Sun"
Violens - "Violent Sensation Descends"

Saturday, August 23rd:

Don Caballero + Ponytail @ Knitting Factor [tix]
Ponytail - "Beg Waves"

Islands @ Solar One [tix] (Recommended)
Islands - "The Arm"

The Mugs + The Lovely Sparrows @ Union Hall [tix]
The Mugs - "The Rat"
The Lovely Sparrows - "Department Of Foreseeable Outcomes"

Sunday, August 24th:

Yo La Tengo + Titus Andronicus @ McCarren Park Pool [FREE] (Recommended)
Yo La Tengo - "Little Eyes"
Titus Andronicus - "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ"

Thursday's Track Reviews

The Good:
Department Of Eagles - "No One Does It Like You"; I may just be the last blogger on the face of the planet to post this track, but when you have a tune this good it doesn't really matter when you hear it so long as you hear it. Some of you may already realize that this band is a side project for Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear, but what you may not know is that this track kicks some serious ass. It's moody and melodic and elegant, and I'm really digging it. I'll probably have more on the band's new album soon after hearing this tune.
Grade: B

Los Campesinos! - "How I Taught Myself to Scream"; I was a bit surprised to learn Los Campesinos! was planning another release for this year, but I seriously can't complain about it being too much because I am seriously addicted to their twee as fuck sound. On this, the lead track from the new disc, they continue to experiment with synthesizers and multi-part almost screamed vocals, and it's just as catchy and addictive as anything else the band has released in the last year and a half. At some point I may tire of this sound, but that time is not here and so I will continue to recommend that you listen to Los Campesinos! incessantly.
Grade: B+

Cool Kids - "Pennies"; Forget for a second that Cool Kids spend a good portion of this song shoutin' out the Bad Boys of the Detroit Pistons, this would be a good track without remisicing about the better days of the NBA. It's beat is thumping from the get go, and the Cool Kids bring their A-game with their rhymes. I love this rap group, I really really do.
Grade: B

Track of the Week:
TV On the Radio - "Golden Age"; After a few listens to the new track from TV On the Radio it seems to me that the band has been listening to music as closely as we have since the release of Return to Cookie Mountain. I am of course referring to the fact that this kind of sounds like an LCD Soundsystem song, except with more harmonies and horns. That beat sounds like it is straight from the DFA, but TV On the Radio make it their own layering it melodies and harmonies and a variety of different instruments. The math is pretty simple on this one, TV On the Radio + LCD Soundsystem influnce = pretty fucking great!
Grade: A

Old School Track of the Week:
Tom Waits - "Way Down the Whole"; For the past few months Rachael and I have been catching up on what we missed by not watching The Wire when it initially aired. We had to wait a while for the fifth season but it was finally released on DVD and we started it last night. For my money it's one of the best TV shows ever, but it's theme song - the various covers of Tom Waits' "Way Down the Whole" - has been thoroughly etched into my brain thanks to the show. I've always been a fan of Waits and it wasn't until this show came out that this song became one of my favorites of his. Good song, great show, check 'em both out if you never have.
Grade: A

The Bad:
Bloc Party - "Trojan Horse"; In case you haven't heard Bloc Party is releasing an album today, and upon initial listening to this track I will not be purchasing that new album. This song is pretty crappy and that's putting things mildly. I'm sure people are gonna buy it and go ape shit for it, as they have gone ape shit for the band's mediocre music in the past, but I honestly don't see what the big deal is here. It's over produced, too much going on, poor songwriting, and really has no real redeeming value. Oh well, I guess there's some worse shit you could be listening to and loving - but not much.
Grade: D

Oasis - "Shock of the Lightning"; I don't know what is up with all the come backs going on in the world of music, but I am especially surprised by the litany of them coming from the 90's Brit-pop scene. First The Verve and now Oasis, what's next Blur releasing a brand new album (actually THAT I wouldn't mind at all)? This is just another boring standard from Oasis that relies heavily on the fact that they have an enormous built in audience and can pretty much mail it in at any time. But it's still better then anything on that new Verve album! (Note: that's not saying much)
Grade: C

Video of the Week:

The Death Set - "Intermission"; I love The Death Set, and even though the idea for this video is very simple the execution of the simple idea is excellent. You got a few folks wearing masks chasing the band through the streets, you've got enthusiastic live performances (which you know aren't staged), and you have their kick ass song playing through the whole thing, it really doesn't take much more then that to make a killer video.
Grade: B+

Yacht - "Summer Song"; This is a super fun song and now it's a super fun video. Watch, you'll be dancing before long too.
Grade: B+

Band of the Week: Andrew Phillip Tipton

I discovered Andrew Phillip Tipton yesterday when my brother went and posted a new music video from him. Well that's not entirely true. I discovered Andrew Phillip Tipton's music yesterday, I knew him prior to that but only in passing through the same places on Staten Island.Oh, did I mention he's from Staten Island? Yeah he is, it's definitely a plus in my mind (though probably not in yours) and gave him the leg up on the competition for this week's Band of the Week. Well that and his music.

Yes his music, that's why we're here, I forgot for a second or two. My bad. Anyway, Andrew Phillip Tipton is a very talented songwriter. He writes a shit load of songs (he's already released two albums this year), releases music on his own, plays it in the subways, and makes songs that are immediately endearing and addictive. These songs are seriously addictive, just try not singing along after a couple of listens. I'm not gonna go out and say he sounds like so and so, because as a singer/songwriter he reminds me of a lot of people, but really it's still unique thanks to his writing style.

I'd like to say more about Andrew Phillip Tipton but I've only had a little while with his music, but I really like it and I think I'm gonna go check him out when he plays on Staten Island next week. If you're around or feeling adventurous you may wanna hit up that show as well, but for now please check out his Myspace and the excellent video below for a taste of what Mr. Tipton is all about.
Andrew Phillip Tipton - "I Mississippi You"
Andrew Phillip Tipton on Myspace

Upcoming Dates:
August 27th, Staten Island, NY @ The Alley (behind The Cup)

Blast from the Past: The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience

If you grew up in the 90's you were probably greatly influenced by a number of cartoons. Whether they were the Saturday morning type or the dirtier prime time series version they had a great weight on our lives. The Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy, South Park, The Head, and of course Beavis and Butt-Head. The draw of Beavis and Butt-Head is a bit difficult to describe if you weren't a fan of the show or if you happened to be too young or too old for it. It was a show that followed to moronic metal heads, had us watch music videos with them, and had us all chuckling like either Beavis or Butt-Head (I did a pretty stellar Beavis myself). That was pretty much the draw of it, they liked the same music we did, loved videos with hot chicks in it, and hated crappy pop tunes. What could have been better to a 14 or 15-year old kid then that? Nothing that's what.

Musically Beavis and Butt-Head had very defined taste. It had to rock and it had to rock hard. Most of the time they rocked the same t-shirts all the time, Metallica (earlier episodes had Beavis in a Slayer shirt) and AC/DC, and they really hated the pop shit. I mean vehementally hated that shit. I can't say I blame them, do you remember early and mid-90's pop? I shudder at the thought. But each episode they would rock out to music videos, most of which MTV wouldn't regularly play, and we would laugh along with all of their commentary.

At the height of their careers Beavis and Butt-Head released a compilation of some of their favorite artists on Geffen Records. It had huge acts for the times like Nirvana, Anthrax, Run DMC, White Zombie, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and it also featured a few humorous spoken bits in there with Beavis and Butt-Head interacting with some of the artists found on the album. I remember picking up the album and loving it, it was so hard and kick ass and I honestly didn't have much of the metal stuff from those days (remember, I was a full fledged punk kid). Some of these songs are truly awesome, some aren't as great, but overall this is a really cool album.

I know we are probably a little past the time of Beavis and Butt-Head, but every once in a while I'll feel the need to toss on this album just to hear the tunes and some of the funny shit this animated duo used to represent. I'm sure some of you will enjoy the trip down memory lane and some of you will remember hating everything about Beavis and Butt-Head, but for my money it was one of the best cartoons in the history of TV and I think you'll have a tough time convincing many 20-somethings anything to the contrary.
Nirvana - "I Hate Myself and I Want To Die"
Anthrax - "Looking Down the Barrel Of A Gun"
Megadeath - "99 Ways to Die"
Primus - "Poetry and Prose"
Cher (feat. Beavis & Butt-Head) - "I Got You Babe"

Buzzworthy??? Or Not???

Who: Bark Hide and Horn
Location: Portland, OR
elbo.ws Rank: #13
Thoughts: Listening to the new tunes from Bark Hide and Horn is a pretty out there journey. Consider for a second that their debut album, National Road, is a concept album that attempts to imagine the life of Melville Bell Grosvenor (former editor of National Geographic Magazine) living life through the pictures that appeared on the pages of his magazine. I'd consider that alone pretty out there, but the remarkable thing is that this Oregon based quartet actually pull it off with a blend of folk, indie rock, pop, and Americana that can't be doubled. This band is truly branching out into unexplored territory, just like Grosvenor was, and they are managing to bring us unique and extraordinary sounds and songwriting in one fell swoop. I've only had a couple of listens to their brand spanking new record but it's definitely something I'm enjoying immensely and I think you guys will too, check it out!
Verdict: Mucho Buzzworthy!!!
Listen: Bark Hide and Horn - "This Abdomen Has Flown"
Bark Hide and Horn - "Grandfather"

Tuesday's Recommended Release

For the beadth of their career, The Walkmen have made albums that had an interesting dichotomy between hard rocking songs and more subtle introspective tunes. Because of that dichotomy and the strength of the hard rocking tunes the quieter ones have often been pushed to the shadows while the stompers were called for and demanded at The Walkmen's shows. On You & Me the spotlight is finally shone on their ability to pen a subtle, yet powerful song and it soars thanks to this specific focus.

Throughout You & Me you can finally understand the warbled lyrics of Hamilton Leithauser giving the album a more intimate feeling than anything the band has previously done. It's as if they are finally welcoming us in with open arms rather then trying to just awe us with power and ferocity of music. Of course that power is still present on tracks like "In the New Year" and "Red Moon" thanks in large part to the perfectly executed changes in time and rhythm from drummer Matt Barrick. But it's not really the power that makes this such a tremendous release, it's the band's ability to pen a song using redundant themes (yearning for a girl, yearning for the good old days) and craft something completely new and totally thrilling that is sedated compared to everything else they have done.

Obviously The Walkmen couldn't have last this long without some truly sparkling albums, which they certainly have, but somehow they have never pulled it all together to come through with something as crisp and beautiful as what they've done on You & Me. I'm sure more then a few of you will still choose Bows + Arrows as their landmark album, I can't blame you it's a great record, but I have a feeling that when we look back at the music The Walkmen have given us You & Me is going to be considered just as good if not better at some point.
The Walkmen - "Flamingos (for Colbert)"
The Walkmen - "Red Moon"
The Walkmen - "Canadian Girl"

If you feel like Ra Ra Riot have been around for ages you aren't alone in that feeling. For two years the band have burned up the Hype Machine with only a handful of songs from the debut EP and a propulsive live show that have made the Syracuse based band the darling of many a blogger (including yours truly). They have soared to pretty high heights in those two years becoming a headlining act with just a 6-song EP, toured Europe numerous times and have had the word of mouth thing going strong, but they've also felt some punishing death with the departure of their initial front man and the untimely death of their linchpin drummer John Pike. So it would be fair to say that it has been a roller-coaster ride for the five 20-somethings that make up Ra Ra Riot. Now the band has a brand new home at Barsuk Records and at last they can begin to see the fruits of their labor with the release of their full length debut - The Rhumb Line.

On The Rhumb Line Ra Ra Riot continue to build on the funky, electric sound that has catapulted them through the indie landscape. They have retooled several of the songs that appeared on the EP, added a few songs that have become live staples, and of course thrown in a few brand new tunes that fit in smashingly with the rest of their collected works. It's not the kind of debut that will take long to get into as most of their fans should be very familiar with most of the songs here. The album kicks off with the eerie and poignant "Ghost Under Rocks", a song that has been reworked for their Barsuk debut, but which is still very easy to sing along to and still thoroughly emotional. The band's fan favorites, "Dying Is Fine" and "Can You Tell" both find themselves with a few new twists but more or less the same as they were. The true standouts on the album are "St. Peter's Day Festival", a song written by John Pike, and the Kate Bush cover "Suspended in Gaffa" which has been a favorite of most Ra Ra fans since it was released as part of their Daytrotter session. Both songs show off their abilities to build music out of their individual emotions and build into something that the listener can feel just as vividly.

With all the reworked songs on The Rhumb Line it might be easy to say that Ra Ra Riot mailed it in on their debut, but the strength of these songs and the overall flow of the album will make you think twice about chastising the band. This is a very strong debut, even if it was two years in the making, and should lead the band to even greater heights in the near future. For two years this band has toiled and paid their dues and it truly all pays off on this album. It's beautiful, it's heartfelt, it's poppy and catchy, and I think anybody that has seen the band in person will fall in love with the band anew.
Ra Ra Riot - "Ghost Under Rocks"
Ra Ra Riot - "Dying Is Fine"
Ra Ra Riot - "Can You Tell"

Also Released Today:

Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: The Verve
Title: Forth
Release Date: August 26th
Label: Megaforce Records
Thoughts: I honestly can't believe I listened to this whole album. Back when they were having their successful run in the 1990's I was not a big fan of The Verve, mostly due to my running in the pop punk circles and not the Brit-pop circles. But since my tastes have changed and expanded I thought I'd give them a chance, and while not completely disliking the new music I really couldn't say it's anything that deserves the glaring attention they have been receiving in this comeback. There are some nice ballads and really long, well structured songs, but overall there is a lot lacking on this album. To me it sounds like it conforms to the adult contemporary sounds that permeate bands like Coldplay to their core and turn them off to folks like myself. It's just a little staid and lacking in the passion department. It's not bad music, The Verve is full of truly gifted musicians, it's just not an album I imagine myself coming back to anytime soon.
Listen: The Verve - "Sit and Wonder"
The Verve - "Judas"

Who: The Sea & Cake
Title: Car Alarm
Release Date: October 21st
Label: Thrill Jockey
Thoughts: Considering the amount of time The Sea & Cake have often taken between releasing albums, the news of a 2008 release on the heels of 2007's Everybody has been truly welcome. Now thanks to the power of the internets we can listen to the album more then two months in advance, and it's a tremendous follow-up to their excellent previous album. Once again the band are playing their cool brand of stripped down indie jazz and I'm really enjoying the sounds of the new album. I've only had once go 'round with the album but I'm sure that will be going up in the coming days and weeks and that by year's end this will be popping up on lists everywhere.
Listen: The Sea & Cake - "Fuller Moon"
The Sea & Cake - "Weekend"

Who: Kimya Dawson
Title: Alphabutt
Release Date: September 9th
Label: K Records
Thoughts: It seems kind of surprising to me that Kimya Dawson would follow the success of being on the Juno soundtrack with a children's album, but honestly if you look at her past songwriting it's really not much of a stretch to imagine her writing songs for children. On Alphabutt Kimya shows off her sense of humor and her ability to write catchy ditties at the same time. The songs are silly and funny and adorable with kids singing and a whole slew of other musicians showing up throughout the album. It's a really good kids album, but I'll probably stick to listening to The Moldy Peaches' album for my fill of Kimya.
Listen: Kimya Dawson - "Little Monster Babies"
Kimya Dawson - "Smoothie"

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: The Walkmen @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $20
Listening to You & Me from The Walkmen has been a great pleasure these past couple of weeks. The new album is a sparkling example of the talent these guys posses and is definitely one of the better albums of the year. That said, The Walkmen have always been a better live band then they are on record just because of the passion that oozes from them on stage. They're playing two nights at Bowery this week and you'll wanna make sure you're at at least one of them.
The Walkmen - "Canadian Girl"

Tuesday: Jaguar Love + Vivian Girls @ Southpaw 8pm $10
I'm really excited about this week's record release show for Jaguar Love. Not only will the band be celebrating the release of their debut album, but they'll be sharing the stage with Vivian Girls who have been getting a shit load of hype written about them and deservedly so. This is gonna be one excellent show, and considering these bands will both be headlining much larger venues next time around I'd suggest you catch them now!
Jaguar Love - "Highways of Gold"
Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To"

Wednesday: Passion Pit @ Pianos 8pm $8
Passion Pit continue their month long residency at Pianos and based on the reports from the first show last Wednesday this is a show that is not to be missed. Just make sure you get to Pianos early because the back room was apparently packed for last week's show and should be again this week.
Passion Pit - "I've Got Your Number"

Thursday: Beat Radio, Mancino, + Secret Life of Sofia @ Union Pool 8pm $tba
Wow, this is one stacked lineup with three of New York's favorite buzz bands. All three have been featured in these pages so you should be pretty familiar with them, but if you haven't caught them live now's your chance to get them all in at one time! What could be better then that?
Beat Radio - "Stranger Flowers"
Mancino - "Hetchie Hutchie Footchie"
Secret Life of Sofia - "Outside"

Friday: Professor Murder + Free Blood @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8:30pm FREE
It's been a long time since we last heard from Professor Murder, but here they are heading up a free show at the Music Hall. As a double bonus you also get the awesome stylings of Free Blood for the cost of absolutely nothing. This may draw a crowd so you might wanna take advantage of the Music Hall's happy hour and be there a little before the show.
Professor Murder - "Civilization Three"
Free Blood - "Never Hear Surf Music Again"

Saturday: Islands @ Solar One 1pm $25
In all seriousness $25 may be a bit pricey for an outdoor afternoon with one solid band and a reality show cast off cooking for you, but hell I love Islands and would fork over the cash if I had it. As for the cooking, I have no idea who the Top Chef guy is or what he makes but you really can't go wrong with seeing Islands.
Islands - "Humans"

Sunday: Yo La Tengo + Titus Andronicus @ McCarren Park Pool 2pm FREE
This is it folk, the final free Sunday at McCarren Park Pool. The folks at JellyNYC have done a tremendous job putting on these free Sunday performances for three years but this final lineup may just be it's best yet. The quickly blowing up Titus Andronicus and the venerable Yo La Tengo together under the sun is a pretty unbeatable way to close out a brilliant run of amazing entertainment. We'll miss it when it's gone, so don't miss this one.
Yo La Tengo - "Little Eyes"
Titus Andronicus - "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ"

Dirty Projectors @ South Street Seaport 8/15

Damn bad weather! I wave my angry fist at you and your lightning full skies! How dare you rob us of a full set from the Dirty Projectors! I was really looking forward to seeing them for the first time and to finally catch White Williams for the first time. Instead I found myself hanging on the balcony of that shitty mall drinking 32oz beers with a few friends, which was all well and good but I wanted to hear tunes that weren't Sean Paul blasting from the speakers below! I managed to emerge into the drizzling night's sky to catch the last two songs from White Williams, but it certainly didn't give the full effect of the band's music and it would be unfair to write anything more about the band haven seen only two songs performed. But the real reason I was there on Friday night was to finally see Dirty Projectors, a band I have neglected to see live for ages despite being at them same festival as them a few weeks ago and despite my festival organization hosting them at out New Year's Eve bash.

The band was good right from the start, very tight, and sounding beautiful as they played their Black Flag covers with lightning blasting in the skies above them. The set was progressing nicely, but then mid-song they were pulled from the stage with the festival's MC telling us it was the end and that it was very unsafe for the band to be playing. Rock n' roll is supposed to be dangerous though and it seemed like the couple hundred people that came out to see them were very disappointed by the cancellation (though not as disappointed as the folks that went to Rhys Chatham from what I've heard). I know I was crushed I really wanted to see more from the band, but I suppose I will have to wait till they next time they come around now.

Questionable Corner: BOAT

(Editor's Note: Yes Questionable Corner is supposed to be up on Wednesday's, but there were issues with the band originally supposed to be interviewed so I had to find another worthy band willing to answer my inane questions. Hopefully it will be back to Wednesday next week.)

For over I year I have begged the boys in BOAT to come to New York to play a show, but alas they never could figure out the right time to make it out. At long last the band will be making their triumphant debut in New York City next week with a show at Cake Shop and one at Union Hall! If you like good music you will most definitely be at these shows, but don't just take it from me, let's let the band try and convince you to get your asses out!!!
PTST: You guys are about to hit New York City for the first time, is there anything you're looking forward to seeing or doing while you're here other then playing music?
BOAT: We are lovers of pizza. So this will be a big week! Sadly, the Mets are out of town.

PTST: How do you think the New York crowd will react to your music?
BOAT: If there is in fact a crowd....I think they will have the best time at a show...they have had all summer. It will be sweaty, poppy, sloppy, confetti, good times!

PTST: You recently released an EP called The Topps EP, were you guys big baseball card collectors as kids? What was your most prized baseball card?
BOAT: Myself and Jackson are the two baseballers in the band. He is a Braves fanatic, where I am a Mets man. My first treasure was an Andre Dawson Sportflics. But my Gregg Jeffries rookie was treasured for a while too.

PTST: How did the whole Topps EP idea come about?
BOAT: We made the song and then it seemed the only way we could release it was to go all out. I love to draw people...little cartoon portraits...so it worked out perfect. I made a list of every team...and named my favorite player growing up...from each team. Then I tried to draw them. The best drawings won. There were some doozies. Cal Ripken and Bo Jackson will never be released.

PTST: Are there currently any plans to record another full-length or is it all touring right now?
BOAT: We are putting together the songs for LP 3 now. On the tour we are playing a few of the songs from the forthcoming record. We will be recording the new LP in the fall. I think it will be kind of Who-ish....where the songs flow together into mini suites. It is exciting. We are debating the merits of whether to record it at my house in Tacoma, WA...or not. I think we should. My wife and cats are not so sure.

PTST: Since we New Yorkers have never seen you live, can you give us three good reasons that we should come out to one of your shows?
BOAT: 1) Homemade Shakers
2) Big Choruses
3) It may be our only trip to New York...ever.

PTST: Do you guys know any of the other bands you're playing with this week? Are they any good?
BOAT: Creeping Weeds are playing all the shows. They are amazing. Serious. They will also play some songs with us.

PTST: Have you been watching the Olympics at all? That Michael Phelps is something isn't he?
BOAT: He is...but no...we only watch cable. Dog Whisperer!

PTST: Now that KEXP is simulcast here in New York do you think you'd be more likely to move to New York and try to become the next big Brooklyn band rather then just another band from the Pacific Northwest?
BOAT: I would miss Washington too much! KEXP is great though.

PTST: I'm sure you've heard our reputation for pizza and bagels, which one are you looking forward to more?
BOAT: I am kind of over bagels at this point. Pizza is scheduled as an event. Cortlandt Pizzeria in the Bronx!

PTST: McCain or Obama?
BOAT: Michelle Obama everytime!

PTST: Out of all your songs which would you say normally gets the best reaction when it's played live?
BOAT: Woah....anything where the crowd sings along. That is amazing. It changes from night to night. I like "Clogged Castle"....it is amazing when people shout Reptile Boy!

PTST: Why is the band's name spelled in all capital letters?
BOAT: Because it shows power and strength!

BOAT - "Topps"
BOAT - "Four Beds for BOAT"

BOAT Tour Dates:
Aug 15 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug 16 The Crackhouse Honey Brook, Pennsylvania
Aug 17 The Cake Shop New York City, New York
Aug 18 PA's Lounge Boston, Massachusetts
Aug 19 The Oasis Pub New London, Connecticut
Aug 20 Union Hall Brooklyn, New York
Aug 21 The Lantern Blacksburg, Virginia
Aug 22 Brillobox Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 23 Schuba's Chicago, Illinois
Sep 5 Music Fest NW Portland, OR

This Week's Tour News

Who: Baltimore Round Robin Tour
When: October 17th + 18th
Where: Le Poisson Rouge
More Dates
Listen: Dan Deacon - "Pink Batman"
The Death Set - "Heard It All Before"
Beach House - "Wedding Bells"
Wzt Hearts - "The Den"
Thoughts: Possibly one of the most ingenious and unique concert ideas ever! Instead of just going to see a couple of bands perform on a raised platform in front of you the bands will be setting up on the floor in a circle, with the fans inside the circle. Then one band will kick off with a song followed by the band next to it and the band next to it all the way around the room. Sounds like an awesome concept and it's been split into two night to make sure all 29-bands involved get to be seen and heard. More details on who the bands are right over here. I'm gonna try and make it for both shows and I suggest you do the same.

Who: Death Cab for Cutie
When: October 6th
Where: Radio City Music Hall
More Dates
Listen: Death Cab for Cutie - "Your New Twin Sized Bed"
Thoughts: I have seen Death Cab for Cutie twice and both times they were blown away by other bands on the bill (once it was The Decemberists and once it was Franz Ferdinand). But I think them being upstaged is mostly due to the fact that they focus on the music, don't do much fan interaction, and sure as shit don't dance, hell the fans can't even dance to that music. Instead everyone sits around (or stands) for an hour and stares at Ben Gibbard as he releases these poignant, emotional songs onto your souls. If you're into that sort of thing there is a ticket sale on Friday.

Who: Girl Talk
When: November 15th
Where: Terminal 5
More Dates
Listen: Girl Talk - "Give Me A Beat"
Thoughts: Having spent an evening with dancing on the Mercury Lounge stage with Girl Talk I am pretty sure that I have experienced the heights of his performance ability. It was an awesome show that night, but a huge part of it was the involvement of all the fans who danced on the stage and sweat together under those beaming lights. Now he's playing at festivals and in huge, completely impersonal places like Terminal 5 and I don't see how he could possibly capture the energy of the show he put on that sweaty August night. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe he will compensate for the lack of personal contact with some huge stage show and the crowd will be crazed dancing fools but for my money I'm going to rest remembering the time I saw Girl Talk and how amazing it was.

Who: Metallica
When: January 29th + 31st
Where: Nassau Coliseum + Prudential Center
More Dates
Listen: Metallica - "Ride the Lightning"
Thoughts: I saw Metallica back when they were on the touring version of Lollapalooza, I believe this was in 1996 or '97, and it was one of the most spectacular live shows I have ever seen especially when you consider it was a big all-day festival. They had explosions galore, the music was tight, and they played everything you could have wanted to hear and some songs off of Load. Of course now the metal legends have had a few not so good efforts and I'm sure some of those tunes will be played live on this tour, but if you have never seen Metallica I would highly recommend doing so.

Who: Yeasayer
When: December 5th + 6th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg
More Dates
Listen: Yeasayer - "2080"
Thoughts: I have to say Yeasayer has completely underwhelmed in every capacity except on "2080". I've seen them live, I've listened to the album, and I have been inundated with the waves of "Yeasayer is awesome!" comments that have gone around, and all I can say to all that stuff is "meh". "2080" is a really good song though.

Who: Deerhunter + Times New Viking
When: November 7th + 8th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg + Bowery Ballroom
More Dates
Listen: Deerhunter - "Never Stops"
Times New Viking - "End of All Things"
Thoughts: Wow, Deerhunter and Times New Viking together on tour, could it get any better then that? Not really no, except that one of these New York dates also has Vivian Girls opening, I think that one if Music Hall. This is a can't miss tour if I've ever seen a can't miss tour.

Who: Man Man
When: October 10th
Where: Webster Hall
More Dates
Listen: Man Man - "Top Drawer"
Thoughts: Right now there are few bands as skilled in the area of a live performance as Man Man is. These guys flat out know how to put on a show, and if you've failed to catch any of the bajillion times they've played in New York then it's time to pony up the cash and go see them. I'll probably see you there.

Who: The Roots
When: October 28th
Where: Roseland Ballroom
More Dates
Listen: The Roots - "Double Trouble"
Thoughts: I caught half of The Roots set at All Points West this weekend and they completely made-up for all the piss poor hip-hop performances I've been seeing lately. It was my first time seeing the legends on stage and they did nothing but wow me despite some issues with echoes from the festival grounds. I'd like to so them again but this show is during CMJ so I'll probably be running around catching new bands that could only hope to have a fraction of the success and talent that The Roots posses.

Short Takes + Weekend Shows

It seems that everyone is still expecting The Stills to revert to the form they shows on their debut album Logic Will Break Your Heart, yet here we are two albums past and they have yet to show anything that even remotely compares to the power of that initial album. Instead we get an "evolving" Stills and I honestly don't know where they are evolving to. Is it their idea to evolve into a stale sound indie rock band? Or do they want to really push the envelope a bit here and there? The answer through most of Oceans Will Rise is that they are growing into a stale indie rock band. Some people are saying that this fuses aspects of the first two albums together, and in a sense it does, but for the most part it's a very bland album with just a handful of songs to get really hyped about. I don't know about you but I'm going to stick to my copy of Logic... and give anything new a trial run to see if they remember how to do something similar to that.
The Stills - "Snow in California"
The Stills - "Being Here"

One of the higlights of the debacle that was the Pitchfork Music Fest was Icy Demons' live performance. They wowed me with their abilities, their thumping bass lines, and their irresistable rhythms, but for some reason very little of that performance comes off on the record. Instead we spend most of our time with a toned down version of Gnarls Barkley, very soulful, and still solid bass lines, but nothing nearly as powerful or as percussive as their live show was. Still, I think the real problem here is that the live show was just too damn good to be lived up to with a recorded effort just like Pow Pow's other band Man Man is much better live then on record. It's a solid album for sure, but it's just not as solid as their live performance was. Take that as a compliment guys because I do believe you are a very good band and I like the album enough to listen to it on a fairly regular basis.
Icy Demons - "1850"
Icy Demons - "Spywatchers"

Friday, August 15th:

Dirty Projectors + White Williams @ South Street Seaport [FREE]
Dirty Projectors - "Six Pack"
White Williams - "Route to Palm"

Fiasco @ Silent Barn [info]
Fiasco - "Oh, You Horny Monster"

Bodies of Water + Port O'Brien @ Union Hall [info]
Bodies of Water - "Only You"
Port O'Brien - "Stuck On A Boat"

Brilliant Sweaters @ Cake Shop [FREE]
Brilliant Sweaters - "Sexy Genius"

Saturday, August 16th:

Battles + Black Dice @ Central Park Summerstage [FREE]
Battles - "Bad Trails"
Black Dice - "Bottom Feeder"

Jana Hunter @ Knitting Factory [tix]
Jana Hunter - "Babies"

Sunday, August 17th:

Aesop Rock + Panther @ McCarren Park Pool [FREE]
Aesop Rock - "Keep Off the Lawn"
Panther - "Decision, Decision"

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings @ Central Park Summerstage [FREE]
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - "Something's Changed"

Oxford Collapse @ Sound Fix Record [FREE]
Oxford Collapse - "Electric Air"

Thursday's Track Reviews

The Good:
Franz Ferdinand - "Lucid Dreams"; It's about time that Franz Ferdinand returned! Sure enough the band hasn't lost anything as they show off a funky tune that will grace their new album. It's got the trademark big time catchy chorus, it's a got some funky verses that are led by a nice tight bass line, and it's got easy to sing along lyrics. This is what Franz Ferdinand is and they have perfected their formula with their last albums, now they are building on top of it and doing it very, very well.
Grade: A

Marnie Stern - "Tranformer"; If you weren't convinced by her debut album, Marnie Stern has another album chock full of her lush finger tapping style and her ability to craft truly verbose album titles. This is a sick song, the tapping, the layers, even the vocals come alive throughout this track, and I'm not sure if that's Zach Hill on drums or not but it sure sounds like it. Fantastic lead for the album and it really gets my hyped for the new album.
Grade: B+

Nutt Da Kid (feat. Lil' Wayne) - "Real Shit"; Be warned, not only is Lil' Wayne making a push to be the best MC in the world, he has a stable of young rappers coming to the top of the game with him. The newest in this line of rappers is Nutt Da Kid, a rapper that has a flow incredibly similar to that of Wayne, but it's all good 'cause he has his own way of delivering the rhymes from verse to verse. This is a very understated track, not really a dance powerhouse, but with it's underlying thumping bass line and simple guitar sounds it puts the spotlight on Da Kid's rhymes and he shines through the glaring light.
Grade: B+

caUSE co-MOTION - "I Lie Awake"; I've liked caUSE co-MOTION for some time, but I really like this tune a lot. A simple, lo-fi approach to dance rock that couldn't be any more catchy if they tried. That short little guitar riff that jumps in there is great, the quiet vocals are simple and understated yet solid, and everything else flows together seamlessly. This is a really good song.
Grade: B

Mason Proper - "Lock and Key"; I have generally shied away from writing about Mason Proper in the past because I was kind of turned off by all the blog love they received the first time around. Well this song is fantastic so I think it's time I got off my high horse and joined the bandwagon on this band. Nice little guitar bit running throughout the song, catchy as hell chorus, and it's pretty easy to see why so many people have taken a liking to these boys.
Grade: B

Jay-Z - "Jockin' Jay-Z"; The rumor mill has been working overtime this week with stories of a Kanye produced Blueprint 3 and Jay hasn't done anything to squash the rumors which should have every hip-hop fan in the world buzzing. It's not just the rumors though, this Oasis dis track has been making the rounds and it truly is sick. It's got elements of old school rap, a fresh beat, and some of the best rhymes we've heard from HOV in a long while. If this is the first taste of a new Kanye produced Jay album color me impressed.
Grade: A

Track of the Week:
Harlem - "South of France";
Grade: This is classic garage rock in every sense of the word. It could be the early days of The White Stripes, a tune from the Mooney Suzuki, or a brand new track from Black Lips, but it's not it's a young Austin based band called Harlem. Their geography may not be too strong, but their abilities to craft a rift and a sing-a-long chorus is. This song had me busting out the air guitar and whoo-whooing along the by the second time I listened!
Grade: A

Old School Track of the Week:
Polaris - "Hey Sandy"; I probably shouldn't admit to having listened to this song a lot lately, not because it isn't a great song but because it implicates me in stealing my brother's copy of The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Yeah, I've been watching a lot of the beloved Nickelodeon show lately and I'm loving it all over again. As far as theme songs go there are few that top this one. It's an awesome song and it totally fits the shows oddness.
Grade: A

The Bad:
I'm from Barcelona - "Music Killed Me"; I was a fan of I'm from Barcelona's debut album and it's twee affectations that made me fall for it, but on this song the band makes a huge shift to something a whole lot darker, quieter, and less poppy then anything in off their debut. That shift is causing me to be a little bit critical of the new tune, it's not what I was expecting when I heard "new" and "I'm from Barcelona" in the same sentence. Instead it's a track that I would probably skip if it had been on the debut.
Grade: C-

Yuppie Pricks - "Collars Up"; The press release for this band kind of sickened me and may be skewing my views on the music a bit, but I really don't think it matters all that much. This band is made up of a couple of millionaires who wanted to create punk music for their capitalist brethren. As if that contradiction in terms weren't enough they flat out copy the millions of punk bands that toured around in stinky vans bringing music to the kids that weren't well off enough to escape the middle or lower classes. It's absolutely revolting to me that something like this could be considered punk just because of it's short, hard driven sound, especially when you consider all the bands that they are ripping off in doing so. This shit sucks.
Grade: F

Video(s) of the Week:

Champion from videos222 on Vimeo
Kanye West - "Champion"; I believe I said at one point that Kanye West could not make a bad video and he continues his streak of can't misses with puppet Kanye in "Champion". Obviously this is a bit of an homage to the current Olympic games but it's pretty damn cool anyway. Watch it, not that you haven't already.
Grade: A

Be Your Own Pet - "Becky"; So in the time that I was away three different bands broke up (proving that things do in fact come in 3's) and the only one that truly hurt was finding out that Be Your Own Pet were calling it quits. I'm sure these youngin's will get into more bands and be found around at some point (and maybe even pull a Brett Favre) but for now all we have is this video for "Becky" to remind us of what we are missing. This video could have been more graphic and fun, but then it probably would have been cut from their album without them even knowing about it. Sigh, we'll miss you Be Your Own Pet!
Grade: B+

Band of the Week: Lemming Malloy

For most of the year I have strayed towards the noisier end of the indie music world, bands that have a lot of effects or feedback or a general sense of garbled tunes, but I came across the profile of Lemming Malloy this week thanks to a friend request and I can't get enough of the two songs they have posted there. The band is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and have a fantastic sound about them.

The songs are poppy and immediately catchy, led by some quirky vocals and the use of a marvelon - some bastardized version of a keytar (seen to the left of this). Both "House of Cards" (not a Radiohead cover) and "Sioux Falls South Dakota" are marvelous examples of pop music, with guy/girl harmonies, upbeat guitars, and toe tapping rhythms. They bill this sound as something called steampunk (as if there weren't enough genres of music already!) and it sounds futuristic but rooted in the past, basically the best of both worlds in one fun sound.

If you don't find yourself liking this music it's probably because you like your tunes perpetually dark and don't know how to have fun at all. Yeah, that's right I'm calling you out weird kid curled up in the corner, you need to get out and maybe these two songs will be enough to get you to lighten up. Anyway, listening to these two songs on repeat (I think I am now half of their total plays) for the past few days I think it's finally time a broke down and buy their debut EP which is available for purchase on their Myspace page. If you guys listen to the tunes a few times I think you'll probably succumb to the same impulse to purchase the whole thing in no time at all.
Lemming Malloy - "Sioux Falls South Dakota"
Lemming Malloy - "House of Cards"
Lemming Malloy on Myspace

Blast from the Past: Blink-182's Dude Ranch

During my hiatus from blogging I spent a lot of time reacquainting myself with some of the music that made me passionate about music in the first place. Some of it isn't' necessarily the cool indie rock bands that set the standard for today's bands, but it was the music I listened to in my teens and it's something that I still enjoy listening to from time to time. One of the albums I went back to was Blink-182's Dude Ranch, an album I owned when it was released in '97 and wore out a couple of times in the years that followed.

Now I know a lot of you will probably scoff at my listening to such basic pop-punk, and I know musically this isn't necessarily the most advanced album in the annals of rock, but it's a freakin' fun album with goofy and heartfelt lyrics and fast paced, three chord goodness. Kicking off with "Pathetic", the album is an ode to those awkward years of being a teenager with the trials and tribulations of girls and high school and growing into your body, something that I believe we can all relate to. Of course the Blink boys take things just a bit further with songs about peeping into a neighbors window and sleeping with Princess Leia, but deep down these are some lyrically simple but brilliant tunes of adolescence.

Through the last two years of my high school life I listened to Dude Ranch incessantly and it made the brutal rejections of girls and the day to day tribulations of a teenager that much easier to bear knowing they too had gone through similar things. Now when I listen to the album I remember those times fondly, but I still really enjoy their simplistic approach to punk rock. It's so subtle and easy to play, but damn it's so good and catchy!!!
Blink-182 - "Pathetic"
Blink-182 - "Dammit"
Blink-182 - "Apple Shampoo"
Blink-182 - "New Hope"

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted's 4th Anniversary Bash!!!

Buzzworthy??? Or Not???

Who: Passion Pit
Location: Cambridge, MA
elbo.ws Ranking:
Thoughts: Who could possibly imagine that a collection of songs given to a girlfriend could lead to becoming one of the most buzzed about bands on the internets, a record deal, and slots at Pop Montreal and the Monolith Festival? I don't think Michael Angelakos intended for it to blow up like this but his Passion Pit project has taken off since he first gave his collection of songs to his girl for Valentine's Day. Now working as a 5-piece, Passion Pit has been raved about in every corner of the music world thanks to their smooth, easy to groove and listen to synth work and the perfect pop lyrics assembled throughout Angelakos' songs. I'd put it somewhere between Hot Chip's spastic and energetic electro-pop and Fujiya & Miyagi's more subdued sound, it's not quite propulsive but it's also not sleepy in any way. In fact, it's pretty close to perfectly pieced together synth pop as you'll probably find right now which is a pretty bold statement in this day and age of synthesized music. French Kiss recently signed the band and will be re-releasing The Chunk of Change EP with two additional songs this fall. Make sure you start listening now because this band is going to be burning up the Hype Machine for months to come, and if you're in New York check them out as they spend every Wednesday in August playing Pianos.
Verdict: Buzzworthy for sure!!!
Listen: Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"
Passion Pit - "I've Got Your Number"

Tuesday's Recommended Release

Like most drummers, Zach Hill has spent a good portion of his career toiling behind the skins while other folks got to prance around at the stage front, but thanks to his reputation and proven track record as an amazing drummer Hill has progressed to the point where he was able to call on a few friends and his own solo album. Now folks expecting the sound of Hella or something similar to what he did with Marnie Stern's awesome debut will be extremely familiar with what they're about to hear, but for those new to the party be prepared for some intense drums and some wildly out there sounds from every other part of the album.

On Astrological Straits, Hill calls on favors from everyone to create a sound as diverse as anything he has every worked on. Obviously it is propelled by his own insane brand of drumming, but if it were just an album of drums it might not be as easy to listen to. Not that this is anything close to easy listening. But thanks to contributions from the likes of Stern, Les Claypool, Chino Moreno, and No Age, Hill's created something that melds the worlds of math rock and noise into something that you won't want to stop listening to. It's deep and heady, there are the oddest vocals you may ever hear, and a ton of reverb and feedback and all sorts of other noises. In other words, don't listen to this if you have a migraine but listen at all other times and listen loudly.

Fans of Hella will immediately love Astrological Straits and I think a lot of other people that are just learning about the whole noise genre will jump all over this album when it hits there ears, but even if you're not into those things I'd suggest a listen or two. At the very least you will get to hear some of the best drumming in modern music, and you may even pick out the bits that are contributed by Les Claypool and Chino and Marnie Stern and all the other folks on the album. This is definitely worth owning so pick it up today!!!
Zach Hill - "Keep Calm and Carry On"
Zach Hill - "Stoic Logic"
Zach Hill - "Tick On"

Also Released Today:

Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Ra Ra Riot
Title: The Rhumb Line
Release Date: August 19th
Label: Barsuk
Thoughts: Considering that Ra Ra Riot have included 4-songs that have already been released and two more that have been live staples for some time on their debut LP you would think that the album would sound very familiar, but they have given these songs such a face lift for The Rhumb Line that they are barely recognizable. That alone gives this debut a feeling of being completely new and different and another step in the young band's career, but the rest of the album shows off a dramatic step in their abilities to write and play music as well. It seems these energetic 20-something's are quickly adapting their music as they grow as people. It's a stunning debut that doesn't loose any of the energy that built them over the past two years and an album that I think a lot of you will truly love.
Listen: Ra Ra Riot - "St. Peter's Day Festival"
Ra Ra Riot - "Suspended In Gaffa"

Who: Women
Title: Women
Release Date: October 7th
Label: Jagjaguwar
Thoughts: There are a few notables to take in with the self-titled debut of Women. For starters there are no actual women in the band Women. Also worth noting is the fact that Chad VanGaalen recorded the album which is set to have it's Jagjaguwar release in October. But beyond those notable facts there is music to be listened to and from my stand point thoroughly enjoyed. The album is totally saturated by it's lo-fi production style, layers of reverb and feedback provide haunting sounds throughout this debut and it all gives Women a very eerie sound. There are times where the noise is a bit drawn out and spacious and times when it all seems to run together propelling it through some tricky bits of sound, but despite the differences of individual songs it all runs together seamlessly. Another very cool debut that I think most of you will adore.
Listen: Women - "Black Rice"
Women - "Group Transport Hall"

Who: Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Title: Is It The Sea?
Release Date: October 20th
Label: Domino Records
Thoughts: Anybody surprised to see another Bonnie "Prince" Billy album making the internet rounds? No. Yeah I can't blame you I wasn't surprised by it either. This time the "Prince" follows up his sparkling Lie Down in the Light with a pretty solid live album. I say pretty solid because I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by his prolific output, but it's certainly carried out beautifully with his dynamic songs and excellent musicianship. Live albums don't normally carry the same weight with me that a studio album will, but since I have never seen Bonnie "Prince" Billy in concert it's nice to hear that his songs may be better suited for the stage then they are for record, but let's be honest they sound damn good anywhere.
Listen: Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "Wolf Among Wolves"
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - "New Partner"

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: Six Organs of Admittance @ Knitting Factory 8pm $12
I have some tunes from Six Organs of Admittance on my iPod but each one of them is listed with the dreaded 0 listens next to it. I don't know why I've never listened, enough people have talked about them I guess I just haven't gotten around to it. Anyway, you may be wondering why I'm recommending a show for a band I've never heard and it's all fairly simple - out of all the shows going on tonight they are the only band to even make it to the iPod and mine holds a 160GB of music.
Six Organs of Admittance - "1,000 Birds"

Tuesday: Bob Dylan @ Prospect Park Bandshell 7pm $55
I know you're probably not going to shell out $55 for a concert in a park where most of the shows are free, hell I'm not either, but seeing Bob Dylan is apparently some type of spiritual, musical pilgrimage that must be made by music fans. I don't really know about all that 'cause I've never seen the man perform, but I would be up for it if someone could front me $55 or get me on a guest list or something like that. Anyone?
Bob Dylan - "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"

Wednesday: Bodies of Water + Port O'Brien @ Mercury Lounge 7:30pm $10
I am completely enamored with the new Bodies of Water album! It was one of the few pieces of new music that I consistently listened to during my little hiatus and I have fallen head over heels in love with it. If you haven't heard it yet make sure you do so, but don't let that stop you from seeing this band NOW! I guarantee you next time they roll through they'll be headlining Bowery and selling it out without a problem.
Bodies of Water - "Water Here"
Port O'Brien - "I Woke Up Today"

Thursday: Blonde Redhead @ Pier 54 6pm FREE
Last year, Blonde Redhead performed at one of the free pool parties in McCarren Park and they were pretty drab from the most part. I guess you can't complain too much seeing as the show was free and if you missed that you might as well go see them tonight so you have the same reason not too complain too much.
Blonde Redhead - "Spring and By Summer Fall"

Friday: Dirty Projectors + White Williams @ South Street Seaport 7pm FREE
Before last week it had been almost a month since I spent a Friday night at the Seaport but I'm going this week that's for damn sure! I still have not seen Dirty Projectors play despite being at the Pitchfork Fest when they played, despite being part of After the Jump who booked them for New Year's Eve last year, despite any of my thwarted efforts to see them! I will not be denied this week, at least I hope I won't!
Dirty Projectors - "Gimme Gimme Gimme"
White Williams - "Fleetwood Crack"

Saturday: Battles + Black Dice @ Central Park Summerstage 3pm FREE
These two bands are tremendous, but I'm sure the line to get in to this free show will be daunting. This is one of those times where you really have to do some sort of mathematical equation to figure out if you love the bands more then you hate standing in line for hours to get in. Well do you ?
Battles - "Prismism"
Black Dice - "Bottom Feeder"

Sunday: Aesop Rock + Panther @ McCarren Park Pool 2pm FREE
Another Sunday, another free pool party this time with the always solid Aesop Rock and the up-and-coming Panther. Should be another good one, with another big line, but at least the weather is supposed to be okay for it.
Aesop Rock - "No Regrets"
Panther - "Decision, Decision"

Monday Return...

The cable man (or woman) will be at my new home on Saturday afternoon so you can expect a return to content on Monday!!! I should have some sweet ass reviews of the Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson Seaport show and Saturday at All Points West plus the regular content you've all been missing so much!!! Hope you didn't miss me too much, but I did miss all of you faithful readers. Thanks for being patient with me!

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