Contest: Mandy Moore Tickets!

Most people probably wouldn't take me as a Mandy Moore fan but we all have our guilty pleasures buried in our record collections and at least my guilty pleasure has aged rather yell as she has grown into a better actress and musician over the years. Well Mandy has returned with her first record as a married woman and it sounds a lot different then what you may remember from her "Candy" days. Now she's more of the singer/songwriter type, singing with her lovely voice and playing along normally with an acoustic guitar. It's pretty good for someone that was placed alongside the likes of Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.

Anyway, Mandy will be playing a special show at the Highline Ballroom on Tuesday, June 2nd and the only way in is to win tickets or buy Mandy's new album Amanda Leigh from Best Buy and bring your receipt to the venue. As much as I think you should go out and buy the album to get in I realize we're stuck in some tough financial times so I'm giving away 5-pairs of tickets to the show this weekend! All you need to do to enter is send me an e-mail with the subject "Mandy Moore Contest"! That's it, I will randomly be selecting the 5 winners Monday afternoon and contacting them via e-mail.

For those that don't win the ticket check Redmusic.com for more information on how to get in to the show and make sure you pick up Mandy's new album now!
Mandy Moore - "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week"

Top 10: Sophomore Releases of the Decade

In the last few weeks we have been treated to a couple of brilliant sophomore releases. Both St. Vincent and the White Rabbits managed to trump their previous efforts with albums that are better in every possible way. The two albums got me wondering about some of the best sophomore albums of all-time, suffice it to say narrowing those down to a top 10 would have taken ages with albums like Nevermind, Fun House, and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back all ranking up there just to name a few. Instead I turned my focus to this decade and the wonderful music we have been given over the last ten years and since we are in the last year of the decade I guess it makes sense to start to think about what ranks where for the '00s. You may have guessed this but neither St. Vincent nor the White Rabbits were able to scratch the top 10 on this list and I'm sure I left out a host of other terrific albums as well. What would be your top 10?

10. Interpol Antics; Most good sophomore records find the band at a more confident level. Maybe they don't play with the sound much or reinvent the wheel, but after months (years) of touring behind successful debuts the band is better, tighter, and much more suited to coax the right sounds from their instruments. Antics is an album that perfectly showcases that type of sophomore effort. The sounds are very similar to what they did on Turn on the Bright Lights, but it comes across a thousand times smoother.
Interpol - "Slow Hands"

9. Antony & the Johnsons I'm A Bird Now; Few sophomore records come from out of nowhere, but every once in a while there are surprises no one can predict. After a largely underrated self-titled debut, Antony & the Johnsons rode Antony Hegarty's heartbreaking voice to the highest levels of critical acclaim. The record landed in practically every year end list you could imagine, won the Mercury Prize, and even charted in the UK and Australia. Quite a shocker considering so few people heard the debut when it was released in 1998.
Antony & the Johnsons - "For Today I Am A Boy"

8. Daft Punk Discovery; It may have taken Daft Punk 4-years to get their sophomore record out but most people agree that it was well worth the wait, especially when you consider the poorer third record that followed and the lack of a studio album since that one. The dynamic duo were able to convert dance floor anthems into pop landmarks that have since been used in ridiculous amounts of samples to further the reach of the duo. Their debut is still a stronger record, but that doesn't mean this one isn't great itself.
Daft Punk - "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"

7. The Shins Chutes Too Narrow; I'm sure some of you will debate whether this is the sophomore record from The Shins or if it is actually Oh, Inverted World, but since the first record was recorded as The Flakes I am declaring this as The Shins official sophomore release. It too preceded changing Zach Braff's life, but it seems as if more people will remember them for soundtracking Garden State then for anything else. Too bad to because this is a tremendous record filled with absolute indie pop gems.
The Shins - "Kissing the Lipless"

6. Broken Social Scene You Forgot It In People; When Broken Social Scene released the follow-up to their debut they were a completely different band. Their size had expanded exponentially and the addition of Emily Haines and Leslie Feist brought vocals to the fold for practically the first time. Basically the band took their original sound and threw a billion different sounds on top of it to create something deeper, more intricate, and wholly better then what they had done the first time out. This is probably the main catalyst behind the whole Canadian indie rock craze that has dotted our decade.
Broken Social Scene - "Cause=Time"

5. The Hold Steady Separation Sunday; Over the last few years The Hold Steady have been transformed from one of America's best bar bands to one of America's best and biggest bands period. They have also changed their sound quite a bit though, moving from the spoken word delivery of Craig Finn to a more standard singing on the last two records. That shift has probably driven away a few fans, but has brought more then enough to the party. Separation Sunday was a great album though, despite the fact that Craig couldn't sing. I just wish some of their new fans would realize that.
The Hold Steady - "How a Resurrection Really Feels"

4. Kanye West Late Registration; There are few artists that have had as good a decade as Kanye West has. It didn't start off so well with the whole car crash, wired jaw, not getting props deal, but as the decade progressed the spotlight shining down on West got brighter and brighter. Some people would probably argue that this is Kanye's finest moment, with some of his biggest hits and best tunes you would be hard pressed to disagree. Late Registration basically pumped out hit after hit after hit; "Gold Digger", "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", "Touch the Sky", "Heard 'Em Say", and "Drive Slow". Shit that alone bests most of the music makers of the decade, but Kanye has three other great albums too.
Kanye West - "Hey Mama"

3. M.I.A. Kala; People may have gone ape shit for M.I.A.'s debut Arular but it paled in comparison to what happened when she dropped Kala on us in 2007. The album was immediately hailed as one of the year's best by just about everyone that took notice, and then really took off in 2008 when the album's best track wound up on the trailed of Pineapple Express. It was then that it hit the mainstream, but for more then a year the album had soundtracked most music venues and clubs across the world while pop radio listeners went on without knowing about this brilliance. Shame it took them so long, but glad it finally hit everyone's ears.
M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"

2. LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver; When the final tallies are counted for the entire decade I expect Sound of Silver to be at or near the top of almost every list. Sure, some people will go for some of the slightly older albums but this record spoke to so many different types of people that it is really hard to argue against it. At some point on this album you are going to find something you like, something that will make you dance, something to make you feel, and that's only if the whole album doesn't do it for you. There are few records out there with this much universal appeal, but somehow LCD Soundsystem was able to craft something almost everyone could love.
LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down"

1. The Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat; The Fiery Furnaces third album EP may be a bit more appealing to casual listeners with its rich pop structures, but for most Fiery Furnaces fans Blueberry Boat stands as the band's ultimate achievement so far. The album is loaded with brilliantly layered and composed pieces of music, interesting lyrics, and amazing sounds that weren't confined by any sort of restrictions whatsoever. The album bristles from the loads of instruments piled on top and the alternating guy/girl vocals provided by Elanor and Matthew Friedberger. It's an awesome record and definitely one of the finest of the decade.
The Fiery Furnaces - "1917"

Band of the Week: Orchard

I'm going to go ahead and admit something here, the state of the Staten Island music scene is not nearly as strong as I sometimes make it out to be. For every strong band like Brownwater or Kilgore Trout Is Dead there are a dozen cover bands and half a dozen bands that just don't put their all into their music. They fail to get themselves seen beyond the same people that show up at whatever venue/bar they frequent all the time. It's this general state of apathy and lack of young up-and-coming bands manned by some teenagers that really drives some of our artsier residents mad, but there is also a concerted effort from all of us to help out the bands that seem like they really want to go somewhere.

Enter Orchard, a band I amazingly don't know the members of and who I have never heard of once on the Island until they reached out to me via the old MySpace (yeah, it is still good for something). Basically they just tried to friend me and I really enjoyed their songs even though it's not my usual cup of tea. It's not far off from what I normally like, but it's a little more pop like then what is frequently played on my iPod. The thing is these guys know there way around a song, they have created some solid melodies and really done a nice job of not scuzzing this up and letting it be nice and pretty at times.

Listening to their three tunes on MySpace reminds of the earlier part of this decade, a time where the musical landscape was starting to welcome indie-pop bands with open arms for the first time in a long time. It sounds like it was inspired by Garden State to tell the truth, but for the folks that got into this brand of music for bands like The Shins and Modest Mouse this should be right up your alley. Not that I'm comparing those hugely successful bands to this up-and-coming Staten Island band, but there's definitely some similarities in there. Check out it out and see what you think.
Orchard - "Dance Song"
Orchard - "Everything Made to Float"
Orchard on MySpace

Blast from the Past: SNL 25 Vol. 2

Blast:
Throughout it's 35-year history, Saturday Night Live has always been a purveyor of the up-and-coming talents in the music world. They have welcomed bands as wide and diverse as Fear, Mariah Carey, Neil Young, and Kanye West. It has been a showcase for such a wide array of talents and a launching pad for new bands looking jump start their careers. Just this year the show hosted musical guests that ranged from enormous mega-stars (Kanye West) to enormous French mega-stars (Phoenix) looking to get big in the here in the States, not to mention appearances by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Fleetfoxes, Lil' Wayne, Duffy, The Killers, Kings of Leon, and many, many more.

Ten years ago, to celebrate their 25th year they released a series of CD's highlighting some of the best musical performances in the show's storied history. I only managed to pick up Volume 2, but I really wish I would have grabbed the rest of them in hindsight. At the time I was absolutely in love with a lot of the bands that appeared on the record, bands like Nirvana, R.EM., Beastie Boys, and Green Day are all featured on what is basically a best of the 90's album. But it doesn't stick to the rock at all, there's also performances by Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, and TLC mixed in. It's a pretty awesome collection of performers and songs.

Opening with Nirvana's amazing performance of "Rape Me" is a spectacular welcome to this record, but there's so much more on here. The tight Neil Young and R.E.M. songs, the crazed "Doll Parts" performance by Hole and so much more. It's a really cool collection of unique performances that shows off some of the best bands and songs of the decade.
Nirvana - "Rape Me"
Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
TLC - "Creep"
Green Day - "When I Come Around"

Contest: Ben Harper 10"

It's always fun to kick off a new week by giving something away so I'm pleased to announce my latest contest for a couple of Ben Harper 10"s for his latest single "Shimmer and Shine". As you see up top there's also a sweet new video to go along with the single, but I'm sure you guys just want the vinyl to rock at your leisure. I'll be giving away 2 copies of this to two random readers that send me an e-mail here by Thursday at 3pm. So e-mail me (please include your name and mailing address!), check out the video, and check out all of Ben Harper's latest on either his website of his MySpace! Good luck!

Tuesday's Recommended Release

For all the potential and talent Grizzly Bear have displayed since bursting onto the scene with Horn Of Plenty, they have never been able to transform it to something for the masses to consume. Their ability to craft painstakingly intricate chamber pop is remarkable, but for most it remained to dense and even keeled to really fall in love with. Others saw the depth and beautiful use of musical theory present in their sound and fell for that, but it never was able to reach past that until now.

Their latest release, Veckatimest, has already been fawned over and lauded and raised to the rafters as one of the great albums of the year (decade, century, whatever), but on this album the four boys of Grizzly Bear have taken their chamber pop and musical theory and infused it with much needed boosts of actual emotion and pure pop enthusiasm to make an album people will actually like rather then just respect. For me personally the experience of listening to albums like Yellow House or even the Friend EP, was more akin to doing homework then anything else. I listened because I had to and I realized the talent behind the sounds, but I didn't really enjoy it. No, this album takes their intricate sounds and builds with so much on top of it that the music has been raised to a new echelon.

Right from the get go we are able to realize how much different this all is with the spectacular 1-2 opening punch of "Southern Point" and "Two Weeks". Both songs welcome you with big melodies and lush harmonies, and both do more for Grizzly Bear's sound then any songs they have ever released. They usher in a feeling of enjoyment towards the music you're listening to and they also create the overarching theme of the whole album, that space people find themselves in when they are between loves. It's an amazing improvement over their past successes and it only gets better from there with songs like "Cheerleader" and the absolutely amazing "While You Wait for Others".

And it's not like the band has just thrown out the sound they have developed the past few years, instead the refine it by adding layers to the a sound that was already intricate to begin with. Sounds as basic as a recorder to the complex electronic sounds pulsing from a computer all find a place on the record and all work together to build the mid-level bombast that gives Veckatimest such exuberance. With all four members of Grizzly Bear coming from proper musical educations you could probably forgive the band if they attempted to make pompous, pretentious sounds to satisfy their tastes for musical theory, but as much as they fully utilize the theory behind their music there is also a ton of emotion that pushes through in each sound they choose to use.
Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
Grizzly Bear - "Cheerleader"
Grizzly Bear - "I Live With You"

Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Sunset Rubdown
Title: Dragonslayer
Release Date: June 23rd
Label: Jagjaguwar
Thoughts: For all my bitching and complaining about the Wolf Parade side projects and their inability to match the heights reached on Apologies to the Queen Mary, I actually really enjoy Spencer Krug as a musician and most of what he does with Sunset Rubdown. Their latest album, Dragonslayer, is a return to form after the lackluster Random Spirit Lover. The songs here bristle with a renewed sense of energy and passion, the songwriting is crisp, and even Krug's unique vocals are more focused then they have been in the past. Songs like the first single, "Idiot Heart", and "You Go Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)" are some of the finest pieces of music Krug has ever written, and the increased presence of Camilla Ingr's backing vocals brings a greater range of depth to the entire album. It's still not on par with Apologies..., but at this point I think I have to resign myself to realizing that that was one of those albums that will never been equalled. Spencer is a prolific songwriter so there are going to be down moments here and there, but so far Dragonslayer may just be his most complete effort to date.
Listen: Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"
Sunset Rubdown - "You Go Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)"

Who: Bowerbirds
Title: Upper Air
Release Date: July 7th
Label: Dead Oceans
Thoughts: Success often breeds change, and the success of Bowerbirds last record, Hymns for a Dark Horse, led to a lot of changes for this North Carolina trio. Where the songs on Hymns were focused mainly on the nature around them in North Carolina, Upper Air sees the band a bit more introspective following all the hours they've logged on the road since the release of their last album. In that time they've toured with the likes of The Mountain Goats, Bon Iver, and John Vanderslice to name a few and that too has played into the bands music a bit. Yes, it is still the same folky rock people fell in love with but there's small changes here and there that echo what they would have seen on the road. It's a good album, but it doesn't have the same wow factor that Hymns for a Dark Horse had. That album was fresh and imaginative, here we find a band that is looking inside themselves like so many other bands instead of at the world around them, but that too is a result of all the changes that Bowerbirds have gone through in the past year or so.
Listen: Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights"
Bowerbirds - "Teeth"

Who: Iggy Pop
Title: Preliminaires
Release Date: June 2nd
Label: Astralwerks
Thoughts: Following the death of Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton, a lot of people wondered where Iggy Pop would go from there. Would he continue on with a new guitarist? Would he continue to play the classic Stooges songs? Would he just retire from the business all together? But it seems that Pop had been prepared for this day for some time and instead changed his focus from the guitar driven rock he's been doing for decades to Parisian jazz that you would never have expected from Iggy Pop. After reading a novel by Michael Houellebecq, Pop became obsessed with the sounds and went out and recorded Preliminaires thanks to the influence of that book. Folks that are looking for the old Stooges Iggy Pop are going to have to look elsewhere as this doesn't even bare a passing resemblance of that Iggy Pop, but for folks with open minds and ears this album does offer a very imaginative and fun sound to it. The jazz, the New Orleands swing of the sound is something our ears may not be truly attuned to but somehow Pop's booming voice and the wild sounds of the music work perfectly together here. Even when Pop's singing in French you are captured by the passion with which Pop is singing. This is not Fun House or anything close to it, this is Iggy Pop trying something totally out of left field, and he seems to be enjoying himself while doing it.
Listen: Iggy Pop - "I Want to Go to the Beach"
Iggy Pop - "Spanish Coast"

This Week's Live Picks

Monday:The XYZ Affair @ Pianos 8pm $5
I don't know about you guys, but the last thing I want to do on Memorial Day is cram into some overheated club to see some bands. Not that there's anything wrong with the normal way I live my life, it's just on Memorial Day I'd rather hit the beach, the park, the backyard and grill up some American specialties and enjoy a few cold ones. But if you'd prefer to see a band might I suggest seeing The XYZ Affair.
The XYZ Affair - "Sock You in the Face With Love"

Tuesday: The Dig, Those Dancing Days, + The Jaguar Club @ Mercury Lounge 7pm $10
The Dig and The Jaguar Club are local boys that get their fair share of coverage here in NYC so let's turn our attention to the middle band of tonight's recession special lineup - Those Dancing Days. Once again we are being invaded by a group from Sweden who control your brain with their infectious brand of pop tunes. This time around they are also cute as hell, so girls lock up your boyfriends or they will be lost forever!
The Dig - "Any Day Now"
Those Dancing Days - "1000 Words"
The Jaguar Club - "Beat of My Heart"

Wednesday: Jukebox the Ghost + These United States @ Bowery Ballroom 7:30pm $13
For those that don't know, I adore the tunes of Jukebox the Ghost and I just can't go very long without hearing these guys live. It has been long enough! So I will be venturing out into the early evening to catch these guys and their D.C. based buddies These United States. Should be a fun night!
Jukebox the Ghost - "Hold It In"
These United States - "West Won"

Thursday: Grizzly Bear + Here We Go Magic @ Town Hall 7:30pm $26
For the few of you that don't know, this here is Grizzly Bear week. Kind of like Shark Week, except with fewer human casualties. Seriously folks, the greatest album in the world - Vecketimest - is released on Tuesday and everyone is gonna love the fuck out of that record (if they don't already). I'm super stoked to see them on Thursday (they also play on Friday and Sunday) especially knowing that Here We Go Magic will be opening with some fantastic tunes of their own.
Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
Here We Go Magic - "Tunnelvision"

Friday: Cake @ Terminal 5 8:30pm $35
I know it's $35 which isn't very recession conscious of me, but come on how often do I get to mention Cake on this site? I'll tell you, not as often as I would like to. In an ideal world I would have a photo pass for this already and they would play "Frank Sinatra", "Daria", and "Short Skirt, Long Jacket".
Cake - "Frank Sinatra"

Saturday: Tortoise @ The Bell House 8pm $20
If you really wanted to you could save your $20 and just head to the Bang on the Can Marathon on Sunday where Tortoise is about the biggest name you'll see, but something tells me the true Tortoise fans would rather get the full experience at the Bell House. I think that's the right way to go, especially for those who are eagerly awaiting the band's first album in 5-years.
Tortoise - "Prepare Your Coffin"

Sunday: The Beets, caUSE co-MOTION!, + Air Waves @ 40 Skillman 4pm $tba
I have no idea if this 40 Skillman Ave. is gonna turn into a regular venue or if this is a one-off kind of thing, but with a lineup like today's you just can't go wrong. All three of these bands will have you bouncing off the walls thanks to their energetic brand of lo-fi pop tunes. If you can find the place go, I recommend using HopStop.
The Beets - "The Devil"
caUSE co-MOTION! - "You Lose"
Air Waves - "Shine On"

White Rabbits, Cymbals Eat Guitars, + The Antlers @ Bowery Ballroom 05.21

I have spent many a night watching The Antlers slowly build themselves up, first opening up small venues for bands that have long since disappeared, and eventually headlining the smaller spaces the band had frequented for so long. Now I am back to seeing The Antlers open up shows, but now it's for bands that I actually want to see in venues that sound good and feel great to be in. Thursday night's show wasn't quite as impressive at the one a few weeks ago at Music Hall of Williamsburg, but watching Peter Silberman and company command the attention of a slowly building crowd is pretty awe inspiring. Knowing all the songs, haven seen them performed a dozen times before, it's almost more fun to watch other audience members start to fall in love with the band. Thursday there were the two dudes that danced like maniacs throughout their set, a couple of my friends who asked for song names, and a pretty devoted couple of rows of friends who were hooked on every word and every note. But of course this night wasn't all about The Antlers.

Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Bowery Ballroom ("Cold Springs")
For a good portion of this year there has been buzz swirling around New York locals Cymbals Eat Guitars, thanks to a sudden and completely unexpected Best New Music nod from a certain music website. That nod took a young band and thrust them into the spotlight, nabbing them high profile shows that most bands have to work their way into. In other words the backlash to the success Cymbals Eat Guitars have found for themselves should be arriving about 5-minutes ago. Not surprisingly the band has moments of absolute genius when they're on stage, but there is also that deer in the headlights feeling that they just haven't had enough time to work into the success. Some songs sound incredible mixing punk and psychedelic aspects flawlessly, other tunes sound like a garbled mess that needs just a little tweaking to be something noteworthy. Basically, I'm saying the guys over at Pitchfork were half right, there is a lot behind Cymbals Eat Guitars that I really like but there are small things here and there that need to be worked on and I think maybe this band might be able to pull it off.

Seeing the two buzz bands was definitely terrific, but the real reason most of the people were at Bowery was to see the White Rabbits and more specifically to see the songs off their fantastic new album performed live. Tuesday the band released their sophomore record It's Frightening and here they were two days later playing their first hometown show since the release. Basically the locals ate it up. Drawing mostly, but not exclusively, from the new album the White Rabbits absolutely blew me away with their perfect rhythms and wonderful songs. They put on a hell of a show, but who wouldn't with all their moving parts. What's really amazing is how seamlessly they are able to transition their songs from record to the stage, with every note sounding like it was still being produced by Britt Daniel. Fantastic show, one that I would like to see repeated again very, very soon!

Saturday Morning Videos

Suckers - "Easy Chairs"; A surreal video for a surreal song works pretty well. Of course we've seen the technique used a thousand times before, which dampens it a little but doesn't completely take away the charm of it all. Overall it's a damn solid video and a very good song.
Grade: B+

Tortoise - "Prepare Your Coffin"; Looking at the cover of the new Tortoise album Beacons of Ancestorship and then watching this video makes complete linear sense. On the album cover you have a series of lines that create shapes and in this video we are given a character who races around capturing photos of the shapes of our world. Perfect symmetry right there, and neatly fitting with the music here.
Grade: B+

British Sea Power - "Come Wander with Me"; Watching the latest video from British Sea Power I am once again reminded of why I don't watch time slip by in an hour glass - because it is fucking boring!
Grade: C-

Crystal Stilts - "Love Is A Wave"; Visually and musically the stolen images used in this video fit perfectly with the lyrics and sounds of "Love Is A Wave". It was already a pretty stellar song, but now that it has a video that fits so well it would be a huge, if there was still a big TV station that played music videos. I guess it will have to settle for this.
Grade: B

Deerhoof - "This Is God Speaking"; This video is pretty fucking creepy if you ask me. Animated, religious, weird. What the fuck is going on here?
Grade: C

Video of the Week:

Two Weeks

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"; If you weren't sick of Grizzly Bear yet, by the end of this week you will be completely fed up and seeking out Ed Droste and company. But for those that adore the band (and there are many of us) let's all kick off the week of their highly anticipated release with this awesome video for "Two Weeks". Yeah, it may just be a video of a band sitting around a church singing the song, but the effects they use on their faces is pretty awesome to watch.
Grade: A

This Week's Tour News

Who: The Weakerthans
When: September 17th + 18th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg + Bowery Ballroom
On Sale: Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: Fans of the lyric must be fans of The Weakerthans. It goes without saying that if you like your songwriting with depth and meaning this is one of the bands you must adore, because songsmiths is what they are. Even other great songwriters like John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats and Craig Finn of The Hold Steady know about this. So if you didn't know, now you do, jump on board!
Listen: The Weakerthans - "Reunion Tour"

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Who: The Veils + Foreign Born
When: July 30th + August 3rd
Where: Mercury Lounge + The Bell House
On Sale: Now (Merc) + Not Yet (Bell House)
More Dates
Thoughts: I don't know shit about either of these bands, but I got a press release about their tour. Thought you guys might like to know.
Listen: The Veils - "The Letter"
Foreign Born - "Early Warnings"

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Who: Fever Ray
When: September 28th + 29th
Where: Webster Hall
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: No one was sure when Karin Dreijer released her solo album as Fever Ray whether or not the reclusive performer would be touring behind it our not, but to our amazement she is and I assure you if you want to see this show get tickets immediately!
Listen: Fever Ray - "I'm Not Done"

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Who: Blink-182, Weezer, + Fall Out Boy
When: August 25th + August 31st
Where: PNC Arts Center + Jones Beach
On Sale: June 6th @ Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: I have never hidden my adoration for Blink-182 from the readers of this site. I make no bones about, they were a huge part of my teen years. Add in the fact that they're touring with Weezer and that basically makes this a must-see show for me. Oh, and I have no problem with Fall Out Boy being the first opener on this bill, I've seen them open for Blink before.
Listen: Blink-182 - "Dick Lips"
Weezer - "Tired of Sex"
Fall Out Boy - "Dance, Dance"

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Who: Health
When: June 20th
Where: Danbro Studios
On Sale: No Advance
More Dates
Thoughts: It's been a little while since we heard anything new from Health, but it appears they're working on a new record and they'll be doing only a handful of shows this summer. One happens to be here in New York at Danbro studios. I'd suggest you hit that one up.
Listen: Health - "Crimewave"

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Who: Abe Vigoda
When: July 17th (x2) + 18th
Where: Whitney Museum (early), Cake Shop (late), + Monster Island
On Sale: No Advance (?)
More Dates
Thoughts: Love seeing Abe Vigoda! Three shows in two days, I will totally be at at least one of these! My money is on Cake Shop.
Listen: Abe Vigoda - "Wild Heart"

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Who: Suckers
When: July 9th, 16th, 23rd, + 30th
Where: Pianos
On Sale: No Advance
More Dates
Thoughts: Really starting to get into this band right now, I'll have more on them very very soon, but expect to see me at at least one of these shows!
Listen: Suckers - "Beach Queen"

Buzzworthy??? Or Not???

Who: Liechtenstein
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
elbo.ws Ranking: #2 (Tracks)
Thoughts: Slumberland Records has the Midas touch right now. Everything the label is putting out is turning into gold, being eaten up by fans and critics alike, and basically soundtracking our indie rock summer. From The Pains of Being Pure at Heart to Crystal Stilts and everywhere in between, these guys are can't miss and their latest is a darling pop trio out of Sweden called Liechtenstein. The girls were in town last weekend for NYC's Pop Fest and were getting rave reviews from a lot of my well respected sources (folks like Merry Swankster and SoundBites) . So even though I missed their shows the combined influence of a Slumberland release and rave reviews from people I respect forced me to check out their new release Survival Strategies in a Modern World. The album, which was released this week, is rife with cute harmonies and mostly upbeat pop ditties. It's an album that will probably hook you about 30-seconds in and never let you go. There's a few calmer, less upbeat tunes, but everything features the gorgeous harmonies of the three ladies in the band, and that alone is enough to keep you actively listening. Once again Slumberland has something special on its hands and based on their current sampler it doesn't appear that they'll be stopping anytime soon.
Verdict: Buzzworthy!!!
Listen: Liechtenstein - "Postcard"
Liechtenstein - "Roses in the Park"

Top 10: Green Day Songs of All-Time

New York City has been taken over by Green Day. Everyday the band is doing something else to promote their new album 21st Century Breakdown and tomorrow the band will be doing a free, very early show at Central Park for Good Morning America. If I manage to wake up in time I will be there, otherwise Green Day week 2009 will have completely passed me by.

Even though I'm not enjoying the new record too much, I am still a huge Green Day fan so I'd like to take a moment to mention the band despite the weakness of the record. So instead of writing a tepid review or something like that, I'm running down my favorite Green Day songs ever. Now, I know this will create some points of contention so feel free to leave your faves in the comments. Oh, and nothing from the new album will be appearing on this list. Not now, not ever. Just in case you were wondering! Enjoy!

10. "Walking Contradiction" from Insomniac; When I started making this list I was shocked by how many songs I grabbed off of Insomniac, but I guess it has lasted as a strong album. Still, not too many are making the shorter list, but this tune is lyrically and musically one of Green Day's best moments.

9. "When I Come Around" from Dookie; While "Basket Case" and "Longview" got the kids excited and addicted, "When I Come Around" showed that Green Day had another side to them. It showed the emotional depth the band would later come to be known for. It was just a taste of it, but it was a great taste.

8. "American Idiot" from American Idiot; The title track from one of the band's most successful albums definitely needs to have a place on this list, especially since it led to Grammy awards and all that fun stuff as well. It's not my personal favorite song of all-time, but it's definitely one of Green Day's best.

7. "Welcome to Paradise" from Kerplunk!; The only song to transition from the early, obscure days of Green Day to their initial foray with popularity on Dookie. This song was a huge single for Green Day early on and probably was the catalyst behind them getting signed. So they put it on Dookie and it has since become a fan favorite that is practically demanded at every Green Day performance - though they don't always play it.

6. "Geek Stink Breath" from Insomniac; This tune was given the unenviable task of being the first single to follow-up Dookie. A lot of people hated it when it first came out, it was so different and not quite as catchy as what the band had done before, but somehow people grew to love it. The tune was a hit and allowed Insomniac to keep Green Day around until their next gigantic hit.

5. "Basket Case" from Dookie; This was the first Green Day song I can remember hearing. It started the slow decent into fandom, specifically of pop-punk acts and led me to buy my first ever record at the age of 13. I was a little behind, but I caught up pretty well.

4. "Minority" from Warning; To this day Green Day still ends most of their sets with this song. It's a political anthem, a party song, and an absolute romper of a song. Try not throwing your fist in the air and singing along with this tune, it's absolutely impossible.

3. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" from Nimrod; This ballad is probably the first song most people associate when they hear the name Green Day. It was the song that took them from a big time rock band to one of the biggest bands in the world. Yeah, it may have ruined it for the few people that saw Green Day play in small clubs but it's an incredible, emotionally rich song.

2. "Jesus of Suburbia" from American Idiot; A three part song, telling the story of a fictional Jesus in a modern world. If you would have asked my 14-year old self about this Green Day song I probably would have punched you in the face, but now you have to realize the magnitude and brilliance of this song. No it's not straight up pop punk, it's cinematic and a little bit operatic, but it's freakin' amazing!

1. "Longview" from Dookie; This is the definitive Green Day song. A brilliant video, sophomoric lyrics, calm verses into crazed choruses, it's all exactly what Green Day is. Plus, this is probably the tune that drove Green Day into the pop consciousness.

Band of the Week: Sharon Van Etten

This coming Tuesday Language of Stone Records will released the debut full length from Brooklyn songstress Sharon Van Etten. For quite some time New York has been spoiled by the power of Sharon's voice and her sensitive and beautiful songs, but I have a feeling that as soon as Because I Was In Love is released the secret will be out and other places will be clamoring for a little more Sharon Van Etten in their lives.

It's been a good run having Sharon all to ourselves though. She has quietly been a huge force in the scene, wooing anyone who gets to witness her subtle cooing and graceful charm on stage. She's appeared on other people's albums, most notably on The Antlers latest release Hospice, and she has won over more then this New York music blogger in the process. And she has done it her way throughout.

On Because I Was In Love Sharon continues to do things her way, crafting delicate song after delicate song and piecing them together on the strength of her quiet, trembling voice. Some people my use the word small to describe it, but though it is quiet it is in no way small. When Sharon sings people listen, they stop what they're doing, they stop talking, and they watch it all come out. The album is the exact same, you will stop whatever it is you are doing and bask in the beauty of the record.

Don't despair New Yorkers, we won't be losing Sharon Van Etten anytime soon (as you can see by all the local tour dates below!), but at last we can share on of our best kept secrets with the rest of the world. Take note folks, this is some heartbreakingly beautiful music.
Sharon Van Etten - "Consolation Prize"
Sharon Van Etten - "Damn Right"
Sharon Van Etten on MySpace
Upcoming Shows:
June 11th @ Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY (Northside Fest)
June 12th @ 92Y Tribeca, New York, NY
June 16th @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
July 3rd @ Sycamore, Brooklyn, NY
July 16th @ Monkeytown, Brooklyn, NY
August 14th @ Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY
(photo from here)

Blast from the Past: Counting Crows' August and Everything After

Last year when it was announced that The Hold Steady would be opening up for Counting Crows I'm sure more then a few of my loyal readers raised an eyebrow to the combination. It seemed The Hold Steady were hoping to move even closer to mainstream rock and woo a few more classic rock listeners into their corner. But really when you break down the last two records from The Hold Steady you can see that they have moved totally away from their left of the dial origins and are firmly rooted in the same realm as the Counting Crows, even if their live show is still really good.

As for the Counting Crows they probably didn't pick the opening band. It was probably a backroom deal made between record labels or tour managers or something of that sort that meant nothing to the band, unless of course they have better taste then they've proved over the years. Still, in 1994 you, me, and everyone we knew were listening to Counting Crows' debut record August and Everything After.

Jukeboxes, radios, TV's everywhere you went in 1994 someone was blaring "Mr. Jones" or "Round Here" and people everywhere were scooping the album up in droves. Somehow Adam Duritz, his dreadlocks, and his merry band won over ever music listener in America instantly. Their brand of completely inoffensive rock music perfectly melded the sounds of classic AM rock with a little of the more modern Southern rock sound. Simply put it was rock music for rednecks, but everyone fell for it.

Remember the days that this albums was released in, grunge was king, punk was about to become popular again, a few people were hanging onto their hair metal days, and hip hop was taking over everything, yet somehow the fucking Counting Crows sold a bajillion copies of soft rock that meant next to nothing. Okay, that's not fair, I'm sure these songs mean a lot to the band and everyone who got rich off them and everyone who experienced a pivotal moment in their life while listening to "Mr. Jones", but there's not much depth here. I honestly don't know how many times I've made it past the first three songs. "Round Here", "Omaha", and "Mr. Jones", it's all you've ever needed from the Counting Crows yet they are still selling out arenas and coaxing our beloved indie bands to sell out with them (kidding, sort of).

I don't know too many albums that I can sing every word to the first three songs in a row and then not know shit about the rest of the record. August and Everything After is that record. The first three songs are still of the same inoffensive, AM rock that doesn't do much for me, but somehow the songs are catchy enough to have latched onto me. I, like millions of other people worldwide, bought a copy and maybe half a dozen times listened to the other 8-songs on the record. That's astounding for a record so many people remember and sing-a-long to.

But I guess that's what makes it a guilty pleasure. You have three songs that you can sing-a-long with, the tunes that if it comes on the radio you won't turn it off, but then the rest of the record makes you cringe just thinking about Duritz' sorrowful voice singing about whatever he sang about. I feel dirty just listening to it now, but I still sang every word to "Mr. Jones"!
Counting Crows - "Round Here"
Counting Crows - "Omaha"
Counting Crows - "Mr. Jones"
Counting Crows - "A Murder of One"

Previous Guilty Pleasures:
Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time
Jewel's Pieces of You

The Vaselines @ MHOW 05.18

Last night The Vaselines performed the last show on their second ever trip to the States. The sold out show at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg was absolutely spot on, capturing the band's short catalog of songs perfectly while also introducing us to two brand new songs. With members of Belle & Sebastian and The 1990's acting as their supporting band, Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly were sharp, on point, and dirty as sailors between songs.

Eugene and Frances immediately grabbed everyone's attention by opening their set with "Son of a Gun", the same song that opens both of their re-issued collected works and which was one of the three songs Nirvana covered to help make The Vaselines noteworthy again early in the 1990's. It was obviously the best opener possible, but it only got better from there as the band blasted through their material playing practically everything they've ever written.

The addition of Stevie Jackson and Bobby Kildea from Belle & Sebastian and Michael McGaughrin from the 1990's fit beautifully with the music as well. McGaughrin played the drums with his never ending smile going ear to ear the whole time, and anytime Jackson took the lead it was spectacular. "You Think You're a Man" was particularly impressive with Jackson leading the way on it.

These songs were probably older then a good portion of the crowd in attendance, but everyone in the place was singing along, dancing about, and even starting some out of place mosh pits. It was an amazing evening of simple pop music, thrust into our ears and turned into unadulterated joy!

Tuesday's Recommended Release

The White Rabbits have only been around for two albums, but somehow they have gotten themselves associated with some of the indie world's biggest stars. After releasing their debut album, 2007's mostly underrated Fort Nightly, the band got so many reviews comparing them to The Walkmen that they eventually wound up touring with the band. Now for their sophomore follow-up, It's Frightening, most of the early talk has centered around the choice of having Spoon's Britt Daniel produce the record. It almost seemed like a coup for the White Rabbits to snag Daniel for his first non-Spoon producing credit, and almost every bit of early press has compared the sound of the album to Spoon's own recorded output.

At times that's a fair criticism of It's Frightening. The band has shifted a lot of the focus of their music, pushing Stephen Patterson's vocals to the front of the mix and allowing guitar to take a bigger role in the overall sound, but a lot of what we enjoyed on Fort Nightly is still intact. Most notably the percussion remains as dominant (if not more so) as ever. Opening with "Percussion Gun", White Rabbits immediately greet you with a non-stop, rhythm heavy tune. The band's two drummers dominate the song and the band adds in more percussion with some clapping as well. It's Frightening is controlled by the steady rhythms of the band, much the same as Fort Nightly was, but they have also improved in a lot of ways with catchier hooks, better writing, and an ability to turn a darker tune into a rocking one.

Still as much as this is a White Rabbits album the fingerprints of Britt Daniel are everywhere. "They Done Wrong/We Done Wrong" is specifically indicative of the Spoon influence with a stripped down feel, a rougher guitar sound, and the focused percussion of the two drummers driving the song, the only thing missing is Daniel's vocals thought Stephen Patterson definitely does an admirable job delivering the tunes himself.

For most of It's Frightening the White Rabbits work to blend the influence of its producer with their own musical makeup and they do a pretty damn good job of doing it. In fact the added influence of Daniel drives this to loftier heights then they had aspired to on Fort Nightly. The album may be a bit darker and a little slower then what the band introduced us to on the debut, but it's definitely deeper and better thought out then ever before. This is a stellar record and it's definitely worthy of your attention.
White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"
White Rabbits - "Midnight and I"

The Vaselines @ MHOW 05.18 ("Picked a Cherry Tulip")

The Vaselines perform a brand new song, "Picked a Cherry Tulip", during their final stop on their current U.S. tour! I'll have more on the show a bit later, for now enjoy the video!!!

Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Wilco
Title: Wilco (The Album)
Release Date: June 30th
Label: Nonesuch
Thoughts: When Wilco released Sky Blue Sky a lot of critics had a lot of fun calling the music on the album "Dad rock". It was a simple, not too biting insult thrown on a favored band who made a pretty staid record. This time around Wilco retains the exact same lineup for the first time ever in the band's history and actually comes out with a much finer product. The music here is generally livelier then anything we heard on Sky Blue Sky. Wilco basically took their sound and added just a smidgen of pep, but it's enough of a tweak to make the music more interesting and more inviting then the last record. Still, Wilco (The Album) fails to make full use of all the parts of the band and because of that the album falls a little bit weaker then the band's back catalog. If somehow they remembered how to use all 6-members to create a bigger, fuller sound, or maybe copy a bit of the formula they use on a song like "You and I" (which features Feist), maybe then they would regain the reputation they had after Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born.
Listen: Wilco - "Wilco (The Song)"
Wilco (feat. Feist) - "You and I"

Who: Tortoise
Title: Beacons of Ancestorship
Release Date: June 23rd
Label: Thrill Jockey
Thoughts: Anytime you are forced to wait 5-years for a new album from a band you are bound to have lofty expectations for said record, even in the case of Tortoise who released an album of covers and a career retrospective in the interim. But somehow Tortoise must have known all this an reacted by making an album that once again proves they have no equals in making this kind of trippy post-rock. Beacons of Ancestorship once again draws from all walks of the music spectrum, elements of techno, jazz, rock, classical, and more make up the sonic landscape here and it's all pieced together perfectly by the guys of Tortoise. Having made this music for 20-years now you would think people would be a little bit tired of the same old elements being blended together, but somehow Tortoise remains fresh and new while retaining their trademarked sound at the same time. This band just knows how to create sounds using a shit ton of different pieces and finding the best way to fit them together.
Listen: Tortoise - "Northern Something"
Tortoise - "De Chelly"

Who: Deastro
Title: Moondagger
Release Date: June 23rd
Label: Ghostly International
Thoughts: Deastro is working quickly these days, cranking out EP's as quickly as possible and somehow having enough worthy material left for his debut LP which is coming in June. Following up last year's Keepers EP with this years (free) Grower EP, you wouldn't be crazy to question how much Randolph Chabot had left in the tank. Amazingly, Moondagger winds up being the most thorough and cohesive record Chabot has made as Deastro yet. It's an album that defies genres mixing electronic sounds with psychedelic imagery and loads of ideas built into the music. I've only gotten through two listens so far but I'm pretty hooked on the sound Chabot is making and I'm pretty sure this is gonna be one of the big buzz albums of the summer. Check it out.
Listen: Deastro - "Parallelogram"
Deastro - "Toxic Crusaders"

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: The Vaselines + Adam Green @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 8pm $25
It's not every day you get to see a legendary band like The Vaselines in your in back yard. In fact I believe this is only the second time they've ever played in our area. Pretty exciting considering that, but when you factor in their 19-amazing songs well you start to get an idea of what's going on here. I hope they play them all!
The Vaselines - "Molly's Lips"
Adam Green - "Morning After Midnight"

Tuesday: Iron & Wine @ Other Music 8pm FREE (with pre-order)
There is no shortage of prolific songwriters in this day and age and of course you'd have to include Iron & Wine's Sam Beam in that list. He has released a ridiculous number of excellent LP's and EP's and on Tuesday he'll be releasing his B-side compilation Around the Well. Those that pre-ordered the record at Other Music will be invited to enjoy an intimate live show with Beam on Tuesday night. Those that didn't, well there's always YouTube the next day.
Iron & Wine - "Trapeze Swinger"

Wednesday: St. Vincent + Pattern Is Movement @ Webster Hall 8pm $15
Sophomore slumps are a serious issue in the world of indie music. Look at all the piss poor follow-ups we've gotten from folks like Tapes n' Tapes and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and the like over the least few years. Luckily there are a few artists who have managed to follow-up fantastic debut records with even better sophomore discs and St. Vincent's Actor is definitely one of those. I'm excited to see the new material translated on the stage, and I'm doubly excited because Pattern Is Movement have the opening slot! Should be a great night of music.
St. Vincent - "Actor Out of Work"
Pattern Is Movement - "Bird"

Thursday: White Rabbits, Cymbals Eat Guitars, + The Antlers @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $15
Speaking of great nights of music, check out this triple header of a brilliant bill. All three of these bands will be in the running for album of the year from a lot of folks thanks to fantastic releases this year. Personally I enjoy The Antlers' Hospice the best, but it is a lot closer then most of you would think. I'll definitely be front and center for all of this show!
White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Cold Spring"
The Antlers - "Bear"

Friday: Dan Friel + Talk Normal @ Dead Herring 8pm $tba
Tonight's show is not for the faint of heart. Both Dan Friel and Talk Normal do not follow the standard protocol to creating pop music, but both are definitely creating something that is completely captivating. If you're a fan of the electronic side of rock music or the noisier side, make sure you check out this show.
Dan Friel - "Buzzards"
Talk Normal - "Lemonade"

Saturday: The So So Glos, Double Dagger, + Screaming Females @ Market Hotel 8pm $tba
Wow, this week is really shaping out to be one awesome week of live music in New York. Here you have another stacked lineup with bands that you absolutely need to see! Screaming Females, Double Dagger, and The So So Glos have all recently kicked my ass with some fantastic new albums. If you don't have all three of them tonight would be the perfect time to pick them up!
The So So Glos - "99 Degrees"
Double Dagger - "The Lie/The Truth"
Screaming Females - "Skull"

Sunday: Ear Pwr + Adventure @ Cake Shop 8pm $7
A double dose of the Carpark Records sound at Cake Shop is just about as good a way to end your week as any. Both of these bands play that crazed, dance worthy sound that you've come to expect from the Baltimore bands, so throw on some neon clothes and check it out.
Ear Pwr - "Super Animal Bros. III"
Adventure - "Travel Kid"

Saturday Morning Videos

Sharon Van Etten - "For You"; Watching Sharon Van Etten's new video or listening to her music, the first thought that crosses my mind is how austere this music is. The music itself is dark, haunting, and eerie, but when you combine it with the black-and-white images of Sharon gently strumming her guitar while a player piano plays behind her it becomes even more ghost like. It's a solid, simple video that perfectly fits the song it was made for.
Grade: B

AsDSSka - "Hold On"; This video immediately reminds of two things; the scene in American Beauty with the plastic bag and a whole lot of silent films. Of course the music itself sounds like it could have been the score to the silent films so that fits perfectly. The images are also very pretty in their simplicity, whether it's the pianist dancing with the Mylar balloon or the balloons being swatted around by the ceiling fan it all winds up working together.
Grade: B-

Vivian Girls - "Moped Girls"; Not bored by Vivian Girls yet? You will be by the end of this 2-minute long video.
Grade: D

The Mae Shi - "Lamb and the Lion"; I've always been a fan of animation videos, but the way this one looks like one of those story telling tapestries is pretty freakin' awesome. Add in the fact that it's mad gory for an animated music video and I think we have a solid all 'round showing by The Mae Shi right here.
Grade: B

White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"; Band videos have the potential to get a bit boring or samey (see Vivian Girls) but for some reason the White Rabbits approach in this video works. The lights, the spinning, the percussion heavy song all seem to work for the video and it's kept so basic, aside from the lighting structure which probably cost a pretty penny. I think it's a solid representation of the song.
Grade: B+

Satellite Skin

Modest Mouse - "Satellite Skin"; Modest Mouse have a history of making outstanding videos and this one is no exception. The animated birdhouses are fantastic, the camera work is beautiful, and it tells a story albeit a very odd one. Love the overall look of this video.
Grade: A-

Video of the Week:

Holy Fuck - "Lovely Allen (No Age Remix)"; For such a short video (a minute, 37-seconds) this is pretty fucking awesome. The super imposed images of the two bands, both playing live sets at McCarren Park Pool works unbelievably well as does the sounds that go along with the images. This is ingenious, pretty, and pretty awesome!
Grade: A

Dinosaur Feathers @ Pianos May 12th (videos)

Dinosaur Feathers @ Pianos (#1) from Patrick Duffy on Vimeo.

Dinosaur Feathers @ Pianos (#2) from Patrick Duffy on Vimeo.

A proper review on this show may or may not happen at some point in the near future. I am under the weather and I think proper blogging will resume Monday. Have a nice weekend!

Questionable Corner: The Vaselines

The Vaselines were not a band that lasted a long time, yet somehow 20-years since they last released original music we are still talking about the band. A lot of that has to do with the fandom of Kurt Cobain obviously, but listening to the latest re-issue of the band's material you are reminded how great these songs are. Enter the Vaselines was released last week by Sub Pop Records, and much like Way of the Vaselines before it, it contains all 19 of the bands original tunes. Enter the Vaselines is a little more comprehensive though, with a couple of demo versions of tunes like "Son of a Gun" and two live sets the band recorded in the late 80's. These are gems that any fan of the band should hear. Now, Frances McKee and Eugene Kelly are returning to the U.S. for a few shows to support the record. I'm excited to be getting to see them on Monday at Music Hall of Williamsburg, but I'm even more excited to present a short chat I had with the band over e-mail! Enjoy, and make sure that if they're playing your city (or near your city) you get out an see The Vaselines!

PTST: You guys hadn't shared the stage since 1990 before your recent reformation, what drove you to put The Vaselines back together? Is it ever weird being back together and singing songs you wrote more then 20-years ago?
The Vaselines: We got back together to help with my sister's charity. Then Sub Pop asked us to play Sub Pop 20. Not so weird as most of these songs we never got the chance to play live, so a lot of it feels quite fresh and definitely fun.

PTST: Why'd you guys decide to call it quits in the first place? Did you ever think about starting it back up when Nirvana started covering your songs in the early 90's?
The Vaselines: We called it quits because at the time it felt as if we had reached a dead end. There did not seem to be any options. We got together for one show supporting Nirvana - it only reinforced the fact that it was time to quit

PTST: Obviously the Nirvana connection is a big part of your band's history. What was it like hearing your songs being sung by Kurt?
The Vaselines: It did feel a bit strange. He put something else into it and actually made me like them again.

PTST: As I'm writing this it is the day after the 15-year anniversary of his death, do you remember where you were or how you felt when you found out about his passing?
The Vaselines: I had just started making music again a few months previously after a break. In many ways I was not surprised.

PTST: After the band broke up you both continued to make music on your own, how was that compared to making music together? Did you ever get lonely performing by yourselves?
The Vaselines: I never really performed on my own. Worked with James (Seenan), bass player of The Vaselines and then on with Suckle - this was actually a big band.

PTST: What else did you guys do between breaking up and getting back together?
The Vaselines: I like to amuse myself in many ways, but I teach yoga and have 3 kids

PTST: You guys have done a bunch of shows since coming back, but is there any talk of writing/recording any new material? Would you guys be up to making a new Vaselines record?
The Vaselines: We have been working on mew material, so you never know...

PTST: Your older music seems like the funny conversations couples have with each other behind closed doors, talking openly about sexual desires and the horrors of past relationships, are all the songs based in some way on your relationship with each other? If they are, does it get weird playing them now?
The Vaselines: That is an interesting question. The songs were based on experiences we had either together or individually while we were 'a couple' it has been so long ago that the weirdness is not there...honest

PTST: When you guys got back together you opted to use members of Belle & Sebastian rather then your old rhythm section. What prompted that? Were the other guys not into the idea of reforming? Are you still using the guys from Belle & Sebastian for this trip to the States?
The Vaselines: It just happened that Bob (Kildea), Richard (Colburn) and Stevie (Jackson) helped us with the charity event and could help us with America. Bob and Stevie and Michael from the 1990s will be coming with us this time.

PTST: Sub Pop is once again about to re-issue your catalog, this time with a lot of live material. Where did this live material take place? Do you remember the shows that the recordings are from?
The Vaselines: One recording is from our very first show. I remember it well. We did not play many shows so the London show was memorable because we could not find the venue and nearly missed the show

PTST: I assume a lot of your audience now are younger music fans, folks that found you guys through Nirvana or word of mouth, what's it like to be finding this audience for your music so far from its original release?
The Vaselines: I think it is superb. The younger the better

PTST: The Vaselines will be playing the big Primavera Sound Fest this year, are there any bands you guys are looking forward to seeing while you're there? How do you guys feel about the modern state of music, is it something your into or do you prefer to listen to some of the older stuff?
The Vaselines: Looking forward to seeing Chad VanGaalen. I think there is a lot of really great music if you take the time to look for it. I have just been listening to the 1990s new album which is great. There are so many good Scottish bands, have a listen to De Rosa's new album . I was sent Little Joy, it is great. I like listening to old stuff too

PTST: What's next for The Vaselines?
The Vaselines: We are open to suggestions although we have no big plan. What would you like to see??

Listen: The Vaselines - "Son of a Gun"
The Vaselines - "Molly's Lips (Live in London)"
Tour Dates:
May 13th @ Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
May 15th @ Lee's Palace, Toronto, ON
May 16th @ Metro, Chicago, IL
May 17th @ Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
May 18th @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
May 28th @ Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona, Spain

Blast from the Past: Cat Powers' Moon Pix

If VH1 were ever to bring back Behind the Music, the story of Cat Power would make for one entertaining hour of television. It has all the basic elements of their standard documentaries; enormous talents and promise, inauspicious beginnings, torment by the demons of alcohol and drugs, and finally the triumphant overcoming of those demons and the recording of arguably her finest work. The whole story plays beautifully for Behind the Music, the arch, the various other musicians she has worked with, the gaps between albums, all scream tortured artist louder then any person ever could. And it was during her first hiatus from music that Marshall dreamed the dream that would inspire Moon Pix, and album that took all of her potential and talent and pushed it to new emotional heights.

Two years after her last release, What Would the Community Think, Marshall finally returned from her self imposed retirement. It may not seem like a long time, but when you consider that Marshall seemed to truly believe she was done with music it all comes into some perspective. During this time she spent some time in Australia, where she started writing songs resulting from a nightmare she had had. The songs became the bulk of Moon Pix, songs that were drenched in deep emotions. For the recording she enlisted the help of Mick Turner and Jim White of the Dirty Three, instead of Steve Shelly and Tim Foljahn who had been with her on the previous two records. Those were all the changes Marshall needed to create her breakout album.

Cat Power's first three records had been vigorous mixes of elements of punk, blues, and folk mixed together but on Moon Pix Marshall focused on making a complete and soulful record. There are still bits of everything she loved in there it was just blended together to create a warmer, more emotive sound then anything she had done prior to it. The music is dark and at times thoroughly depressing, and it's made even more so by the subtle sounds of Chan Marshall's lovely voice. They are gentle and wounded, but still so powerful at the same time.

Listening to Moon Pix now we can hear exactly where Chan's next two albums came from. The sound, the textures, the way she uses her voice all truly started to develop on this record. This is what led us to You Are Free and The Greatest, it is where Marshall learned to focus within her records to create cohesive wholes. It is a fine record on its own, but when you look at the brilliance of what was to come you can see how truly important this record was.
Cat Power - "American Flag"
Cat Power - "Metal Heart"
Cat Power - "Moonshiner"
Cat Power - "Cross Bones Style"

Matador's 20th Anniversary Blasts from the Past:
Various Artists Everything Is Nice
Spoon's Telephono
Yo La Tengo's Painful

Brownwater @ Martini Red, May 8th (video)

Brownwater @ Martini Red ("Brown Green Lantern") from Patrick Duffy on Vimeo.

This may or may not have been the last ever performance from Staten Island's criminally underrated Brownwater.

Tonight!!!: Cross Pollination 5-Year Anniversary @ Pianos (Bonus Top 10!)

Who: Bloodsugars + Dinosaur Feathers
Where: Pianos (158 Ludlow St., NY, NY)
When: 7pm
Cost: FREE
What to Expect: For five years Cross Pollination has been providing the musical soundtrack to our Tuesday evenings. The free weekly series has become a staple of the Lower East Side showcasing bands and musicians such as Kimya Dawson, Wakey! Wakey!, The Lisps, The Antlers, and many, many more. Tonight the Liberated Matter folks that put on the shows will take over the main stage at Pianos (normally they're upstairs) with a couple of Family Records bands that will bowl you over. Of course the real treat is when the two bands come together for their Cross Pollination set. Who knows what will take place then, but we all know it'll be fun to watch!
Listen: Bloodsugars - "Purpose Was Again"
Dinosaur Feathers - "History Lessons"

Tuesday's Recommended Release

Change can be a very good thing. On last year's Sick to Death Eat Skull were your basic shitgaze band, living knee deep in speaker hisses and dirty punk odes, while burying any semblance of pop behind all the noise. It was a good album, but it held back some of the potential Eat Skull displayed on the short player. With Wild and Inside Eat Skull live up to the potential, dropping a lot (but not all) of the noise and allowing the pop songs to come out and play.

The album jumps off to a nice start with the rollicking, jovial sounds of "Stick to the Formula", a song that will most definitely get stuck in your craw and refuse to come out for ages. The song is only the jump off point though, and the remaining 25-minutes of Wild and Inside is a fantastic joy ride. Ever tune sounds like it was recorded in one take, with the band ripping through the song and moving right on to the next one. It's fun and spontaneous and it has ever rock element you hope to find these days.

Wild and Inside may be a short long player but it packs a lot in to a real small amount of time. In 27-minutes you will come to love this band and their inability to focus on one specific sound for more then one or two songs in a row. This is fun stuff that you should be listening to.
Eat Skull - "Stick to the Formula"
Eat Skull - "Nuke Mecca"
Eat Skull - "Surfing the Stairs"

Tuesday Test Drive

Better Than Ezra Paper Empire
Better Than Ezra - "Absolutely Still"
from Rizzo Music..."At a little under 48 minutes long, Paper Empire's twelve tracks have a lot to offer. Highlights include: "Hell No!", "Hey Love", "Nightclubbing", and "Turn Up The Bright Lights". It's a very strong effort and I have few complaints. It is hard to rank it with other albums, having only listened it for a few hours but I can see it falling somewhere in the middle."


caUSE co-MOTION! Because Because Because
caUSE co-MOTION! - "You Lose"
from The Fader..."Fans of the band will recognize the off-kilter glee of "You Lose," but with a little less lo-fi gook in the gears than past recordings. It also seems to continue the band's trend of dropping three BPMs per year"


Dexateens Singlewide
Dexateens - "Can You Whoop It"
from Atlanta Music Guide..."When they slow the tempo, especially towards the end of the album, they start to lose focus. And the nasally vocals can start to grate a little after an entire album. But in the end, Singlewide is exactly the album alt-country needs: equal parts joyful and reflective in the way that only country music can be, and cool enough to be enjoyed by the indie crowd."


Eat Skull Wild and Inside
Eat Skull - "Stick to the Formula"
from Cokemachineglow..."Fact is that when it comes to Eat Skull I want to even avoid using the word “lo-fi.” Eat Skull are moving on, are in the process of moving as we listen. Wild and Inside is no masterpiece, but there’s enough ingenuity and heart here, at least, to build a career out of—one made of solid records and happy fans and that weird sense of community we all get when that voice in the channels runs through a dozen-or-so variations of exactly what you want to be hearing right now. It rocks!"


Goes Cube Another Day Has Passed
Goes Cube - "The Only Daugther"
from Metal Sucks..."Maybe it took a trio of dudes without any formal musical training to write a record that feels so unpretentious and rocks in so many ways. The radio-ready tenor and the hardcore scream abut; metallic downstrokes and rock’n roll strumming share space comfortably. Another Day Has Passed feels nigh boundaryless in its warm embrace of the many forms of layin’ it down. This can only be good for heavy music."


Hanne Hukkelberg Blood from a Stone
Hanne Hukkelberg - "Midnight Sun Dream"
from The Line of Best Fit..."To say that Blood From a Stone conjures soundscapes where Bat For Lashes’ moody beats meets Grouper’s ethereal swathe coated in the glow of Beach House’s sexy haze makes it sound like a much more exciting proposition than it really is. All these similarities are hugely palpable in Norwegian Hukkelberg’s third album, but the problem is that they’re executed with such minimal panache and effort that it’s a chore to make yourself listen all the way through."


Jeremy Enigk OK Bear
Jeremy Enigk - "Mind Idea"
from Beat the Indie Drum..."It always seems we hold our favorite musicians up to the light with more scrutiny than others. Jeremy is no exception to this rule. Some will consider OK Bear a maturation of sorts but I simply can’t live with that explanation alone. Perhaps I’m nearsighted and unable to pry myself from the past but if you add up all his near-revolutionary output with Sunny Day Real Estate, The Fire Theft and Return Of The Frog Queen this album simply doesn’t make sense."


Steve Earle Townes
Steve Earle - "To Live Is To Fly"
from Pitchfork..."As gifted as Van Zandt was, Earle has him on range. Throughout his career, he has played hardy rock, straightforward country, growling blues, rambling bluegrass, and tender folk, and he has played with the Pogues, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Del McCoury Band, Iris DeMent, and too many others to name. He's even published a collection of short stories and is working on a novel. Too bad Townes isn't as varied."

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: Clipse @ Webster Hall 8pm FREE (RSVP closed)
We all know the warmer weather means more free shows are coming soon, but for now we will take what we can get when we can get it and if that happens to be a free show from the Clipse well we will go freaking nuts for something like that! Yes, RSVP is most likely closed at this point but if you did RSVP and get that confirmation you are in for one hell of a show!
Clipse (feat. Kanye West) - "Kinda Like A Big Deal"

Tuesday: Cross Pollination 5th Anniversary @ Pianos 8pm FREE
If you've never been to a Cross Pollination before you're really missing out on one of the best free evenings in New York City. Every Tuesday evening, upstairs at Pianos, a couple of bands get to play their tunes for for a solid crowd of people. They play, people eat and drink, everyone has a great time. Then the two bands that played play a couple of songs together. The results can be disastrous, but usually it turns into something absolutely magical. Cover songs, new creations, inspired renditions of their own favorites, somehow these bands make the songs work. It is one of the great cheap dates in the city and tonight it's 5-years old. Come experience this magic tonight.
Bloodsugars - "Purpose Was Again"
Dinosaur Feathers - "History Lessons"

Wednesday: Drink Up Buttercup @ Pianos 8pm $8
Drink Up Buttercup play songs the way people imagine themselves playing songs, if only they had the talent and drive to start a band and tour it all over the place. These guys get on stage with their garbage cans and their catchy pop rock and then they go nuts for about 30-minutes. It's wild and fantastic as they shout and bang and play all while seeming like they are having the best night of their lives.
Drink Up Buttercup - "Young Ladies"

Thursday: The Dig, Pretty & Nice, + Middle Distance Runner @ Union Hall 9:30pm $8
My little old music website and the award winning I Rock I Roll have joined forces to present a pretty kick ass, and very last minute showcase this Thursday evening. Three bands from three different stages will be hitting the Union Hall stage and doing their rock thing tonight. You got D.C.'s Middle Distance Runner, Boston's Pretty & Nice, and of course NYC's own The Dig all representing the East Coast tonight. It should be a really fun night.
The Dig - "She's Gonna Kill That Boy"
Pretty & Nice - "Tora Tora Tora"
Middle Distance Runner - "That's A Lie"

Friday: Danielson @ Mercury Lounge 7:30pm $10
It feels like it has been ages since I last saw Danielson but in reality it's probably just been little more then a year. It just feels like so long because I adore the indie pop sounds of Danielson and their fantastic live shows. This is definitely a show you don't want to miss.
Danielson - "Animal In Every Corner"

Saturday: Dan Deacon @ Bowery Ballroom 11:45pm $12
Coming into 2009 Dan Deacon's live show was the stuff of legend. Playing from the floor, making kids go crazy, Deacon earned his reputation as one of music's best live acts, and then he went and changed everything up. Now Deacon is touring with a huge ass band and creating an even bigger spectacle then ever before. Plus, he also has the even better music off of Bromst to play for you all. So even if you've already seen Deacon a few times this is a show not to be missed.
Dan Deacon - "Jack & Jill"

Sunday: Cymbals Eat Guitars + Title Tracks @ Glasslands 9pm $8
The sudden popularity of Cymbals Eat Guitars is well merited. These dudes make some of the more interesting music to hit our ears this year, and they have played a relentless amount of shows recently. The band seems like they'll be continuing that throughout the summer, but I think they're totally worth seeing every time they play.
Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Cold Spring"
Title Tracks - "Found Out"

Tonight!!!: WRXP Staten Island Showcase @ Dock Street

Who: Plastiq Passion, Les Viynl and the cl-cl-clones, Christina LaRocca & Heavy Weather, Avon Junkies, Wahoo Skiffle Crazies, and Terrible Tim performing his radio smash, "Nitrous Oxide High"
When: Tonight, 9pm
Location: Dock Street
Cost: $5
What To Expect: For the third time WRXP DJ Rich Russo will bring his crazy radio show to the shores of Staten Island in an attempt to bring out the best of the local music talent. Tonight's show is actually a solid lineup with fantastic bands like Les Vinyl and the Wahoo Skiffle Crazies joining some of the young up-and-coming talent. I'm interested to see the different sounds these bands all promise and to see what type of a turnout the WRXP stamp brings to a show like this.
Listen: Les Vinyl - "Ghosts"
Terrible Tim - "Nitrous Oxide"
Wahoo Skiffle Crazies - "Hello My Baby"

Tonight!!!: KevinandTimstock @ Martini Red

Who: Brownwater, Captain Ahab & the Sea Crackens, + Kilgore Trout Is Dead
Where: Martini Red, 372 Van Duzer St., Staten Island, NY
When: Tonight, 10pm
Cost: FREE!!!
What to Expect: Tonight we will be celebrating the birth of my brother Tim and our buddy Kevin with two things we all absolutely love - good music and booze! That's right folks we will be getting down with three of Staten Island's finest bands (all of whom have been Band of the Week here!), Brownwater, Captain Ahab & the Sea Crackens, and Kilgore Trout Is Dead! Plus it's Martini Red so you know they've got the $2.50 PBR, some solid brews on tap, and cheap enough shots to get you blitzed out of your mind! So come on by, have a drink, sing "Happy Birthday", and dance away your weekday blues! Oh, and there will be cake for people who get there early enough or have a good rapore with Tim or Kevin.
Listen: Brownwater - "The Brown Green Lantern"
Captain Ahab & the Sea Crackens - "The Ballad of Johnny Surfelstein"
Kilgore Trout Is Dead - "Leave Me Alone"

This Week's Tour News

Who: Maximo Park
When: September 21st
Where: Webster Hall
On Sale: Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: Maximo Park are a huge band. They have sold hundreds of thousands of records and sold out venues across the world. Yet for some reason I honestly cannot place the sound of a single Maximo Park song. I know they're huge, I know that people adore them, I just don't know what the fuck they sound like. Maybe I should get on that someday, or maybe I've already missed the boat for good.
Listen: Maximo Park - "Wraithlike"

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Who: BLK JKS
When: June 2nd, 3rd, + 4th
Where: Knitting Factory, Irving Plaza, Irving Plaza
On Sale: Now, Now, + Now
More Dates
Thoughts: African bands seem to be all the rage these days. Folks like Amadou & Mariam, Konono No. 1, and now BLK JKS are being raved about thanks to their African rhythms and fun yet accessible sounds. It's interesting to suddenly see such interest in worldly acts from parts of the world that we normally don't see it coming from. And when the tunes are as good as they are coming from BLK JKS you know that all the attention is well deserved.
Listen: BLK JKS - "Mystery"

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Who: The Fiery Furnaces
When: June 11th
Where: (le) poisson rouge
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: Later this year music critics everywhere will begin to compile their "Best of the Decade" lists and most of those should contain some mention to The Fiery Furnaces. Throughout this decade the band have released 8-albums, all of which are at the very least interesting pieces of music and at their very best some of the finer albums of the 2000's. I know for certain that Blueberry Boat will be in my list and I may also make some room for EP.
Listen: The Fiery Furnaces - "Quay Cur"

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Who: Kylie Minogue
When: October 11th + 12th
Where: Hammerstein Ballroom
On Sale: May 16th, Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: For the first time ever Kylie Minogue is coming to the United States! As shocking as that is this will be Minogue's first tour through the States ever and it includes two dates at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. Tickets are a bit pricey at $125 each, but I'm sure people will be lining up to get into these two shows. Make sure you buy your tickets as they go on sale if you wanna go!
Listen: Kylie Minogue - "Love At First Sight"

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Who: Bill Callahan
When: June 13th + 14th
Where: (le) poisson rouge + Music Hall of Williamsburg
On Sale: Now + Now
More Dates
Thoughts: Last time Bill Callahan was in town the front man of Smog played the much smaller Mercury Lounge. This time around, thanks to a Best New Music nod from Pitchfork and loads of critical praise for his latest album, Callahan will be playing a pair of dates at a couple larger venues. These should be some solid shows, so get your tickets now!
Listen: Bill Callahan - "Too Many Birds"

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Who: Dirty Projectors
When: June 5th (w/TV On the Radio) + June 19th
Where: Central Park Summerstage + Williamsburg Waterfront
On Sale: Sold Out + ?
More Dates
Thoughts: It may be a little silly to be releasing your brand new album on limited edition cassettes, but Dirty Projectors aren't really a conventional band. That's right folks you can buy limited copies of Bitte Orca on tape if you are so inclined. Personally I'm gonna save my money and hopefully snag a t-shirt or something at one of their upcoming shows.
Listen: Dirty Projectors - "Knotty Pine"

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Who: Dark Meat
When: June 5th + 6th
Where: Cake Shop + Bruar Falls
On Sale: No Advance Tix
More Dates
Thoughts: The crazed music collective known as Dark Meat are hitting the road once again and are hitting the two intimate sister venues on consecutive days. If you're not doing anything else these two nights you may want to think about seeing these guys twice, they're really that good live.
Listen: Dark Meat - "Well Fuck You Then"

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Who: Liechtenstein
When: May 15th + 19th
Where: Don Hills (NYC Pop Fest) + Bruar Falls
On Sale: Now + No Advance
More Dates
Thoughts: These lovely ladies are the latest additions to the Slumberland roster and if you know anything about the current state of Slumberland Records you will be jumping on their bandwagon right about now! Hurry before there's no more room and people are calling your tight jeans out of style!
Listen: Liechtenstein - "Roses In the Park"

Buzzworthy??? Or Not???

Who: Darlings
Location: New York, NY
First Heard: Quiet Color
Thoughts: Last week The L Magazine named these guys one of NYC's 8 Bands You Need to Hear, and they were probably the only band that I didn't know too much about. I had heard a song or two here or there but nothing really latched onto my brain. Well that all changed when I went digging around and started listening to the tunes on their MySpace. The songs there are simply amazing, perfect little bits of pop shrouded in the idea of being pop-punk stompers. Yeah the music is upbeat and peppy, but this is straight up sugary sweet pop music and I couldn't be happier with that. They don't try to hide it under lo-fi aesthetics, no this band just goes out and plays their cute little songs the best they can. The lyrics are just as sweet as the music, especially when delivered with the perfect female backings that they are. This band is gonna get big quick, like seriously fast (remember when Vampire Weekend made the L Mag's list?) so jump on board the bandwagon now and get acquainted! These guys are tremendous.
Verdict: Buzzworthy!!!
Listen: Darlings - "If This Is Love"
Darlings - "Eviction Party"
Upcoming Shows:
May 7th @ Glasslands, Brooklyn, NY
May 8th @ Cameo, Brooklyn, NY
May 9th @ Death By Audio, Brooklyn, NY
May 14th @ Bruar Falls, Brooklyn, NY
May 28th @ Red Star Bar, Brooklyn, NY
June 11th - 14th @ Northside Festival
June 20th @ Shea Stadium Brooklyn, NY
July 19th @ Cameo, Brooklyn, NY

Top 10: Hidden Tracks

All the rumors and legends romanticize the hidden messages in some of rocks hardest tunes. People conspiring that bands like Black Sabbath and AC/DC were sending out subliminal devil worshipping messages. Get real folks, we all know those were only found on albums by Boston! The real treat is when bands go to great lengths to hide tracks on their albums. By sticking them all the way at the end, after several minutes of silence, artists got away with a lot. Dodging parental advisory stickers, or scaring fans who forget to turn the album off. Either way there have been some great hidden tunes over the course rock's history, here are the ten best. As always, feel free to chime in on what you think I left out, missed completely, or totally fucked up on.

10. Alanis Morissette - "Your House"; This one's for the ladies! Yeah, in case you couldn't guess I'm not the biggest Alanis fan in the world but as hidden tracks go this one is pretty huge. It fits with the rest of her music and she actually performed it on MTV, so hurrah it's on the list.

9. The Beatles - "Her Majesty"; Like everything else in the rock universe, a lot of people credit The Beatles with inventing the hidden track. The tune surprised listeners of Abbey Road way back in 1969 and has since become a pretty famous Beatles tune. Impressive considering it's only 23-seconds long.

8. Lauryn Hill - "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"; This version of this song is probably more famous then its original. Having been on the soundtrack for Conspiracy Theater, and blasted in dorm rooms throughout the country when it was released, this tune dominated the summer of '99. Then again Frankie Valli definitely did a fine job with it as well.

7. Dr. Dre - "Bitches Ain't Shit"; To truly gage the strength of the last song on The Chronic you have to realize that Ben Folds covered it and wound up taking the song into the Billboard 100. Yeah, Ben Folds. But this version is not campy like Folds' was, no this was a hardcore way to end one of the great rap albums of all-time.

6. They Might Be Giants - "Token Back to Brooklyn"; Most hidden tracks come at the end of albums, but with the creation of CD's a few artists figured out a way to hide tunes at the beginning of albums. One is this great ditty by the two Johns of They Might Be Giants. Coming at the beginning of Factory Showroom you had to rewind your CD players in order to hear this tune. It was pretty wild, but in the long run it probably fucked up your CD player.

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Poor Song"; The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' first full length was a brilliant record. Full of emotional lyrics, fantastic riffs, and Karen O's wailing voice Fever to Tell served as the breakout point for the band. But that album doesn't really end until the final note has been sung on "Poor Song". The tune has become a staple of the band, used in the encore at countless shows, and easily a fan favorite. People still piss themselves over it every chance they get.

4. Green Day - "All By Myself"; So this tune doesn't sound like Green Day at all, but this secondary ode to masturbation is a brilliant last track. Most of us won't ever jerk off in one of our crushes bedrooms so this will have to do for all of us.

3. Nirvana - "Endless, Nameless"; Nevermind changed the face of rock music in the early 90's, and sure enough it also brought back the idea of hiding tracks within the album. You see a lot of albums from the 90's on this list and the big reason why is Nevermind. This tune rages beyond a lot of what was found on Nirvana's breakthrough album, hearkening back to the Bleach days of the band. It is a kick ass tune though.

2. Minor Threat - "Cashing In"; At this point most folks only know of Minor Threat they way their complete discography portrays them, but prior to that the band release on kick ass LP. On 1983's Out of Step, Minor Threat blistered through 8-song that would kill their own mothers if given the chance. But as the needle should be stopping another tune kicks in. "How do you do, I don't think we've met" Ian MacKaye starts, "my name is Ian, I'm from Minor Threat", a solid introduction for the last song of an album and then they start threatening to steal your money and your shows! Yeah, this hidden track absolutely kills even if it is track 23 on the one Minor Threat album you own.

1. The Clash - "Train In Vain"; "Train In Vain", the last tune off The Clash's amazing London Calling, is only on this list because of timing. The tune was added on at the very last minute, after the sleeves and labels had been printed. It would of course be added on later printings, but that doesn't change the fact that this brilliant song was originally just a hidden track.

Band of the Week: Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens

Who: Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens
Location: Staten Island, NY
RIYL: Dick Dale, Surfaris, The Atlantics
Thoughts: We are only a couple weeks away from the unofficial start to summer - Memorial Day weekend! Folks are probably planning their BBQ's for that weekend, scheduling long weekends, and plotting how many packages of hot dogs they'll need, but what about the soundtrack to all those warm, three day weekend parties??? Folks I have the perfect band for just such an occasion, and that band is Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens. A group of boys and girls hailing from the Island of bad tans and ferry boats. A group that has revived the sound of surf rock and transported it to the 21st century. As Dick Dale ages on, these young upstarts have brought back the sound of waves and beach parties and will gladly soundtrack all of your summer hijinx this summer! With a brand new self-titled album, the band hopes to have bikini wearing ladies dancing around backyards. Tunes like "The Ballad of Johnny Surfelstein" and "Surf Ninja" are guaranteed to make sure your own summer soiree is a huge hit, with their instrumental riffs and hooks and occasionally shouted lyrics. This music is wild, spontaneous, and awesome! Try it out while you're trying on some bathing suits!
Listen: Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens - "Surf Home Plotzed"
Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens - "Billderberg Boogie"
Upcoming Shows:
Fri. May 8th @ Martini Red 10pm (FREE show!)

Questionable Corner: Japandroids

Japandroids are on the verge of becoming your new favorite band. The Vancouver based duo just released their heralded debut full length Post-Nothing, a record that landed them the coveted Best New Music tag on Pitchfork as well as a ton of other great reviews. The noisy, complex sounds the duo make are definitely fitting for the times we're in. Lo-fi, fast paced, and hard they claim they don't fit amongst all the other lo-fi bands out there and there is something about the sound that is just different enough to keep them apart. The band recently had to postpone a national tour due to some unexpected surgery, but I got to chat with drummer David Prowse while his buddy was healing up.

PTST: How did you guys first meet? Was your first thought upon meeting to create a band, how did that get going?
DP: We met back in the fall of 2000. We were both students at the University of Victoria. I became really good friends with one of Brian's best friends from high school. So we kind of knew each other peripherally for quite a while before we became friends. We didn't start jamming together until he moved to Vancouver in 2005, and started playing shows and taking it somewhat seriously in 2006.

PTST: Where did you develop your musical style from? Had you guys played in bands prior to Japandroids?
DP: Japandroids is our first band.I think our musical style comes from balancing our love of noisiness and melody, and from trying to create the biggest sound you can get from a two piece. We both like hooks, but we also like to avoid anything too straightforward and clean. As obsessive music fans, we both also know the value of having good songs but also having a live show to back it up. So we write songs that are fun to play live.

PTST: Is there any music out there now that's inspiring you guys?
DP: Inspiring? Brian's a huge Nick Cave fan, and got to see him live for the first time back in the fall, which really blew him away. I can't stop listening to Hermetic, a great two piece from Vancouver. They did a split EP a while ago and they've only got three songs on it, but I keep listening to it over and over. We're both big Hot Snakes fans, and are really excited that Obits are coming to Vancouver, since we've never seen Rick Froberg live.

PTST: You guys have said that you're trying to make a two-piece sound like a five piece, why not just add more members and expand to that actual 5-piece? Are there advantages to being just a duo as opposed to being a bigger band?
DP: For a little while we thought about adding members, but the two piece thing works for us. I don't feel like anything is missing from our sound, and I like the freedom of playing in a two piece. You don't have to hold back - there's lots of space to do whatever you want and can play as loud and as wild as you want.

PTST: You just postponed your tour because of Brian's surgery, how is he feeling? Is he gonna have to stay away from the spicy foods when you get back on the road?
DP: Brian's out of the hospital and we're back home in Vancouver. He's got to rest for a while as he heals up. The good news is it sounds like he'll make a full recovery, the bad news is he'll have to wait a while before he can run around on stage.

PTST: Do chicks really dig scars?
DP: Chicks dig singers.

PTST: Post-Nothing has just been released, how do you guys feel about the finished product now that it's out there for people to hear? How do your friends and the people that support you locally feel about the new record?
DP: Everyone who's heard the record really likes it, or at least that's what they tell us.
Recording is always a stressful process, but things turned out pretty well in the end.
We rushed it a bit because we didn't book a lot of studio time.Plus we couldn't really afford to take time off from work during recording, so we'd work half days then rush to the studio and record from like 2 until 10, then get up and go to work in the morning and do it all over again. It wasn't the ideal situation.

We always record live off the floor, and I think the energy translates really well onto the record. You can tell we were rocking out. This is actually the fanciest record we've ever done, recording at the Hive which is where bigger bands like Black Mountain record. But we still made a record that sounds like it was recorded in a basement, like the older stuff we did. I guess that's just our sound.

PTST: Congratulations on the best new music tag for it as well. Were you guys expecting the frenzy of rave reviews that have come along with the album?
DP: Of course not! Are you crazy? Up until six months ago, we thought we were going to have to put it out ourselves again, and that very few people would end up hearing it. There was definitely something about this batch of songs though. I think we were both confident that if we could get people to listen to it, people would love it. But we didn't really believe it was going to get much attention.

PTST: I know you try to stay away from getting placed in the no-fi/noise realm, but the recording of the record is very no frills and the impression could definitely be made. Why did you choose that method of recording? Was it out of necessity or were you looking for a certain vibe?
DP: A bit of both. We knew we wanted to record at the Hive, but we couldn't really afford to book a huge chunk of time, so we came in here and there whenever our engineer had a day off or someone canceled on him. We tried to record as many songs as we could in the initial three days of recording, then came back to finish off vocals and mix over another two days I think. But we do like the live sound of our recordings, and we like playing noisy, and we like distorting our vocals. I think with a lot of those bands, they put a lot of distortion on to cover up the fact that the songs aren't all that good, and if you took away all the fuzz you'd be left with a pretty boring record. If you cleaned up our record, you'd still have really strong songs - they'd just be wimpy pop songs, instead of heavy jammers.

PTST: The record was supposedly due late last year, what forced you guys to hold off the release until now?
DP: Well, once our label got involved we kind of worked on their timetable, and started planning things a bit better; getting a booking agent, getting a publicist, arranging for promo copies of the album, designing the artwork, etc. It was a much more official release, rather than cheap CDs in slip cases like we would usually do.

PTST: Are there any differences between the record and what you guys do live? Is it ever tough to capture all the recorded sounds with just the two of you on stage?
DP: Our live show sounds EXACTLY like the record, except the vocals are a bit cleaner. No studio tricks used when it came to the guitar or drums - that's what they sound like live. It's tiring playing with that much energy every night, but it's also a hell of a lot of fun...

PTST: When this tour finally gets rolling are there any places you're looking forward to seeing? Anywhere you've never been before that you're psyched about?
DP: Lots of places we've never been. We're both super excited to go to Chicago since we've never been to that city. Pitchfork Festival is going to be crazy. We really haven't played that much outside of Vancouver so it's going to be fun playing a lot of cities for the first time - Boston, San Francisco, DC, Portland, LA. We're both really looking forward to being on the road.

PTST: Are there any bands you're looking forward to playing with on the tour?
DP: I can't believe we're going to be playing Capitol Hill Block Party - Sonic Fucking Youth! Future of the Left! Wow...

PTST: Do you guys have girlfriends at home that you'll have to try to not cheat on on the road?
DP: That's a loaded question. Yes I have a special lady friend here in Vancouver. Brian - not so much...

PTST: Is there anything about the music world right now that you absolutely cannot stand?
DP: The Vancouver music scene drives me crazy. Venues are always shutting down. Just this weekend another one closed! I think the music world latches on to bands that aren't all that good sometimes, which is a shame. I am especially disappointed by bands that don't have a live show that can live up to the hype surrounding their albums.

PTST: What's up next for Japandroids? Are you guys already writing new stuff or are you just focusing on touring for now?
DP: We've been working some new stuff, which we can hopefully start playing while we're out on the road. We'll be pretty busy with touring for the foreseeable future once Brian is healthy again. Touring will definitely consume our lives for the next few months.

Listen: Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire"
Japandroids - "Heart Sweats"

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted's Official Northside Fest Showcase!!!

At this point I hope you guys have all heard about the brand new, L Magazine created, Northside Festival taking place this June. For four days, in one of the nicest months of the year, the music venues and art galleries of Williamsburg, Brooklyn will be hosting some of the finest bands from around New York City as well as from outside the city. For the low, low price of only $45 you can purchase a badge to the festival which will afford you the opportunity to see a huge amount of shows. Or you can pick and choose the shows you wanna see and pay for them individually. Either way, there's going to be some great music coming out of Brooklyn this June!

On Friday, June 12th at North 6th's Public Assembly, Pop Tarts Suck Toasted will be taking over both stages with 12 11 awesome bands! (We just had a cancellation and we'll try to get someone to fill in for Pretty & Nice) The show kicks off at 8pm and features some fantastic bands from the 5-boroughs and New Jersey all for the crazy low price of $10 (or a Northside badge of course!). We won't be selling advance tickets to the show, but I'm pretty sure we'll have a packed house for the whole night so get there early and start enjoying all the sweet music we're dishing out to you!

Here's the full lineup...
Front Room Stage:
8:00pm - The Great Unwashed
The Great Unwashed - "Winter Classic"
9:00pm - Grooms (ex-Muggabears)
Grooms - "Dreamsucker"
10:00pm - Dinowalrus
Dinowalrus - "Made In CCCP"
11:00pm - Sisters
Sisters - "Glue"
12:00am - Screaming Females
Screaming Females - "Skull"
1:00am - Brilliant Sweaters
Brilliant Sweaters - "I Dropped Out of High School"

Back Room Stage:
8:30pm - The Rabbits
The Rabbits - "Out of Our Heads"
9:30pm - Murder Mystery
Murder Mystery - "Love Astronaut"
10:30pm - Palomar
Palomar - "Our Haunt"
11:30pm - Real Estate Eula
Real Estate - "Pool Swimmers"
12:30am - Kilgore Trout Is Dead
Kilgore Trout Is Dead - "Leave Me Alone"
1:30am - Home Video
Home Video - "Maybe What You Need"

for more information on the Northside Fest visit here
for address & directions to Public Assembly visit here

Blast from the Past: Polvo's Today's Active Lifestyles

The wave of grunge that Nirvana opened up on American pop culture was a necessary evil. In 1991 radio was being destroyed by horrible pop sounds and hair/glam metal bands that could care less about the music. Style was more important then the substance it was built behind and kids had forgotten that rock music had a point. Enter Kurt Cobain and the other harbingers of grunge, that took the underground independent/alternative music scene into the popular realm. Of course this led to countless copycats, bands that just aped what folks like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney had been doing and turned it into hit singles and spoon fed garbage. Such is the world of popular music (see: all these lo-fi revivalists right now), but amongst all that popular stuff there is always somebody willing to stand against it and try something different. In the early part of the 90's there were bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement, Polvo, and many more that took the college sound of the early 80's and turned it into the anti-grunge sound. Sonic Youth and Polvo in particular, used odd tunings on their guitars to totally go against the hook and chord heavy music that was so damn popular at the time.

In 1993 Polvo released their magnum opus, Today's Active Lifestyles, a record that was built on layered, oddly tuned guitars, off beat time signatures, and dissonant chord structures to create a sound that was not what was blaring from all the alternative radio stations at the time. It was a record that was built on chaos and a frenzy of noisy sounds, offering the perfect antidote to all the bands that were starting to sound exactly the same at the time.

Of course back in 1993 I was too young and too dumb to realize all this. I listened as Stone Temple Pilots took over MTV and I ate up this new alternative world with wide open eyes and ears. It honestly set me up to like things like Polvo in the future, but at the time I completely missed the band and of course they faded as their mathematical sounds never quite caught on.

The band returned to play ATP in 2008, a reunion that could not be more perfect for the times we live in. This sound is vital to today's revived indie music world and Polvo are the perfect fit for it. After playing that first reunion show the band went to the studio and is currently working on some new material. While we wait for that new record now is the perfect time to listen to Today's Active Lifestyles, and the rest of their fantastic catalog, to get ready for the new age of Polvo.
Polvo - "Lazy Comet"
Polvo - "Sure Shot"
Polvo - "Tilebreaker"
Polvo - "Action vs. Vibe"

Previous Merge 20th Blasts from the Past:
Neutral Milk Hotel's On Avery Island
Magnetic Field's Get Lost
Wwax's Like It Or Not
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead's Madonna

Tuesday's Recommended Release

When Annie Clark released her debut album, Marry Me, back in 2007 she was just barely letting us get to know her. Over those first 11-songs we were introduced to the lovely voice of St. Vincent, and treated to a musician who understood composition and how to use her distorted guitar riffs to convey emotion. On her sophomore release Clark tops every aspect of her first release, from the songs themselves right on down to the album cover.

Actor is a more precise, more emotive, and far more dense record, showing an artist that is at the peak of her creative prowess. The album opens with "The Strangers", a song that takes off with Annie's gorgeous, even keeled voice sharing the space with a pretty piano composition before giving way to a huge, distorted guitar riff. It's that riff that truly welcomes us to the record and before long we are treated to more and more of these emotional outbursts from Clark's preferred instrument. Marry Me had already proven she knew her way around a six-string, but the sounds of the instrument here, amongst all the prettier sounds, is awe inspiring.

Track by track, St. Vincent displays a keen knack for creating the perfect balance between the pretty parts and the noisier sides of her music. Her voice stays at the same level for most of the record, never really giving a sense of her personal feelings one way or another. But the music, specifically the guitar, rises and falls as the emotions do. It's an impressive display of the loud/soft dynamic, but it also manages to avoid becoming predictable as well.

St. Vincent truly burst onto the scene with her last release, a very solid record that managed to find its way onto many a year-end list, but with Actor she proves that there is so much more to offer. This is a brilliant release from an artist that has quickly become one to focus on.
St. Vincent - "The Strangers"
St. Vincent - "Actor Out of Work"
St. Vincent - "The Bed"

Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: Sonic Youth
Title: The Eternal
Release Date: June 9th
Label: Matador Records
Thoughts: I don't think too many people were surprised when Sonic Youth decided not to re-up with Geffen Records after Rather Ripped. The band had done four records for the label, and it seemed like they felt they had to keep putting out similar records. It was a shame, but some of them managed to be at the very least solid. Now the band have turned to Matador Records for their 16th album The Eternal, a record that is instantly better then anything they've released in the last decade. The Eternal is a shinning record that perfectly blends the fantastic, Daydream-y guitar sounds with actual melodic hooks. It effortlessly shifts from songs sung by Thurston to songs sung by Kim and then songs sung by Lee. It's just a damn good record that I've only just begun wrapping my head around but it's safe to say I'm officially hooked on this one.
Listen: Sonic Youth - "Sacred Trickster"
Sonic Youth - "Anti-Orgasm"

Who: Datarock
Title: Red
Release Date: September 1st
Label: Young Aspiring Professionals
Thoughts: Everything you wanted to know about Datarock you can learn from the fact that their upcoming album Red is named after the color of the tracksuits they wear on stage. Yeah, this is a band that does not take themselves very seriously at all, instead they party and have fun with their music and hope you will too. It's been four years since the band released their self-titled breakout album and over that time the band has toured relentlessly and found an even bigger following thanks to great placement in an ad for iPod's. The band return with an album very similar to 2005's Datarock, lots of dance heavy synths and simple playful lyrics. It may not be quite as catchy or addictive as the first record but it's a solid listen and definitely something that should get your feet moving.
Listen: Datarock - "The Blog"
Datarock - "Dance!"

Who: Blank Dogs
Title: Under and Under
Release Date: May 26th
Label: In the Red
Thoughts: It's safe to say that we are reaching the point of super saturation in the world of no-fi/noise rock. These bands just keep coming out with varying degrees of poorly recorded noise rock and each of them may eventually wind up hurting each other. There's just so many and they all sound so similar that it's tough to really tell them all apart. The most recent, buzzed about band in the scene (for this hour) is Brooklyn's Blank Dogs, a one man project that becomes a band when he plays out live. I have to say, this stuff teeters between listenable and insufferable. There's all sorts of electronics and noise being filtered through the music here and it's actually more distracting then anything else. While other no-fi bands have revelled in the garage and pop worlds Blank Dogs are looking to explore a more electronic palette and I don't think it works in the realm of poor recordings.
Listen: Blank Dogs - "No Compass"
Blank Dogs - "Blue Lights"

This Week's Live Picks

Monday: Gliss, The Takeover UK, + Now, Now Every Children @ Mercury Lounge 7pm $10
On one bill you are getting three bands with stellar reputations throughout the music world. All of them are building buzz and at least one of them will probably become you new favorite band after you see them on Monday. Which one that is depends on your own personal tastes but my money would be on The Takeover UK.
Gliss - "Blue Sky"
The Takeover UK - "Ah La La"
Now, Now Every Children - "In My Chest"

Tuesday: Illinois @ Mercury Lounge 7pm $10
March marked the final chapter of Illinois' 6-EP Kid Catastrophe series and now the band are touring with all 6 under their belt. If you missed any of their shows during the release of the 6-EP's make sure you check 'em out tonight.
Illinois - "Alone Again"

Wednesday: Fear @ Europa 7pm $20
My mind was kind of blown to see that Fear was playing at "NY's #1 Polish night club" this week! I mean this is the legendary hardcore group that had the SNL audience slam dancing on national television! These guys are fucking legends! Drop what ever you may be doing on Wednesday and go see these guys.
Fear - "New York's Alright If You Like Saxophone"

Thursday: pow wow! + Darlings @ Glasslands 9pm $7
Last week pow wow! were named one of L Magazine's bands to watch in New York and I have to agree with that. These guys make some fantastic, fuzzy indie pop that just makes you sit up and take notice and they may not even be the best band on this bill! Watch out for the highly underrated Darlings who kick some serious ass.
pow wow! - "Still Only You"
Darlings - "If This Is Love"

Friday: KevinandTimStock @ Martini Red 10pm FREE
Next Tuesday my brother will be aging another year and my buddy Kevin will be joining right along with his own birthday. To celebrate the two have combined forces and booked three of the best bands on Staten Island to celebrate their aging. This is gonna be a big time party with lots of debauchery and lots of good music, be there!
Kilgore Trout Is Dead - "Leave Me Alone"
Captain Ahab and the Sea Crackens - "Surf Ninja"
Brownwater - "Brown Green Lantern"

Saturday: caUSE co-MOTION! + The Beets @ Bruar Falls 8pm $5
As Cake Shop begins to celebrate its 4th year with a series of very good Saturday shows I'm putting my spotlight on their new brother Bruar falls and an awesome show with Slumberland greats caUSE co-MOTION! and another one of those L Magazine bands The Beets. Yeah these guys make a big racket, but it is one helluva fun racket!
caUSE co-MOTION! - "Take a Look"
The Beets - "No Blood"

Sunday: The Deli Mag's Best of NYC Fest @ The Bell House 6pm $12
Not to be outdone by L Magazine, The Deli Magazine had their own list of great NY bands and will be celebrating all week with a bunch of solid shows. This is the last and arguably the best of the shows with iPod darlings Chairlift, Takka Takka, Angel from Dirty Projectors, The Secret Life of Sofia (my faves), and The Gay Blades all being invited to do their thing. So if you can skip out on Mother's Day dinner a little early make sure you head to the Bell House.
Chairlift - "Bruises"
Takka Takka - "Change No Change"
Angel Derdoorian - "High Road"
The Secret Life of Sofia - "Moon on the Sea's Gate"
The Gay Blades - "Hey She Say"

Saturday Morning Videos

Polly Scattergood - "Please Don't Touch"; There are worse things in the world then watching this Polly Scattergood video that's for damn sure. With just her lovely self and her adorable voice she makes this video pop off the screen. The music and her beauty are obviously enough to sell this package so why mess it up with anything more creative then that?
Grade: B-

We Were Promised Jetpacks - "Quiet Little Voices"; The boys of We Were Promised Jetpacks aren't quite as friendly to the eye as Polly Scattergood is. There tune is solid, but a video of them standing around playing, and it being distorted by the video isn't gonna win me over. The tune is good though, so let's not be too mean here.
Grade: C+

Little Boots - "New In Town"; Little Boots makes people want to dance. The homeless, gangsters, people having sex, they all wanna boogie when Little Boots comes around in her blue dress. Yeah, that's what this video's all about and it's sexy and lovely and a very dance worthy song.
Grade: B

The Boy Least Likely To - "When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade"; The moral of this story is to not fly with a pinwheel when it's raining outside. It's an adorable moral, and an adorable video, but what else would we expect from The Boy Least Likely To.
Grade: B-

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Young Adult Friction"; The Pains of Being Pure at Heart do an excellent job of pairing deep emotions with light and joyous pop music. It makes it feel like everything will be okay, and in this video they do a good job of pairing darker images; the skeleton, books on suicide and being a teenager, with their smiling selves. This video fits perfectly with the song, though it doesn't make the song better it serves as a solid visual companion for the music.
Grade: A-

Video of the Week:

Titus Andronicus - "Upon Viewing Brueghl's Landscape With the Fall of Icarus"; With the release of their self-titled album Titus Andronicus proved that you don't need any tricks or gimmicks to make solid rock music that people would adore, you just need passion and an earnest ability to craft some good songs. Titus prove once again that no frills is usually the best way to go with an energetic, passionate, black and white video for their tune. Okay, they throw in a bunch of glitter and a crowd surfer but that only enhances the power of their raw live performances. Anyone who has ever seen them knows that this is the true Titus Andronicus at its best.
Grade: A

Tonight!!!: A Brief Smile EP Release @ The Delancey

Who: A Brief Smile + Bridges & Powerlines
Where: The Delancey
When: 7:45pm
Cost: $5
What to Expect: For each of the next three months A Brief Smile will be releasing a brand new 3-song EP on the first Friday. The EP release will coincide with a release party at The Delancey, and tonight gets the ball rolling on both of those things. First off, tonight's show is pretty stellar with sets from Bridges and Powerlines, Mean Creek, and a lot more, plus a full set from A Brief Smile as well. There's a bunch going on and it's running from just before 8pm to mad late so bring your party face. As far as the first of these three EP's go you will notice a great deal of change in the sound of A Brief Smile. Be Mine offers an introduction to the changes of A Brief Smile. While the band has always been known as a noisy band, they kind of tone it down a bit for the new EP. It's still loud, but there's a lot more melody and feeling in the music this time around. It's more mature then anything they've done before. And the best part about all these EP's is that they are available for free from the band's website right now! Check 'em out and get your butts to the show tonight!
Listen: A Brief Smile - "Century at Heart"
Bridges and Powerlines - "Uncalibrated"

This Week's Tour News

Who: Sonic Youth
When: July 3rd
Where: United Palace Theater
On Sale: Saturday, 10am
More Dates
Thoughts: I'm planning on buying now and listening to Sonic Youth's new album Sacred Eternal over the weekend! I'm super excited for it, and to be able to listen to it on vinyl, and to hear the recording of last year's 4th of July show, and, oh I guess you get the point! I'm just flat out excited about Sonic Youth in 2009! These guys are one of my favorite bands of all-time and I'm sure this is gonna be just another in a long line of kick ass shows. Don't miss it!
Listen: Sonic Youth - "No Garage"

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Who: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
When: July 31st
Where: All Points West
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: This summer's Yeah Yeah Yeahs tour only includes one local stop so far and that's the big All Points West festival in Jersey City. Obviously the band will be blacked out from doing any other live appearances before this, but I'm sure they'll be back in the winter if you want to catch them at a more intimate place (like Radio City or WAMU Theater). Until then we'll have to get our Karen O fix with about 10,000 other people.
Listen: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Mystery Girl"

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Who: The Lemonheads
When: June 25th
Where: Bowery Ballroom
On Sale: Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: I was never a big Lemonheads fan. I don't get the allure of Evan Dando, but some of their tunes are admittedly solid. Still I probably won't make it a point to see them live in June, but if you're a fan by all means try and convince me otherwise. Oh tickets go on sale today so if you are a fan jump on that.
Listen: The Lemonheads - "Luka"

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Who: Yo La Tengo
When: July 13th
Where: Keyspan Park
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: Last week I told you that Wilco would be hitting Coney Island's Keyspan Park and this week we were told that Yo La Tengo would be opening that show! As if Wilco weren't enough a bunch of indie boys and girls probably orgasmed over the thought of these two playing together!
Listen: Yo La Tengo - "Mr. Tough"

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Who: Those Dancing Days
When: May 26th + 28th
Where: Mercury Lounge + Union Hall
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: Yet another overly addictive Swedish group, this time in the package of five absolutely adorable young ladies. It is seriously time we stopped Sweden! They are taking over the pop world! This is the second sign of the apocalypse! Or maybe the Swedes just understand how to make good pop music?
Listen: Those Dancing Days - "Those Dancing Days"

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Who: Major Lazer
When: June 13th
Where: SOB's
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: DJ's Diplo and Switch have joined forces and created something called Major Lazer. I have not listened yet, but I will go out on a limb and guess that this music will get your butts moving. Live they'll stand behind all their DJ equipment and press play on a bunch of tunes they've already mixed. You will dance and quite possibly enjoy yourself. That is, if you like that sort of thing.
Listen: Major Lazer - "Lazer Boom 1"

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Who: Harvey Milk
When: July 26th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg
On Sale: Saturday, Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: Harvey Milk are joining Torche on the road for a couple of weeks and if you're feeling up for an evening of skull crushing metal then you should find yourself front and center for this show.
Listen: Harvey Milk - "Motown"

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Who: Love Is All
When: June 2nd + 5th
Where: Maxwell's + Music Hall of Williamsburg
On Sale: Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: Agh! More Swedes! Love Is All have been around for a bit now though and these guys will most definitely be selling out both of these shows. If you have even the slightest desire to see them you should buy tickets today! Otherwise you will be waiting about six months or more before they come back to the States for another round of shows.
Listen: Love Is All - "Wishing Well"

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Who: Destroyer
When: July 30th
Where: Bowery Ballroom
On Sale: Noon
More Dates
Thoughts: It's been a while since we've heard from Dan Bejar's solo project Destroyer. Sure he just released an album with that other side project Swan Lake, but I think we all like Bejar a bit better when he does things on his own. I know I do. Looking forward to this show.
Listen: Destroyer - "Painter In Your Pocket"

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Who: They Might Be Giants
When: July 11th
Where: Prospect Park Bandshell
On Sale: FREE
More Dates
Thoughts: Just a few months ago I saw They Might Be Giants playing Flood straight through and was blown away by how well the two Johns still remember that material. Fans of the band, and of music in general, should all be flocking to Prospect Park this summer when the band does a completely free show (though they'll probably ask for a suggested donation of $3). If the weather's good, it will be the perfect night to just hang in the park listening to some classic tunes.
Listen: They Might Be Giants - "Birdhouse In Your Soul"

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Who: John Vanderslice + Tallest Man on Earth
When: June 12th + 13th
Where: Music Hall of Williamsburg + Bowery Ballroom
On Sale: Now
More Dates
Thoughts: Both these bands will be on Brooklyn Vegan's Northside Fest show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, so if you went ahead and got yourself a badge you can definitely check this out. My own Northside show will be going on at the same time next door at Public Assembly so I'm gonna see this tour I'll have to hold off for the Bowery show.
Listen: John Vanderslice - "Fetal Horses"
Tallest Man on Earth - "A Field of Birds"

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Who: Japandroids
When: July 10th + 11th
Where: Cameo Gallery + Pianos
On Sale: Probably No Pre-sale
More Dates
Thoughts: Just as everything was going good for Japandroids the band suffered a set back in the form of a preforated ulcer. Yeah, sounds painful and the picture doesn't make it look any better. Lucky for all of us this Vancouver duo has already rescheduled their cancelled tour dates and will be hitting the road as soon as the wound heals. Plus, chicks dig scars so things are still going well for Japandroids.
Listen: Japandroids - "Hear Sweats"