Tuesday, June 20, 2006

3's company

yo yo yo -

Got three new bands to bring everybody's attention to, and I'm just gonna get right to it.

So I'm tentatively thinking I might've hit upon a hidden gem with these guys as there's no mention of them in pitchfork or on spin.com. The deal is this: they are a duo from London that combine influences of scratchy guitar with electro-funk of other Brit poppers like New Order. The first single off of the album, "Drink to Moving On" is fantastic - catchy, different, fun but with an edge, something you can really get into. After a quick scan I can confirm that other songs off the album are equally good and unique, especially in the U.K. punk-saturated world. A classic? Not sure, but definitely up for heavy rotation. www.grand-national.net

Also on the complete novice tip are this foursome, The Hard Tomorrows. A more traditional sound full of light guitar melodies, soft bass and vocals that transition into stronger choruses, I predict they could be a good up and coming band on the indie circuit. They've got all the makings of something bigger than just local bars - and the lead singer I think has a bit of Dave Grohl in him. The single off their not-yet-released album is called "Put Yourself Out," and just so happens they are opening up for Run Run Run (from California - also pretty good) at Pianos on Friday night. They are also doing several dates in DC this summer. Oh, and PS - they have a pretty cute little blog on their website, www.thehardtomorrows.com.

Final band is a bit bigger than the above three, having toured with a couple of major festivals. The deal is this: they are an 11 piece (yes, 11 piece!!) African influence soul-funk band from the 5th borough, i.e. Staten Island. They met as kids at a community center and have been playing together ever since - something really easy to tell because their sound is so tight. The songs are really fun, highly musical and sound like a dance between instruments (horns, bass, piano, everything). Definitely recommend them for anyone looking to branch out a bit from the indie/rock circuit - these guys will display some serious musical talent.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

New Yorke

Last Wednesday Radiohead played their final show in NYC to a sold out house in the theater at Madison Square Garden. Although it's already been reported every which way I still wanted to take the time to recount this experience, if only because it's stayed with me for the past 5 days in a way that few shows have.

Radiohead released their first album Pablo Honey in 1993. 13+ years later this band has evolved in ways so few other bands have. They've gone from their original guitar heavy above par rock (i.e. Creep) to produce two of the essential rock albums today (The Bends and OK Computer) in the late 90's, only to take a steep path to experimental computer generated sounds in Kid A and Amnesiac, only to reintroduce more traditional sounds back into Hail to the thief.

The truth is that there are very few bands who have withstood that kind of personal change and come out on the other side a whole and completely cohesive group. Thom Yorke is obviously the most visible of the group, an icon for anyone who's ever felt weird, outside of the norm, perhaps lonely and afraid. My friend Bridget astutely noticed that during the opening band, the Black Keys, you could just feel the angst in the crowd waiting to see Thom. It's as if he is that social pariah who took his alienation and turned it into a crowd of "better, happier" fans. Besides Thom's utter fame as one of the greater musicians of our time, Radiohead is above and beyond a band of guys who stand behind one another. Their music flows and dances between instruments in perfect time, playing off of each other, off of Thom's vocal versatility, and off of the crowd. You literally could not sense an ounce of tension between them, and as an ultimate show of support at the end of the set they all got up and clapped for one another. That is not something you would see at another show. Ever.



Perhaps as a result of their cohesiveness Radiohead can, in a mere 2 hours, take a crowd around the world with their music. The range of songs is unlike any other - going from hard hitting punk to far fetched PC generated pieces to Thom alone under a spotlight. And the crowd at the Theater held on for dear life throughout the entire ride from one song to the next. Just as much as they embraced No Surprises did they wail and sway to the new songs (they played about 6 total, one in particular that caught my ear was "Bodysnatchers). There wasn't a person who walked out of MSG unaffected by the set (including a friend of mine who got to see this show as her first ever Radiohead experience and who subsequently looked like she was walking on air afterwards).

The two hour set flew by in about 30 seconds, and no one I was with was ready to leave. Besides the music, I will make a note that MSG has a gem of a venue hidden inside it with the Theater - they are smart enough to not oversell the GA section, so you can easily see the band from within 20-30 feet without getting crushed (important for a vertically challenged soul such as I).

Finally, as perhaps the icing on the cake, Thom takes time to post on their website about their tour, with little thoughts and pictures. Pretty funny one went up this weekend about the rumor that a Bush daughter was at show #2 at MSG. Link to read that entry is here.

http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/

If I think of any more talking points about this show I'll add them over the week.

P.S. For anyone who tried to post a comment earlier but didn't want to register, that's all gone now, so post away!

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Rare birds

Okay, so as you all know I recently got a new computer = new ipod = way too much time exploring the outer reaches of the internet and the music it has to offer, including the following:

- New music podcasts, specifically Indie Feed and KEXP song of the day.
- Celebrity playlists on itunes.

Podcasts
First things first - I'm totally loving Indie Feed and KEXP song of the day. It's free music (you just have to listen to a little intro at the beginning of each podcast) and a great way to get a sampling of new bands already screened by music-freaks like ourselves (or at least myself). On KEXP, recent bands featured include Band of Horses, Calexico, Stars of Track and Field, The Go! Team, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Minus the Bear. KEXP also hosts podcasts that go further than just a single song, like the Live Performance Podcast which delves into interviews and performances with artists like We Are Scientists (yes, I'm still obsessing over them). Finally, they have an hour long session each week about "Music That Matters," which I think is a grittier NPR "All Songs Considered."

For those of you still just interested in a song a day, Indie Feed has been gracious enough to put together a selection of daily feeds that cover an array of genres - everything from Rock/Alternative to Electronica/Dance to Hip Hop or Folk. Yesterday's featured a fun, We Might Be Giants-esque band called Golden Daughters.

Both of these can be found on iTunes in the Podcast section or at the following URLs:
http://kexp.org/podcasting/podcasting.asp
http://blindingflashes.blogs.com/indie_feed/

Celebrity Playlists
So, I know these have been around for a while, but I just took the time to check them out. And just in case you are wondering, here are some of the gems I've learned:

1) Jack Black still wishes he could wear flannel to the premiere of Nacho Libre. He loves Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Soul Asylum, Pixies and Sebadoh. Awesome.
2) Dave from Widespread Panic shakes it up with songs from Dungen and The Mars Volta.
3) Bo Bice wants more cowbell in his life.
4) Pink promotes girrrrrl power via 4 Non Blondes, Mazzy Star, Indigo Girls and Liz Phair. Excellent.
5) Mandy Moore listens to Sufjan Stevens and Imogen Heap. I'm shocked, Really. On the floor.
6) Most assaulting information: Jerry Bruckheimer listens to 50 cent, Usher and 3 Doors Down. Yuck.
7) Best playlist I saw thus far was from the freaking kids from the Harry Potter movie, who highlighted songs from Arcade Fire, The Futureheads, Brendan Benson (The Raconteurs), The Libs, Hope of the States, and The Streets.

These things are way better look into people's lives than the papparazzi. I mean, how much do you love knowing that Liv Tyler sings out loud to Gloria. A+ Liv...

I'm seeing Radiohead tomorrow night so no post, but will report back on Thursday and let you all know that seeing Thom Yorke live is better than world peace.

A final piece of info: Eagles of Death Metal are going to be at Roseland on June 22, playing with Peaches. Josh Homme takes it down a notch from Queens of the Stone Age and has some fun with EoDM. Their last album Death By Sexy received pretty good reviews, and I've heard they are even better live. Tickets go on sale Friday!

www.myspace.com/eaglesofdeathmetal (their website kind of blows, check em out at myspace)

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Gray Zone



Pardon the large gap between posts - last week consisted of a bday and a bachelorette party which meant less time to put thoughts to paper (or in this case, keyboard). But this week should provide lots of new posts as I've come upon a few new bands and various tour schedules to pass along:

First: the Raconteurs are coming to New York again this fall, playing at Roseland on 9/26. I missed them the first time around but feel compelled to spread the word about this appearance.

The Raconteurs are Jack White's new band - and I think what great about them is that he is extremely adamant about making sure that people know this is not his "side project." They are a fully formed foursome that have quite a distinct sound from the White Stripes, and I really can't fault Jack for wanting to make sure that fans are aware of that before making an unfounded assumption that the Raconteurs and White Stripes are two of a kind.

I think it's more applicable to say that the two compliment each other. While from the same cut as the Stripes - chock full of scratchy guitars and an omnipresent set of drums - The Raconteurs take the music in a different direction by adding in a well placed bass and a backup guitar (not to mention additional vocals). In addition, White takes a back seat at the Raconteurs, letting lead vocalist Brendan Benson do his thing. And you know what? Benson is really good. In Broken Boy Soldier (from the album of the same title) he almost has a Robert Plant feel, and Steady As She Goes (the first single) is both rough and completely lovable at the same time.

Also helping to distinguish the Raconteurs is the fact that they are based out of Nashville, TN. In my experience I've found that the scene there can breed some really amazing artists who have influences not just from the standard indie-post-punk floating across the Atlantic from the UK, but also from the folk and country bands who have been in Nashville all along. Plus, Jack White has a baby now, and that's gotta throw him for a loop.

Tickets to see the Raconteurs at Roseland go on sale Thursday June 22 at noon on ticketmaster.
www.theraconteurs.com
www.myspace.com/theraconteurs

P.S. Totally aside, I saw Mr. Brownstone last night. And they were just as sweet as I remember. Yesssss.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Ahead of the curve...

So, my sister just pointed out to me the NYTimes review of Tapes today... I'm glad I beat them to the punch with my 11:59pm post last night, phew!

The review is rather cute and glowing though. You can read it here. Tapes is playing again tonight at Bowery, but the show is sold out.

In other news, Doves just went back into the studio to record album #4. No release date yet, but I'm hoping sometime in the fall/winter. Fingers crossed it should be great, as their last LP, Some Cities, was one of the U.K. post-punk anthems of 2005.

Will keep you all posted on that.

Monday, June 05, 2006

Life is good

Life is good for two reasons for me today:

1) I got a new computer. It is a macbook. And it is essentially the sweetest product in the history of man.



2) I got a chance to see tapes 'n tapes on Sunday night at the Bowery. The foursome from Minnesota definitely lived up to the hype with an uppity, unpredictable, and excitable set to the crowd of about 500 fans. These guys kind of came out of nowhere with their tremendously inconsistent album, The Loon. Each song is different and you can barely understand any of the lyrics, yet perhaps because of those two features the short 41 minute compilation is on major repeat on my ipod. (I can't decide if I'm still trying to figure out what they're saying or just given up and created my own lyrics - either way if you happen to know what the hell is being said during The Iliad please let me know).

The inconsistency is part of the fun in listening to tnt - in their songs you can hear influences from everywhere, including The Zutons, CYSHY, Modest Mouse and probably a little Shins thrown in there (and I swear even a little 90's throw back to Rusted Root).

Bonus to the show - one of the opening bands was pretty good. Another foursome from Modesto, California named Cold War Kids. They definitely were an unpolished cross between Interpol, MM (again) and The Rapture, but they had that early "I wrote this song in my parent's garage" potential. Plus some pretty endearing fans in the mix.

Tapes 'n Tapes are headed across country now on tour - look for dates at www.tapesntapes.com.

Cold War Kids website can be found at www.coldwarkids.com.

Friday, June 02, 2006

From light to heavy

This week came across two bands from totally different ends of the spectrum, but both worth mentioning.

On the light side, learned about the Lylas by way of Music For Robots earlier this week. This quartet from Nashville, TN popped on the scene in 2003, and since then has already put out 4 albums. Their most recent lp, "Lessons for Lovers" is picking up traction with the critics and fans outside of the dirrty S, and for good reason. Their breezy tunes are sort of like what you might expect a drive up the Pacific Coast to sound like. It's basically a really lovely set of tracks with an easy mix of guitar, lightly scratchy vocals, and some great instrumental touches that pull the songs together nicely. Definitely some strong influences from The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkle, Nick Drake and perhaps even some Pink Floyd...?

Lylas don't look like they're coming anywhere up north anytime soon, but for those Nashville natives (like my sister, who obviously is reading this blog religiously and wants to go see all the shows I recommend).

Band website here.
Myspace page here.

Other band I caught up this week is called "I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness." I'm pretty sure that even if these guys weren't good (which they are) the name itself is awesome enough to warrant checking out their CD.

Luckily enough though they are pretty good - as previously mentioned they are quite a bit harsher than Lylas. More like a cross between Interpol, Mogwai with some Marilyn Manson thrown in (but really just a touch of Marilyn, they're morbid but not crazy).

The band is from Austin - a great music town that really takes influences from every music-walk-of-life. So even if they are on the rougher end of the spectrum, you can see that they've been wise enough to listen to a wide range of genres and let several artists permeate their repertoire. Regardless though, they've got quite a bit of angst and use heavy bass to emphasize their emotional state.

These guys are coming to NYC - playing at the Bowery on 7/19.
Band website here.
Myspace here.

Have a great weekend!

Karen O rocks my world


NY'ers -

FYI, tomorrow tickets for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Sonic Youth (yes, that's right, they're still together and touring) on 8/11 at McCarren Park in Brooklyn go on sale.

Besides the fact that their sophomore album, Show Your Bones, is chock full of great tunes (including a remix of "something like a phenomenon") everyone should get a chance to see Karen O in concert at least once. She's the kind of rock icon who thrashes around on stage, uses her throat as a volatile instrument and loves connecting with her fans. The last time I saw her everyone was talking about how she inserted the entire microphone into her mouth when singing Art Star - pretty f*cking $$$.

The band itself has undergone a lot of troublesome times - Karen and her guitarist have been on the outs for a while, and it's possible that this could be their last album together. (For all interested in more on "Behind the Music - Yeah Yeah Yeahs" there was a good article about it in Spin last month) So all the more reason to go out of your way to see them in August.

Above photo of Karen courtesy of Bridget (my expert - and tall - concert photographer friend).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs tickets on sale through ticketmaster tomorrow.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs website here.