Ohh, Friday mornings. The weekend is but a sneeze away, but my brain is dragging behind my body, which went into weekend mode about 6pm last night. Leaving work to check out the NEMO opening party at the Cyclorama/Boston Center for the Arts, the first PBR hit me hard, and onward we went.
Due to lack of proper caffeine, I'm going to throw some shorts your way.
###
On Tour Widget: Never Miss Another Concert, They Say...
OnTour will deliver thorough concert listings that are customized to your tastes. More importantly, concerts of artists in your iTunes will be highlighted in the ‘My Artists’ section of results so that you’ll be sure to see them. Links are provided to ticket options as well as to iTunes so you can listen to samples of artists coming to your town. The website that supports the widget, ontour.net, provides artist discographies, links to iTunes, Google maps, and links to ticket vendors.
yeah, that was more or less copied and pasted...
Download here
###
Quick Note: Green light for The Go Station. It was so perplexing, though, to hear a band that has such a big, stadium sound to the likes of Oasis or The Killers at the Middle East Up. Nonetheless, they are definitely worth checking out when they come to your town.
###
Saturday .::. 18:10
I will try my very best to do NEMO panel reviews in a timely fashion. I only attended two, but I unexpectedly wrote a lot of notes down that would be extremely helpful to all those that weren't absent.
And, were, you know, in bands or whatever.
On a personal note I am nursing THE hangover of 2007 today, so bear with me. I love you all.
9.30.2006
9.29.2006
Diamond Nights @ Middle East Up, 09.28.06
I'd planned to go home and get some laundry done instead of seeing Diamond Nights. The thought of staying out beyond the bars closing was not even a consideration, but this band completely changed the course of my night. Having really only heard "The Girl's Attractive" before, I was impressed moreso by the hilarious stage banter from lead singer/guitarist Morgan Phalen. Having met Tim Traynor in Rockport, MA - Diamond Nights was born of cold New England weather and boredom.
There's something about their music I can't peg, but I like it. There are moment of classic rock homage, with curtseys to Sabbath vocals (though not in the overbearing Wolfmother way) and riffage that resurrects the pre-Puffy collab days of Led Zeppelin. There is something incredibly raw about them, albeit goofy in their stage presence which is completely absorbed by Morgan's obscenely tall stature and noticeably tight girl pants. Too bad I forgot my camera!
After being indifferent for quite some time, I'm ready to push Diamond Nights over to a band that I should be listening to - one that I would probably love a whole lot if I gave the them the proper chance.
If you missed them last night, they'll be playing Northeastern University tonight, September 29th.
Unfortunately and regardless of the fact that I live in that neighborhood, I don't have any details for this show. Help!
Website: http://www.diamond-nights.com
9.28.2006
Going To The Go Station, Anyone?
This weekend Boston will become an industry bonanza as the NEMO Festival saturates the city with an assload of great shows. No joke. Tonight I'll be out and about, but I'm most excited about seeing New York's The Go Station.
I saw this band perform their very first show at Continental during CMJ's 2003 Marathon, and there was so much potential. Since then, I've kept up as best as I could, following up sometime in March or April of this year. Completely blown away by their newer songs, I can't wait to see them again. There are certain facets of pop music that hook and sink - and I am but a fish!
Random fact: I once asked Doug (singer) what the name meant - it's a play on the underground Ghost Stations in London.
Middle East Upstairs
472 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02319
617.864.3278 www.mideastclub.com
$10 - 18+ Doors @ 7pm
8pm Thick As Thieves (Cambridge, MA)
9pm The Go Station (New York, NY)
10pm Hector On Stilts (Pittsfield, MA)
11pm The Motion Sick (Boston, MA)
12am Diamond Nights (Boston, MA)
Audible: The Go Station - "Wandering Away"
Website: http://www.thegostation.com
I saw this band perform their very first show at Continental during CMJ's 2003 Marathon, and there was so much potential. Since then, I've kept up as best as I could, following up sometime in March or April of this year. Completely blown away by their newer songs, I can't wait to see them again. There are certain facets of pop music that hook and sink - and I am but a fish!
Random fact: I once asked Doug (singer) what the name meant - it's a play on the underground Ghost Stations in London.
Middle East Upstairs
472 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02319
617.864.3278 www.mideastclub.com
$10 - 18+ Doors @ 7pm
8pm Thick As Thieves (Cambridge, MA)
9pm The Go Station (New York, NY)
10pm Hector On Stilts (Pittsfield, MA)
11pm The Motion Sick (Boston, MA)
12am Diamond Nights (Boston, MA)
Audible: The Go Station - "Wandering Away"
Website: http://www.thegostation.com
Bloodshed On Broadway
Ready for something exciting?
Definitely.
Combining Evil Dead 1 & 2, the musical will hit New York next month. (Road trip, anyone?) With songs like "All The Men In My Life Keep Getting Killed By Candarian Demons" and "What the Fuck Was That," I hear that front row seats are cheaper because you WILL leave covered in blood.
Ryan Ward will play Ash - film and stage credits include a whole slew of projects that I have never heard of, but as long as he can replicate a chin as mighty as Bruce Campbell's, he's good in my book.
Website: http://www.evildeadthemusical.com
Definitely.
Combining Evil Dead 1 & 2, the musical will hit New York next month. (Road trip, anyone?) With songs like "All The Men In My Life Keep Getting Killed By Candarian Demons" and "What the Fuck Was That," I hear that front row seats are cheaper because you WILL leave covered in blood.
Ryan Ward will play Ash - film and stage credits include a whole slew of projects that I have never heard of, but as long as he can replicate a chin as mighty as Bruce Campbell's, he's good in my book.
Website: http://www.evildeadthemusical.com
9.26.2006
Mountain Goats Get Lonely. Solution? Tour!
Well, if that isn't the lamest of play on words. Supporting the latest release, Get Lonely, John Darnielle and company have hit the road to tour in front of their devoted fanbase.
I have never seen him play, but it's an opportunity I wouldn't miss. Never on my hot plate, Mountain Goats are a band whose name catches my eye in every dollar bin, ever obscure blog page, and every old mix that I find in the recesses of my few remaining cassettes and plethora of burned, unmarked discs. His music reminds me of a period in college where I was at my best - during the period, of course, that I fell in love with music journalism. Such a good reason to get drunk on a Tuesday (aside from the fact that it's, well, Tuesday).
Mountain Goats @ Middle East Down
Tuesday, September 26th
$14 / 18+
Audible: Mountain Goats - "Going To Georgia" my all-time favorite
p.s. check out the other "Going To..." songs
Audible: Mountain Goats - "New Monster Avenue"
Website: http://www.themountaingoats.net
I have never seen him play, but it's an opportunity I wouldn't miss. Never on my hot plate, Mountain Goats are a band whose name catches my eye in every dollar bin, ever obscure blog page, and every old mix that I find in the recesses of my few remaining cassettes and plethora of burned, unmarked discs. His music reminds me of a period in college where I was at my best - during the period, of course, that I fell in love with music journalism. Such a good reason to get drunk on a Tuesday (aside from the fact that it's, well, Tuesday).
Mountain Goats @ Middle East Down
Tuesday, September 26th
$14 / 18+
Audible: Mountain Goats - "Going To Georgia" my all-time favorite
p.s. check out the other "Going To..." songs
Audible: Mountain Goats - "New Monster Avenue"
Website: http://www.themountaingoats.net
9.25.2006
Blood Brothers Reign On Newbury
Well, I'll be damned. Of all the places the Seattle quintet that still can would be slated to play an in-store on the day they release Young Machetes, it's good ol' Boston. Newbury Comics tends to have some decent performances, but this comes only from heresay. I've never been. However, you can bet your dubloons I'll be there on 10.10.06.
I'll tell you all now, I've had the record for about a month now, and my review will be due within the next week. I've been laundering my many reactions and thoughts over and over again, ready to come to a conclusion.
And let me tell you, it's a positive one.
Young Machetes is everything I'd hoped for and more. Being a jilted fan from the release of Crimes, I walk the path of Blood Brothers fandom once again.
Not to sound dramatic, but that's just how it is with them...
Blood Brothers @ Newbury Comics
332 Newbury Street
Boston, MA
Tuesday, October 10th
20:00
Mindblowing Audio: Blood Brothers - "Cecilia And The Silhouette Saloon"
Mindnumbing Audio: Blood Brothers - "Peacock Skeleton With Crooked Feathers" spare yourself, don't click...
Website: http://www.thebloodbrothers.com
I'll tell you all now, I've had the record for about a month now, and my review will be due within the next week. I've been laundering my many reactions and thoughts over and over again, ready to come to a conclusion.
And let me tell you, it's a positive one.
Young Machetes is everything I'd hoped for and more. Being a jilted fan from the release of Crimes, I walk the path of Blood Brothers fandom once again.
Not to sound dramatic, but that's just how it is with them...
Blood Brothers @ Newbury Comics
332 Newbury Street
Boston, MA
Tuesday, October 10th
20:00
Mindblowing Audio: Blood Brothers - "Cecilia And The Silhouette Saloon"
Mindnumbing Audio: Blood Brothers - "Peacock Skeleton With Crooked Feathers" spare yourself, don't click...
Website: http://www.thebloodbrothers.com
9.22.2006
One Sox, Two Sox, Red Sox, Blue Sox
Living in Boston for nearly eight months now, tonight was my first attendance at a Red Sox game. I live not far from Fenway Park as it is, and have gone to many a-shows at Avalon, but never had I entered into the depths of the "Green Monstah" myself.
Breaking a 68 year-old record, Mr. "Big Papi" Ortiz (I'm too tired to go google his first name) scored not one but two home runs, breaking and surpassing the record of 50 home runs by one player within a Red Sox season. Hot stuff. I was very skeptical pulling up to Fenway to meet with my co-worker, being my moody self wearing mostly black and lugging my track bike over my shoulder (go ahead, call me names). It was that damn WAVE that won me over. I think it went 'round about five times, and I couldn't stop laughing. During the second half of the game I had smiles of pure, unaware joy on my face, and was laughing like a child in a ball pit.
So this is what I've been missing out, eh Boston? Not bad at all. I could get into this.
Well, okay, not that into it. I may be an expat, but I am a New Yorker.
So that's all for now. No music news. Something special coming your way tomorrow. Otherwise, you should be listening to Divsion Day. And NKOTB's greatest hits. Don't ask, just do!
Over and out,
OC
P.S. Boston, it is important that you know about this, just cause...
Breaking a 68 year-old record, Mr. "Big Papi" Ortiz (I'm too tired to go google his first name) scored not one but two home runs, breaking and surpassing the record of 50 home runs by one player within a Red Sox season. Hot stuff. I was very skeptical pulling up to Fenway to meet with my co-worker, being my moody self wearing mostly black and lugging my track bike over my shoulder (go ahead, call me names). It was that damn WAVE that won me over. I think it went 'round about five times, and I couldn't stop laughing. During the second half of the game I had smiles of pure, unaware joy on my face, and was laughing like a child in a ball pit.
So this is what I've been missing out, eh Boston? Not bad at all. I could get into this.
Well, okay, not that into it. I may be an expat, but I am a New Yorker.
So that's all for now. No music news. Something special coming your way tomorrow. Otherwise, you should be listening to Divsion Day. And NKOTB's greatest hits. Don't ask, just do!
Over and out,
OC
P.S. Boston, it is important that you know about this, just cause...
9.19.2006
The Legend Doesn't "Play" Out
Frank Lorber's latest release, Play has been plaguing me for weeks. As a German DJ that has been in the scene for fifteen years, there are so many facets of his career that make me want to enjoy his every manipulative build in the album's thirteen tracks. Released on the haunting 06.06.06, Play's first track, a remix of "Falling Up," has elements that should appeal. Creepy, distorted high-ends atop the subtle oontz-oontz that carries the song from start to finish.
Maybe it's the absence of a club setting that dulls the record's shine, but it leaves itself unlistenable about halfway through. I can't see how this can grow on me any further than it already has. Ultimately, there's this glaring disconnect that's apparent throughout the record. There's a strong connection to Kompakt and Ghostly International here, too, but...nope. Nothing. Personally, my tastes are closer to the more emotional swells of electronic music, which has lead me to develop a 9 month and then some obsession with Ellen Allien's last two records. There's also the glory of Spank Rock and Drop The Lime that integrate so much into their dancefloor intentions.
Or, well, it could be the fact that I'm not European. Honestly, this kind of thing makes a difference when it comes to techno music. I am,nonetheless, very interested in checking out his label's roster - Nummer Schallplatten. The label was created in 2003 after Lorber spent a decade of DJing. Surely there must be some hidden treasures...
Website: http://www.franklorber.de
Maybe it's the absence of a club setting that dulls the record's shine, but it leaves itself unlistenable about halfway through. I can't see how this can grow on me any further than it already has. Ultimately, there's this glaring disconnect that's apparent throughout the record. There's a strong connection to Kompakt and Ghostly International here, too, but...nope. Nothing. Personally, my tastes are closer to the more emotional swells of electronic music, which has lead me to develop a 9 month and then some obsession with Ellen Allien's last two records. There's also the glory of Spank Rock and Drop The Lime that integrate so much into their dancefloor intentions.
Or, well, it could be the fact that I'm not European. Honestly, this kind of thing makes a difference when it comes to techno music. I am,nonetheless, very interested in checking out his label's roster - Nummer Schallplatten. The label was created in 2003 after Lorber spent a decade of DJing. Surely there must be some hidden treasures...
Website: http://www.franklorber.de
I [Still] Wanna Dip My Balls In It!
I am as stuffed drunk from dinner as I am overcome with pure joy about the following news:
"After ten years of popular demand, The State is available again! The first season of the critically acclaimed 1993-95 MTV Series will be released on iTunes Music Store, starting Tuesday, September 26th. Depending on how many people download, MTV will release subsequent seasons, and then eventually, hopefully, a DVD."
The thought of a DVD release for The State has been a hot rumor much like the never-ending wish for a decent president. (Does that make sense? I'll go make a pot of coffee...) To imagine that this DVD might actually come out is fantastic, but one can only hope that fans will actually dish out the small dough balls to purchase the videos - rather than ripping them off of their friends.
Look out for these State-member-made MOVIES coming soon:
LET'S GO TO PRISON (November 22)
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (December 22)
BALLS OF FURY (January 26)
RENO 911! MIAMI (February 23)
THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY (2007)
DIGGERS (2007)
THE TEN (2007)
Visible: State Montage
Website: http://www.the-state.com
"After ten years of popular demand, The State is available again! The first season of the critically acclaimed 1993-95 MTV Series will be released on iTunes Music Store, starting Tuesday, September 26th. Depending on how many people download, MTV will release subsequent seasons, and then eventually, hopefully, a DVD."
The thought of a DVD release for The State has been a hot rumor much like the never-ending wish for a decent president. (Does that make sense? I'll go make a pot of coffee...) To imagine that this DVD might actually come out is fantastic, but one can only hope that fans will actually dish out the small dough balls to purchase the videos - rather than ripping them off of their friends.
Look out for these State-member-made MOVIES coming soon:
LET'S GO TO PRISON (November 22)
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (December 22)
BALLS OF FURY (January 26)
RENO 911! MIAMI (February 23)
THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY (2007)
DIGGERS (2007)
THE TEN (2007)
Visible: State Montage
Website: http://www.the-state.com
9.16.2006
Return To Cookie...mmm Cookies, Where?
"Let The Devil In" is my "Ambulance" of TV On The Radio's newest record, Return To Cookie Mountain. The 3.5 minute mark brings in a bombastic "Woah! Oh! Ohh ohhhhh!" from the band, a climax that you cannot help but dance and sing around to in company and private. (Well, particularly in private.) Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes never grabbed me as a whole, though there were tracks like "The Wrong Way" and "Staring At The Sun" were unlike anything I'd heard around then, save the prior summer's Yeah Yeah Yeahs obsession.
Return ventures on new territory, drawing from what I believe to be the best points of their last LP. "Wolf Like Me" and "Hours" are unbelievably good. More than anything, it's the fact that the record plays from start to finish, growing its magnetic force with each thorough listen.
Goddamn these boys are talented.
Audible: TV On The Radio - "Wolf Like Me" Blast. This. Song.
Website: http://www.tvontheradio.com
And just because I love this photo, and this band has SOMETHING to do with the YYYs, I want to share it...
Return ventures on new territory, drawing from what I believe to be the best points of their last LP. "Wolf Like Me" and "Hours" are unbelievably good. More than anything, it's the fact that the record plays from start to finish, growing its magnetic force with each thorough listen.
Goddamn these boys are talented.
Audible: TV On The Radio - "Wolf Like Me" Blast. This. Song.
Website: http://www.tvontheradio.com
And just because I love this photo, and this band has SOMETHING to do with the YYYs, I want to share it...
Bitch! Dontcha Know You're Orange!?
Now I can't dance and I really can't sing...I can only do one thing and that's be Lay-dee Sov-err-rin...
From "Love Me Or Hate Me," I'll be damned if I can't get this line out of my head. So damn good, but not as good as the rest of Public Warning. Proposal for a new drinking game: if you take a shot every time she says "Make way for the S-O-V" you will be falling down the stairs of your ground floor apartment.
Back in whatever month it was that she came to Avalon to open for The Streets, her short set surpassed that of the headliner's by so so much. "Gatheration" is a damn good track, and that Spank Rock remix of "Hoodie" is better than the original. But "Tango," "Random," and "Public Warning" are just phenomenal. Making her Def Jam debut with this record, Lady Sov will be attracting a great number of new fans with this record. Personal favorite below.
Homework assignment: seek out Curtis Vodka Remix of "Love Me Or Hate Me" - it's worth it. ...or just click here
Audible: Lady Sovereign - "Public Warning"
Website" http://www.ladysovereign.com
From "Love Me Or Hate Me," I'll be damned if I can't get this line out of my head. So damn good, but not as good as the rest of Public Warning. Proposal for a new drinking game: if you take a shot every time she says "Make way for the S-O-V" you will be falling down the stairs of your ground floor apartment.
Back in whatever month it was that she came to Avalon to open for The Streets, her short set surpassed that of the headliner's by so so much. "Gatheration" is a damn good track, and that Spank Rock remix of "Hoodie" is better than the original. But "Tango," "Random," and "Public Warning" are just phenomenal. Making her Def Jam debut with this record, Lady Sov will be attracting a great number of new fans with this record. Personal favorite below.
Homework assignment: seek out Curtis Vodka Remix of "Love Me Or Hate Me" - it's worth it. ...or just click here
Audible: Lady Sovereign - "Public Warning"
Website" http://www.ladysovereign.com
Daisy Daisy Drive Me Craisy
When I first received the new Ultra.Electro by David Waxman, I cringed at the cover. Then getting its concept for Disc 1 - a collection of the last year or two's best indie-rock electronic tracks remixed with touches a bit more on the house end - I started to get into particular tracks. Still, I stayed away from Disc 2 - Waxman's selection of a wide range of personal DJ favorites - like the plague.
Now biting me in the ass, I have been waking up to Daisy Daisy's "Michelle Plays Ping Pong" just about every morning for the last two weeks. First hearing it I thought it was a rather lame hand me down of Aphex Twin's "Bucephalous Bouncing Ball," but getting the opening sequence stuck in my brain drew me to the song's entirety.
It'll be a ways away before I really bite into the second disc, but I think there's promise. Give it a go...
Audible: Daisy Daisy - "Michelle Plays Ping Pong (Ultra Electro)" (where it's at)
Audible: Daisy Daisy - "Michelle Plays Ping Pong (Original) (not a fan)
Website: http://www.davidwaxman.com
Website: http://www.daisydaisy.com
Now biting me in the ass, I have been waking up to Daisy Daisy's "Michelle Plays Ping Pong" just about every morning for the last two weeks. First hearing it I thought it was a rather lame hand me down of Aphex Twin's "Bucephalous Bouncing Ball," but getting the opening sequence stuck in my brain drew me to the song's entirety.
It'll be a ways away before I really bite into the second disc, but I think there's promise. Give it a go...
Audible: Daisy Daisy - "Michelle Plays Ping Pong (Ultra Electro)" (where it's at)
Audible: Daisy Daisy - "Michelle Plays Ping Pong (Original) (not a fan)
Website: http://www.davidwaxman.com
Website: http://www.daisydaisy.com
Playful Sex
"For the last time, it's not her name!" read the caption in this week's Weekly Dig under the photo promoting Asobi Seksu's free show at Tuft's Oxfam Cafe. The band name actually stands for "playful sex," and it's an interesting title for a sound that is very much a nurturing drone n' roll take on the Deerhoof sound that has escalated in the last few years.
I first saw the band at Great Scott back in May, but the sound was extensively better in the small cafe on the ground floor of a Tuft's University dorm. At their last Boston show, the band was drowning in their own volume, but Thursday night - despite rental van issues that brought buckets of stress along with their late arrival and rushed setup - the sound was as clear as one would hope for, and gave a much better sense of what the band should sound like in a live setting. Definitely worth checking out.
09/16 - Buffalo, NY - Soundlab
09/17 - Ottawa, ONT - Babylon
09/19 - Montreal, QC - Green Room
09/20 - Toronto, ONT - Horseshoe
09/21 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
09/22 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
09/23 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
09/24 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
09/26 - Calgary, AB - HiFi Club
09/27 - Canmore, AB - Canmore Hotel
09/28 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club
09/29 - Anacortes, WA - Department of Safety
09/30 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
10/01 - Portland, OR - Holocene
10/04 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Attic
10/05 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
10/06 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
10/07 - San Diego, CA - Beauty Bar
10/10 - Tucson, AZ - Plush
10/11 - Albuquerque, NM - House Show
10/12 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive
10/15 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio, Radio
10/16 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
10/18 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
10/19 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
10/20 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
10/21 - Durham, NC - Troika Festival
11/11 - San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (Riott Festival)
Audible: Asobi Seksu - "Strawberries (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix)"
Website: http://www.asobiseksu.com
I first saw the band at Great Scott back in May, but the sound was extensively better in the small cafe on the ground floor of a Tuft's University dorm. At their last Boston show, the band was drowning in their own volume, but Thursday night - despite rental van issues that brought buckets of stress along with their late arrival and rushed setup - the sound was as clear as one would hope for, and gave a much better sense of what the band should sound like in a live setting. Definitely worth checking out.
09/16 - Buffalo, NY - Soundlab
09/17 - Ottawa, ONT - Babylon
09/19 - Montreal, QC - Green Room
09/20 - Toronto, ONT - Horseshoe
09/21 - Detroit, MI - Lager House
09/22 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
09/23 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
09/24 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
09/26 - Calgary, AB - HiFi Club
09/27 - Canmore, AB - Canmore Hotel
09/28 - Vancouver, BC - Media Club
09/29 - Anacortes, WA - Department of Safety
09/30 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
10/01 - Portland, OR - Holocene
10/04 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Attic
10/05 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
10/06 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
10/07 - San Diego, CA - Beauty Bar
10/10 - Tucson, AZ - Plush
10/11 - Albuquerque, NM - House Show
10/12 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive
10/15 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio, Radio
10/16 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
10/18 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
10/19 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
10/20 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
10/21 - Durham, NC - Troika Festival
11/11 - San Francisco, CA - Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (Riott Festival)
Audible: Asobi Seksu - "Strawberries (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix)"
Website: http://www.asobiseksu.com
9.13.2006
Show Bonanza! Consolidation Deluxe!
First off, that is hilarious.
And secondly, so were both Serena Maneesh at the Middle East Upstairs (Sunday) and Sound Team at the Middle East Downstairs (Friday). The prior were a band who I'd first heard about, honestly, via the Village Voice's Siren Festival bill, and when I was lucky enough to interview Art Brut's Eddie Argos, he mentioned that he really likes the band. Hearing the self-titled record for the first time on Wednesday, their show on Sunday was late (we all thought they weren't going to make it) but grandoise.
All the way from Norway, I find that most bands emerging from the northern part of Europe specialize in ambient goodness, gothic quality, or mindblowing metal (i.e. The Haunted!). Serena-Maneesh are no exception. A friend described their live set as "one of the loudest bands [he'd] ever seen," and they certainly live up to their expectations. Extensively artsy and incredibly tall, the band's songs are very foreign to the vein of assertive shoegaze that comes from all cold, cloudy coasts of the US.
As for Austin's Sound Team, seeing them at TT The Bear's in June was underwhelming. I'd loved their record, Movie Monster, for its title track and following song, "TV Torso," and eventually found myself fawning over other gems on the album such as "Handful Of Billions." Their Middle East set sounded undeniably better, and with more room on the stage the band was able to spread out and live up to their name.
Additionally, the French Kicks headlined that night at the MidEast, and I find that for a band that tours so very much, opens for just about everyone, they are at their best when they play 1. late 2. as headliners and 3. in smaller venues. As my guilty pleasure, Meatloaf, once said...don't be sad, 'cause two outta threeeee ain't bad.
Tomorrow is my one night to NOT go to a show between last Friday and Thursday. It will be spent in my bedroom writing music reviews after a probably-ten hour day at work.
Weekend! Can you hear me? Step on it, okay? Thnx.
9.12.2006
Black Angels Gonna Bless My Heart
Oh, how I've missed you all! After the crazy weekend that was spent in New York, I needed to get everything together again, and the amount of music thrown my way at both work and for writing was a bit to handle. Nonetheless, I'm back in the driver's seat again, and going to far too many shows this week. To make up for last week and to keep up with this one, I will be loitering on Blogger much more than I should be. Promise.
Yesterday I received a copy of Passover by The Black Angels in the mail, and after seeing the gorgeous artwork in stores everywhere, I had no idea that it was textured and embossed. Glorious! Looking at it is quite a trip, so you can imagine how the album is. "Fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre will love..." and it's true. It was "The Prodigal Sun" that first blew my mind, but even the most circulated track, "Black Grease" is simply mezmerizing when played loud.
This is a band I'd heard of for some time, and was interested, but never got around to seeking them out. When I was in Seattle for the Capitol Hill Block Party, I happened to catch two songs, and then my friend (who is also the ubertalent of the above photograph, Justin Dylan Renney) played their record several times on our Portland <--> Seattle roadtrip.
Between The Black Angels and Serena-Maneesh - whose show from Sunday night will be discussed in an upcoming entry - my two month-or-so inability to listen to nothing but DJ/electronic music has diluted a bit and left me with epic, drugged out guitar riffage. Psychedelic vocal distortions. Atmospheric perfects for twilight car rides with the windows down.
Do not miss this band. The fact that they turned Greil Marcus' attention, which I noticed after I was swept by their record, is a big deal in and of itself.
Audible: The Black Angels - "The Prodigal Sun"
Audible: The Black Angels - "Black Grease"
Website: http://www.theblackangels.com
Yesterday I received a copy of Passover by The Black Angels in the mail, and after seeing the gorgeous artwork in stores everywhere, I had no idea that it was textured and embossed. Glorious! Looking at it is quite a trip, so you can imagine how the album is. "Fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre will love..." and it's true. It was "The Prodigal Sun" that first blew my mind, but even the most circulated track, "Black Grease" is simply mezmerizing when played loud.
This is a band I'd heard of for some time, and was interested, but never got around to seeking them out. When I was in Seattle for the Capitol Hill Block Party, I happened to catch two songs, and then my friend (who is also the ubertalent of the above photograph, Justin Dylan Renney) played their record several times on our Portland <--> Seattle roadtrip.
Between The Black Angels and Serena-Maneesh - whose show from Sunday night will be discussed in an upcoming entry - my two month-or-so inability to listen to nothing but DJ/electronic music has diluted a bit and left me with epic, drugged out guitar riffage. Psychedelic vocal distortions. Atmospheric perfects for twilight car rides with the windows down.
Do not miss this band. The fact that they turned Greil Marcus' attention, which I noticed after I was swept by their record, is a big deal in and of itself.
Audible: The Black Angels - "The Prodigal Sun"
Audible: The Black Angels - "Black Grease"
Website: http://www.theblackangels.com
9.04.2006
Trouble & Bass
Ahh, Trouble & Bass. Words cannot describe. Now back in Boston, the three nights spent in various areas of New York reminded me of how much I love that city. It feels more like home than any other place in the world (and it should, as, well, it is), and Drop The Lime's newest party, Trouble & Bass was a major example of my nostalgia.
At times, my neck muscles were clenching I was dancing so hard. Everyone around me were soaked through in our clothes and hair, and moments of pure bliss in which everyone transcended levels of self-awareness were reached multiple times. It wasn'ta room of drunken, hedonistic hipsters - we were dry sponges that left that club drenched in more than sweat.
Shadetek + Math-head: Even my camera was sweaty, clouding the lens. Mmmm...
There is not a question in my brain as to what is now the best dance party in New York City. Between Ellen Allien on Thursday, Dirty Down's Friday night chaos (which ended with my second bout of alcohol poisoning of 2006...sigh), and the highly anticipated Trouble & Bass premiere on Saturday, my expectations were beyond met this weekend. Even ending my Sunday evening/Monday afternoon with a store throat and swollen tonsils is a fair price to pay. My one regret is that I personally asked Luca to play "Bella," but had to leave a bit after 3am, after Math-head had spent about ten minutes blending "Sunglasses At Night" into "Blue Monday" in the most gorgeous, bass-heavy, fantastic way. We walked out on Tretemoller's "We Share Our Mother's Health" remix. For me, it was magic.
Admittedly, I hope it stays a best-kept secret for a bit...
Audible:Drop The Lime - "Trouble Mix #4"
Website: http://www.troubleandbass.com
At times, my neck muscles were clenching I was dancing so hard. Everyone around me were soaked through in our clothes and hair, and moments of pure bliss in which everyone transcended levels of self-awareness were reached multiple times. It wasn'ta room of drunken, hedonistic hipsters - we were dry sponges that left that club drenched in more than sweat.
Shadetek + Math-head: Even my camera was sweaty, clouding the lens. Mmmm...
There is not a question in my brain as to what is now the best dance party in New York City. Between Ellen Allien on Thursday, Dirty Down's Friday night chaos (which ended with my second bout of alcohol poisoning of 2006...sigh), and the highly anticipated Trouble & Bass premiere on Saturday, my expectations were beyond met this weekend. Even ending my Sunday evening/Monday afternoon with a store throat and swollen tonsils is a fair price to pay. My one regret is that I personally asked Luca to play "Bella," but had to leave a bit after 3am, after Math-head had spent about ten minutes blending "Sunglasses At Night" into "Blue Monday" in the most gorgeous, bass-heavy, fantastic way. We walked out on Tretemoller's "We Share Our Mother's Health" remix. For me, it was magic.
Admittedly, I hope it stays a best-kept secret for a bit...
Audible:Drop The Lime - "Trouble Mix #4"
Website: http://www.troubleandbass.com
9.02.2006
Dirty Dancing
Ahh, 'twas a beautiful day in New York City, despite the overcast and wind. To note, I ride a bike or drive everywhere in Boston, and I hadn't walked for the length/time that I did yesterday (miles!/4 hours) possibly since I lived in New York.
Taking the L from 14th & 8th all the way to the Myrtle-Wyckoff stop in Bed-Sty, walking about in the rain, and drinking beers while introducing a good friend to Ellen Allien, we left around 1am to head to Lit.
A recent review of Drop The Lime's new album had put me in touch with him, and he'd told me about the Dirty Down party that night. "You chose a very good weekend to come down [to New York]," he'd said. After hearing much from a friend about the Cut NYC parties, I was looking forward to it despite the reputation Lit has developed over time. On an aside, I'll say that he's a fantastic person, and it's nice for the personality to match the musical skill.
Did I mention the refreshing surprise that was the cost of drinks at the Hiro on Thursday? Well, two shots of Jameson and two Stellas came to $30 for my friend and I, and it not been such a crazy, wild time I would have cringed harder.
Cramped, lacking oxygen, dark, dank, underground (literally and figuratively), and electric. The Dirty Down party is exactly what I was looking for: people of all ages that were receptive, friendly, smiling, and dancing their goddamn asses off. Girls looked at boys and boys looked at girls but there was a complete lack of pretension and carnal intent.
Well, maybe I don't really mean that last part, but I'll say it was very comfortable and not at all an environment to instigage self-consciousness. No cover charge, either. Hopefully Dirty Down's blog will have photos. And hopefully, well, I won't be in any of them...my mother reads this, you know!
Tonight is the big one...Trouble & Bass NYC - a concoction brewed by Mr. Venezia (DtL)himself, who will be DJing all throughout the night.
Girl Talk? Yeah, it's alright, but I will proudly admit that I was big into the drum & bass scene when I got out of high school, went deeper into the Warp catalogue and beyond from thereonin, and have now emerged as a lover of all things danceable. Drop The Lime, Dirty Down, Cut NYC, and now Trouble & Bass...key words, kids. Key effin' words.
Taking the L from 14th & 8th all the way to the Myrtle-Wyckoff stop in Bed-Sty, walking about in the rain, and drinking beers while introducing a good friend to Ellen Allien, we left around 1am to head to Lit.
A recent review of Drop The Lime's new album had put me in touch with him, and he'd told me about the Dirty Down party that night. "You chose a very good weekend to come down [to New York]," he'd said. After hearing much from a friend about the Cut NYC parties, I was looking forward to it despite the reputation Lit has developed over time. On an aside, I'll say that he's a fantastic person, and it's nice for the personality to match the musical skill.
Did I mention the refreshing surprise that was the cost of drinks at the Hiro on Thursday? Well, two shots of Jameson and two Stellas came to $30 for my friend and I, and it not been such a crazy, wild time I would have cringed harder.
Cramped, lacking oxygen, dark, dank, underground (literally and figuratively), and electric. The Dirty Down party is exactly what I was looking for: people of all ages that were receptive, friendly, smiling, and dancing their goddamn asses off. Girls looked at boys and boys looked at girls but there was a complete lack of pretension and carnal intent.
Well, maybe I don't really mean that last part, but I'll say it was very comfortable and not at all an environment to instigage self-consciousness. No cover charge, either. Hopefully Dirty Down's blog will have photos. And hopefully, well, I won't be in any of them...my mother reads this, you know!
Tonight is the big one...Trouble & Bass NYC - a concoction brewed by Mr. Venezia (DtL)himself, who will be DJing all throughout the night.
Girl Talk? Yeah, it's alright, but I will proudly admit that I was big into the drum & bass scene when I got out of high school, went deeper into the Warp catalogue and beyond from thereonin, and have now emerged as a lover of all things danceable. Drop The Lime, Dirty Down, Cut NYC, and now Trouble & Bass...key words, kids. Key effin' words.
9.01.2006
Ellen Allien + Apparat @ Hiro Ballroom [sans photos]
Hello everyone!
No photos just yet, but many were taken from last nights event at the Hiro Ballroom. Admittedly, the opening DJs were less than stellar, and my company (one which has strong roots in electronic music, another not very much at all) both seemed to be in a miserable hell. After a breather outside, we came back in and Ellen + Apparat had just begun their set.
I walked in to the beginning of "Stadt Kind," which event recalling now in my memory sends chills up and down my body. Each time Ellen sang, it was a wave of pure bliss channeling the room. Meeting up with Trixie from Resonator was also a plus, as she is one of the two people that ushered me towards Bpitch Control and Ellen's music.
Music Video: Ellen Allien - "Stadtkind"
Other great moments included "Magma" and "Way Out." The set felt short, and at one point I could have sworn that they were launching into "Bullet." Still, the thirty or so minutes that they played were completely worth the four hour Fung Wah ride, the day off from work, and the stress of having to deal with fudged guestlists.
I'll admit, there's something about the Hiro Ballroom that I don't care for very much, but the drinks were quite cheap - an enormous shot of whiskey and Tiger beer for $8. I believe that's even unheard of in Boston.
Once more, call me Onward "Bandwith Borrower" Charles:
Audible: Ellen Allien - "Your Body Is My Body"
from the album Thrills
Photos and videos to come shortly.
No photos just yet, but many were taken from last nights event at the Hiro Ballroom. Admittedly, the opening DJs were less than stellar, and my company (one which has strong roots in electronic music, another not very much at all) both seemed to be in a miserable hell. After a breather outside, we came back in and Ellen + Apparat had just begun their set.
I walked in to the beginning of "Stadt Kind," which event recalling now in my memory sends chills up and down my body. Each time Ellen sang, it was a wave of pure bliss channeling the room. Meeting up with Trixie from Resonator was also a plus, as she is one of the two people that ushered me towards Bpitch Control and Ellen's music.
Music Video: Ellen Allien - "Stadtkind"
Other great moments included "Magma" and "Way Out." The set felt short, and at one point I could have sworn that they were launching into "Bullet." Still, the thirty or so minutes that they played were completely worth the four hour Fung Wah ride, the day off from work, and the stress of having to deal with fudged guestlists.
I'll admit, there's something about the Hiro Ballroom that I don't care for very much, but the drinks were quite cheap - an enormous shot of whiskey and Tiger beer for $8. I believe that's even unheard of in Boston.
Once more, call me Onward "Bandwith Borrower" Charles:
Audible: Ellen Allien - "Your Body Is My Body"
from the album Thrills
Photos and videos to come shortly.
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