I've been looking forward to seeing the Cold War Kids live for quite some time; for various reasons, I missed them the last couple of times they came through town, but I've been digging their EP's for quite some time now. When I found out that I would be seeing them in the tiny Union Hall, I was pretty excited. I'd thought that my opportunity to see a band like them in space that small was well past. Honestly, the show should have been held somewhere bigger, I personally saw at least 30 people get turned away from the door (ticketweb posted that there would be tickets available at the door, but this wasn't true).

The show didn't disappoint: the openers were a slow, shoe-gazish duo called the Sky Drops. They seem pretty new, I imagine they'll tighten up with a bit more time and experience. They're best when they sound like My Bloody Valentine, and they should take a cue from that band and play much louder, (especially the drums). Foreign Born were up next, I didn't know much about them except that they were another LA band and supposed to be pretty good. They indeed were, I'm going to have to hunt down their music for another listen, I'd definitely go see them again when they come back to town.

And the Cold War Kids? They were as intense and tight as I'd heard they would be. Their singer brings more emotion and color with his voice live than on the records, which is not a common thing to find. The band have their shit together as well, and everybody stomped and danced through a fast paced set that didn't disappoint. My verdict: they're a better live band than a recorded band. I look forward to seeing them again, even in a bigger space.

Labels: Concert Reviews

Labels: Concert Reviews, Stephonik and the Bright Side

So, each link is to an article that gives valuable information about all of these republican fuck-ups. If you'd like an introduction or ammo against any of these folks, click the link and be enlightened. Coming late this week/early next week: a compilation of my favorite campaign ads from this year.

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl --AZ-01: Rick Renzi --AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth --CA-04: John Doolittle --CA-11: Richard Pombo --CA-50: Brian Bilbray --CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave --CO-05: Doug Lamborn --CO-07: Rick O'Donnell --CT-04: Christopher Shays --FL-13: Vernon Buchanan --FL-16: Joe Negron --FL-22: Clay Shaw --ID-01: Bill Sali --IL-06: Peter Roskam --IL-10: Mark Kirk --IL-14: Dennis Hastert --IN-02: Chris Chocola --IN-08: John Hostettler --IA-01: Mike Whalen --KS-02: Jim Ryun --KY-03: Anne Northup --KY-04: Geoff Davis --MD-Sen: Michael Steele --MN-01: Gil Gutknecht --MN-06: Michele Bachmann --MO-Sen: Jim Talent --MT-Sen: Conrad Burns --NV-03: Jon Porter --NH-02: Charlie Bass --NJ-07: Mike Ferguson --NM-01: Heather Wilson --NY-03: Peter King --NY-20: John Sweeney --NY-26: Tom Reynolds --NY-29: Randy Kuhl --NC-08: Robin Hayes --NC-11: Charles Taylor --OH-01: Steve Chabot --OH-02: Jean Schmidt --OH-15: Deborah Pryce --OH-18: Joy Padgett --PA-04: Melissa Hart --PA-07: Curt Weldon --PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick --PA-10: Don Sherwood --RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee --TN-Sen: Bob Corker --VA-Sen: George Allen --VA-10: Frank Wolf --WA-Sen: Mike McGavick --WA-08: Dave Reichert

Labels: Politics

This was a quite an evening: Annuals, fresh from their record release party in North Carolina, opened up the show sounding bigger and crisper than I've ever heard them before. Irving was may 1/3'd full at the time, but everyone was up at the front and the crowd was into it, giving warm and enthusiastic receptions to each of the songs, and yelling for Brother until it got played towards the end of the set. This band continues to get better and better live, I'm looking forward to catching them a bunch in the next few weeks (both at CMJ and opening up for Voxtrot at the Bowery shortly afterwards). Lastly, they closed with a song that's not on the album or the EP which I liked a lot, I hope to get a recording of it soon.

I like the Spinto Band, and I even liked them when they played a rainstorm earlier this summer. Even with all this going for them, they sucked. I don't know why it didn't click, but they seemed stiff and weird and forgettable this evening, I hope they return to form the next time I see them. They also got dissed by both Annuals and Art Brut from the stage, which was kind of funny. Art Brut actually threw one of the Spinto Band into the audience at the end of their set.

I've got to admit, I thought last year's Bang Bang Rock and Roll was pretty overrated, and I've still not gotten into the record. I'll also admit that I don't want to like Art Brut, as the whole concept comes off to me as the British (and superior) version of American Pop-Punk. But Art Brut rocked the shit out of me and the whole crowd, it was a dominant and awesome performance. The front man, Eddie Argos (or something like that) is quite the snake charmer, with all the charisma I heard he had in full force and display. The band was tight, didn't miss a beat and were interesting to look at. The drummer even plays standing up, which is noteworthy for no good reason. These Brits have their shit together, and even though I don't want to like them, it will be hard to pass up another opportunity to see them if I'm in the mood to get drunk and have a fun show night.

Labels: Annuals, Concert Reviews

Last Wednesday I went to Southpaw at the proddings of a friend to see a band called The Elephants from Denmark, and a New York band known as Vic Thrill. What a strange, strange show that was. First off, the Elephants we're pretty decent. They're an indie pop band who songs are good, but not very original. There were perhaps 40 people at Southpaw, but the band gave it their all and got a warm response from the audience. It should be a lesson to all small bands (or big bands) that end up playing a mostly empty show in a big space: if you work with what you've got and play hard for those that came, good things can happen. By the end of their set they'd convinced most of the folks there to move up to the front (something I've seen countless bands fail at in similar situations). I picked up an EP they put out to contribute to the band's beer/gas fund, I've not had a chance to spin it much yet, but hopefully one of their stronger moments is there and I'll post it.

Mason Dixon played next, and though they appear to be good at what they do, I really don't care for that kind of music. So I listened to a few songs and bolted to watch the Mets win game 6 (poor, poor Mets).

The main reason I ended up at Southpaw that evening was due to a friend of mine's insistence that I check out this local act he's been following for years. They're called Vic Thrill, and what once was a full band has now shrunk to Mr. Thrill (playing guitar, a laptop and singing) and a guitar player who goes by "the Saturn Missile." They were seriously strange: the music is kind of a hyper hybrid of electronic dance music beats and experimental, frenetic indy rock. Vic Thrill kind of yelps/raps/sings over all of it, sometimes with strange effects on his voice. To be honest, I don't have a clue what to think of it, except that it's certainly unique. If the way I just described it sounds like something else you listen to, I can almost assure you that Vic Thrill sounds nothing like them.
What really made the show interesting and fucked up, however, was the small, but devoted and cult like following that showed up to see Mr. Thrill. Everyone at the club was right up at the front of the stage, and it was a dance party for folks that don't know how to dance but don't give a damn either. These people were really, really into it and knew all the songs, even the words. There were spontaneous, sports-like chants for the guitar player: Sat-urn Miss-ile clap clap clapclapclap. And Mr. Thrill strutted around like he was playing for a packed audience at the Garden, not a mostly empty Southpaw. He definitely knew how to work his crowd, and work them he did. The whole experience left wondering what the hell had just happened, and possibly violated. I will likely see them again to try and make sense of it all.

Labels: Concert Reviews

Annuals - Be He Me

If you read this blog occasionally, it's not a secret that I'm a big fan of Annuals. After a summer of buzz and anticipation, their debut album Be He Me is about to be released on Tuesday, and Annuals deliver on the hype in a big way. I've had this record for several months now, and even though I initially liked it a lot, it's a grower, becoming better as I continue to give it more spins. Why? Because it's full of wonderful layers and textures, both in the soundscapes Annuals create and in the songwriting and lyrics. This is a ridiculously mature record for a debut, let alone from a band that were teenagers when they recorded it. The seamless and natural juxtapositions between acoustic and electronic instrumentation is a trick that many bands never pull off, and Annuals do like it's second nature. It's not just the sounds, but also the emotional shifts that make this record so ridiculously good. The same song often takes the listener from gentle introspection to joyous celebration in surprising and uplifting ways. The songwriting is consistently solid and durable, making this record difficult to burn out on.

For me, the most understated but enduring trait of Be He Me is its youthful energy and enthusiasm. Like other great records, it creates an uplifting experience that leaves me in a better mood after I've listened to it. And it only reveals itself fully after you've spent some time with it. As for individual tracks, I really like almost all of them. I know that Brother has already gotten a lot of love, and it's a great track, but I don't think it's their first hit. That would be the insanely catchy Carry Around, which I'm not going to even try to describe. I dig Complete or Completing a great deal, and my favorite track on the record is Ida, my. All of these songs I just mentioned don't sound anything like each other, yet another great quality of this record. In a year full of great debuts, this record stands up and out with the best of them. Very highly recommended.

Lastly, for anyone else that has this already, I've got a bet with a friend over Pitchfork's rating for the record. I think it lands about an 8.5. Anyone else care to venture a guess?

Labels: Album Review, Annuals

There's nothing quite like seeing a band on their way up: earlier this summer I caught Silversun Pickups for the first time, playing a sold out show in Brooklyn's tiny Union Hall (capacity: 90). A few short months later, on the strength of their fantastic debut Carnivas, they just headlined the Bowery Ballroom and filled it up. What struck me about both of their shows this last week was the enthusiastic crowd they drew; they weren't the typical scenester/hipster/industry folks that I see at a lot of the concerts I attend, but instead a bunch of fans that knew all the songs and wouldn't stop clapping and cheering. The energy level at both shows was insane: this is a band that's moved beyond buzz and is instead grooming a legitimate following. I imagine that in another six months time they'll be headlining even bigger venues in this city.

In what's becoming a little bit of a trend for me lately, I went to both of SSPU's shows this week. The first night they were playing second at the Mercury Lounge. The show was predictably sold out and filmed. The band knew that they were playing for their friends, and were very comfortable and relaxed. The singer was pretty funny with his onstage banter, and the band tore through their set. They've gotten tighter since I saw them last, likely due to quite a bit of touring since then. Everything sounded good, the only complaint I could make about the show was that the otherwise enthusiastic crowd didn't move at all. I've never understood that about some concerts, I'd think that music that good would inspire more folks to shake their ass. Oh well.


Most of the crowd thinned out afterwards, but I stuck around to check out Viva Voce. I'm told they've been around for a while, and have a pretty big following on the left coast. I was happy that I did, as they are a fun band and they put on a really good show. As I learned, they don't fuck around, except when they do fuck around, but it's really funny. There aren't enough bands with a sense of humor like theirs. There were two other things that stood out to me about them: one, they had five really, really nice guitars on stage (jealous!), and two, their singer/guitar player is super cute. I recommend checking them out if you should have the chance.

The next night at the Bowery had a very different vibe: it wasn't quite a sold out show, but I'd say the venue was nearly full. SSPU's, who the previous night were so relaxed and easygoing, were nervous! It was actually pretty cute, and it only took the band about one song to find their groove. The band could not contain their excitement about headlining the Bowery, and the crowd was happy to respond by going nuts for their entire hour and a half long set. I think they played every song they've released, but I might be wrong about that. The band was a little bit sloppier (due to nerves I think), but somehow the songs got faster in the process, which made this show rock and roll. Whereas the night before the crowd didn't move a lot, people fucking got down this time around, particularly for the best known rockers. SSPU's have a bona fide hit in the waiting with Kissing Families, I believe it's only a matter of time before that song is getting spins on commercial radio and MTV. You could sense the excitement from the band, who were doing something I imagine they'd only dreamed about previously. And they basically said as much during the show. They were really happy to be there, and continuously thanked the crowd for showing up, supporting them and allowing them to play such a cool place. They also took a dig at the major labels (many of which have been trying to lure them for some time now), explicitly stating they intend 'never to sell out'. They then tried to make a joke out of it, but I'd love to have seen the expression on the A&R folks' faces who were likely in the back, somewhere. Even though the Mercury Lounge is a smaller, more intimate place to see a show, I preferred the second night at the Bowery. It was one of those shows that leaves the entire audience feeling really happy and energetic, I'm willing to bet that a lot of folks got laid that night. And if I didn't mention it before, they sounded great. If you've still not picked up Carnivas, do it: what makes all of this possible are the solid, well crafted songs on that album (as well as their EP Pikul). You'll dig it. Here's a taste if you've not heard them yet:

Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Wrinkles

Labels: Concert Reviews, Silversun Pickups

Labels: Politics

Beck - The Information

I'll get to the point quickly: Do you like Beck? In particular, do you like Beck's party records (Midnight Vultures, Odelay, even Mellow Gold)? Then go buy this record, you'll like it. Especially if you came of age when Beck was the definition of superfly cool and are in constant need of more Beck. Why? Because after last year's bleh (by Beck's high standards) Guero, this is a nice return to form. Where as Guero came off to me as kind of lazy and half assed, The Information is energetic and more focused in that ADD Beck way of being focused.

That being said, this isn't another party record: if anything, it's kind of a compromise between Beck's dueling desires to make upbeat, groove music and contemplative, aloof ballads. The music and tunes fall more into the former upbeat category, while the subject matter and lyrics are more serious. The vocal melodies are slightly tinged in sadness and regret, but hardly enough to bring you down. And Nigel Godrich's production is immaculate (surprise!), so the record sounds fantastic.

While Beck is not breaking any new ground here (rather, he's referencing many of the best moments in his catalogue), The Information is a solid outing that will satiate our desires for more of that Beck pastiche that no one else can pull off. Also, the record comes with a DVD of 15 lo-fi videos to accompany the songs. Most are on youtube somewhere, and I've enjoyed most of those that I've seen. So, check it out, you won't be blown away, but you won't be disappointed either.

Labels: Album Review, Beck

This is absolutely hilarious. Thanks to Liz for sending this to me!
And if you know anyone who is, *ahem*, an overachiever like Aleksay, do tell.



Thanks to Ivygate for providing the video and the back story.

I must admit, until the prodding of several good friends over the past year, I've not been giving metal 0r metal-ish releases much of a chance. Like many, I had a moment in my life where metal was my preferred type of music, and then a long period where I didn't listen to it much at all.

But this year has been much different; I don't know if it's just my friends pushing good records on me, or just a general change in my tastes, but I've dug some heavy, fast records this year. Whether it's Boris' crushing drone, the Sword's stoner anthems, or the Mastodon masterpiece, I'm digging it again.

Which brings me to the latest Priestess release, Hello Master. My friends sent this my way back in July, it's retro stoner rock with big hooks. If that sounds awesome to you, that's because it is. Thanks to my peeps over at Ace Fu, I'm giving away a vinyl copy of the record, signed by the band. Either email me (phnotv at gmail dot com) or comment with your email to this post. I'll scientifically draw a name out of a hat in a week, and send the record to the winner. If you miss out, you can pick up a vinyl copy of the record here.

If you've not heard Priestess before, check out a couple of tracks from the record. Talk to Her, in particular, is catchy as shit:
Priestess - Lay Down
Priestess - Talk To Her

Check them out on tour if you dig it:
10/04/2006 WINNIPEG, MB The Zoo
10/05/2006 SASKATOON, SK The Roxy
10/06/2006 EDMONTON, AB New City Likwid Lounge
10/07/2006 Calgary, AB The Hi-Fi Club
10/08/2006 JASPER, AB Pete's
10/09/2006 FERNIE, BC The Northern
10/11/2006 LANGLY, BC Second Saloon
10/12/2006 VANCOUVER, BC Richards on Richards
10/13/2006 SEATTLE, WA @ El Corazon
10/14/2006 PORTLAND, OR Dante's
10/16/2006 SACRAMENTO, CA Harlows
10/17/2006 SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Independent
10/18/2006 LOS ANGELES, CA Key Club
10/19/2006 SAN DIEGO, CA Brick by Brick
10/20/2006 LAS VEGAS, NV Celebrity Theater
10/21/2006 TEMPE, AZ The Clubhouse
10/24/2006 AUSTIN, TX Emo's
10/25/2006 BEAUMONT, TX Vortex
10/27/2006 NEW ORLEANS, LA One Eyed Jacks
10/28/2006 MEMPHIS, TN Young Ave. Deli
10/29/2006 NASHVILLE, TN The End
10/31/2006 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA Satellite Ballroom
11/01/2006 ALLENTOWN, PA Crocodile Rock
11/03/2006 ASBURY PARK, NJ Asbury Lanes
11/04/2006 NEW YORK, NY Bowery Ballroom

Labels: Contests, Priestess

I first saw Menomena about a year and a half ago at Sin-E, checking them out on the strength their debut I Am The Fun Blame Monster. At the time, I was a little disappointed because they weren't quite good enough musicians to pull of their record live. I had the chance to see them again this past Friday, and they've improved a great deal since then. They're much more confident musicians, and the singing has improved quite a bit as well. That being said, it became very apparent that a Menomena show will only be good with the two following things: perfect sound (they've got so many instruments, and the songs are often so delicate, that any questionable choices in the mix or dead mics can kill the vibe quick) and an audience that wants to hear them (for all the same reasons). Unfortunately, Menomena had neither last Friday. After spending about 20 minutes soundchecking after they were set up (I think every single mic must have been off!) they finally got started. However, the crowd was already restless, and most of them were there to see The Long Winters. After the long delay, the sound was still only spotty at best, and the crowd was not too receptive. I was personally standing next "that drunk guy" and his BFF, and they both spent the entirety of the show talking loudly and trying to mack on this cute blond that was also standing near me. Not only was she super cute, but she also told them to shut up (to the rest of the audience's approval) very loudly. She later claimed to be the bass players cousin, though I'm not sure about that. Anyway, between drunken folks bickering and, towards the end of the set, yelling for the headliners to go on, this show was not that great. I did get to hear probably four or five new tracks, of which two were pretty good. I'm still looking forward to their upcoming record (out in a few months), and it's nice to see that they're still improving live.

Labels: Concert Reviews