I finally took a break over the past week, and didn't go to any shows for the first time in a few months. I was hanging out with family on the other side of the country, finally catching up on some much needed sleep. Sleep is good. And I feel much better.

But, I'm back to my normal ways with a bunch of shows this week. Among the possibilities:
Meneguar, Snowden, Forward Russia
Aberdeen City
The Stills, Au Revoir Simone, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
+/-
Should be a fun time.

I've been listening to and digging a record by The Brother Kite the last couple of weeks, it's called Waiting for the Time to be Right. It's a gentle pop record, with a mix of Beach Boys harmonies and early 90's, big reverb production (think how some shoegaze records sounded from that time period).

I also just got a hold of the Midlake record, The Trials of Van Occupanther, and even though I'm super late to it, I like it a lot. It sounds like a Fleetwood Mac record, straight from 70's AM radio. If this sounds good to you, you'll also like this record a lot.

I also gave the new Deerhoof record Friend Opportunity its first spin today. The first spin judgement: it's good, and it sounds nothing like last years excellent (and my #1) The Runner's Four. Surprise!

I've been on a rather severe Beck kick lately. His catalogue is so strong, one can easily start with Mellowgold and listen to everything else straight through without being disappointed or bored until you get to Geuro. Nobody's perfect. Still, I've been feeling the Beck vibe for a solid week.

I've also been obsessed with this Arcade Fire song called Cold Wind. It was on the Six Feet Under soundtrack, and closed out the series. It's gorgeous, and it sounds soooo gooood on vinyl. I can't wait for their next record. Perhaps I'll post it tomorrow. The song, not the new record.

I hope to write a bit more about politics and news shortly, I've been slacking lately. Plenty of interesting things have been happening.

I'm trying to do my year end lists, and it's making my head explode. The only thing I feel comfortable with is my #1...

Annuals have been busy of late, between playing a bunch of shows at CMJ, getting mentioned in the New York Times three times in a week, and then finally flying across the pond to open up for the Flaming Lips and do a brief tour of England and Ireland. They're going to stay busy, heading back on the road in January with the Dears. Here are the dates, check 'em out:

1/16 – Boston, Paradise
1/17 – Philadelphia, Theater of Living Arts
1/19 – NYC, Webster Hall
1/20 – DC, 9:30 Club
1/22 – Chapel Hill, Cat’s Cradler
1/23 – Jacksonville, Jack Rabbit’s
1/24 – Miami, Studio A
1/25 – Orlando, Social
1/26 – Atlanta, Variety Playhouse
1/27 – Nashville, Exit/In

Labels: Annuals, Tour Dates

A buddy of mine told me I needed to go check out a band with him on Friday called Illinois. A few weeks back I came across a self released EP of theirs called The Revenge of Some Kid, which I'd been giving some spins and enjoying, so I agreed. I'd never been to Syrup Room before, and I'm happy I went with someone who had because I probably wouldn't have found it otherwise. It's completely unmarked from the outside, located in some old factory or warehouse in Williamsburg. For what the space is, I liked the place, though I suspect that the sound quality is hit or miss depending on who's throwing the show that night. Speaking of sound quality, the first thing about that night was that it must have taken 30 minutes for Illinois to get all of their stuff working and balanced, which was pretty annoying. It's not their fault when everything's cutting out and somehow, your guitar amp is picking up and playing a radio/television signal, but it's unfortunate nonetheless. This on top of the fact that their van caught on fire in the Lincoln Tunnel on the way to the show! Rock and Roll.

Illinois, however, were more than worth the wait. They're from Bucks county, Pennsylvania. They have a scruffy, almost hillbilly look to them. Their singer occasionally plays the banjo. And they were really, really good. Despite all the technical difficulties, they sounded great and the band was tight. The songs are catchy and well done, and were honestly stuck in my head for the rest of the weekend. In particular, they've got a song that could be one of the best singles I've heard in some time. It's super smooth and has kind of an early nineties alt-rock feel to it, kind of like the Gin Blossoms, but not exactly. You can hear it on their MySpace page, it's called "the Best," and I strongly recommend checking it out. The song is better live than it is recorded, but it's great regardless. I will likely listen to it about 15 times today. Generally, it's tough to pigeonhole their sound, but it has a strong Americana/southern influence at times, but done electric. As far as I know, they've not yet signed with anyone, but I suspect we'll be hearing a lot more of them in the future. I'll definitely be at their next NYC show(s), which are currently December 13th and 14th at Pianos. Dig it.

Labels: Concert Reviews, Illinois

This was a particularly rainy Thursday, wherein all of the following things happened: a good friend and co-worker had his going away party after work; I went to my local bar and submitted my recs for the bar jukebox (I'll be taking over a third of it); I went to Fontanas to see Stephonik and the Bright Side. So, to paraphrase, I got soaked in rain and then soaked in liquor and then soaked in love, followed by more liquor.

I'd never been to Fontana's before, so I was curious to check it out and determine if I'd be seeing more shows there. It's in Chinatown, and was much bigger than I expected. They have a large main floor with a bar and televisions and all that, and then a basement room that's fairly large with a stage and a small bar where the shows happen. The sound was pretty good for the type and size of the room; the beer was overpriced for a bar in Chinatown. All things considered, a decent place to see a popular local band, or perhaps an up and coming touring band.

The show was running about an hour behind, so I arrived right as Padre Pio was going on. I don't have a lot to say about them, except that dude loves David Bowie. Not that it's a bad thing, I love David Bowie too. Afterwards, Stephonik and the Bright Side got up and did their soul-punk love celebration. Those that were there showed some spirited dancing. The band was in good form and sounded good. Champagne was drunk and passed among friends. I was drunk, happy, and satisfied. Good times. I then took my inebriated self back to Brooklyn, and deciding that sleep is overrated, ended up partying with members of another band who also played a show that night who I like a lot and were heading to Dublin to open up for the Flaming Lips shortly thereafter... Work was not fun the next day.

Labels: Concert Reviews, Stephonik and the Bright Side

On Wednesday checked out a metal band called Dead Child, who were (I think) playing their first New York show. Dead Child feature members with some interesting pedigrees, like David Pajo (Slint, Zwan) and Michael McMahon (The For Carnation), so I gave it a shot. These guys love love love their old school heavy metal, particularly Iron Maiden, and formed a band that openly sounds just like their heroes. And they're good at it. They've all got great chops, and if you're a fan of that style of music, you'll probably dig. Pitchfork has more and an mp3, if you're curious.

Labels: Concert Reviews

I really dug O'Death the last time I caught them, so I was pleased when I saw they'd be playing a venue that's a 15 minute walk from my apartment. Unfortunately, they were missing their fiddle player for this show, which changes their dynamic considerably. But they were still energetic and crazy and managed to get some folks to dance, so good for them. I look forward to catching them again when they've got everybody together.

Labels: Concert Reviews

As one of many who were enchanted by Joanna Newsom's excellent debut The Milk-Eyed Minder, and then further mesmerized by the even better Ys, I've been looking forward to seeing her live for some time. Would she be as enchanting in person? Would this kind of music work live and sound good?

I was rooting for Joanna to succeed, so I avoided seeing her a few times at venues where I thought the odds would not be in her favor (like the McCarren Pool show this summer). Webster Hall seemed like the best opportunity I'd have for some time, so I headed to the early show on Monday even though I'm not a huge fan of the sound in that venue. The show was fairly full, but didn't sell out (I believe the late show did). Because it was an early concert and because I was there early, I was able to stake out a prime spot right next to the stage before the venue filled up. The crowd didn't get into the opening act very much, which is unfortunate but happens. After they finished their short set and moved their equipment off stage, everything was pretty much ready to go for Joanna and her band. Their were six people set up in a semi-circle that went took up about half the stage. There was one guy playing an eastern European guitar, another playing an acoustic and occasionally a banjo, Joanna and her harp, a lady singing backup occasionally, a percussionist, and lastly an accordion player. Everyone sang harmonies at various moments, but I'll get to that shortly.

Joanna came out solo and played maybe 4 or 5 songs to begin the concert, mostly from her first record. As soon as she came out you could hear a pin drop in the audience. Everyone was there to listen, there was no conversation and perfect silence. She looked quite lovely, and had a soft, charming presence on stage. How she looked and spoke to the crowd really didn't matter much, however, because of how amazing she sounded. I've never seen anyone play a harp like that, and I can't even fathom how someone can play an instrument so complicated and then sing on top of it. She was impeccable, and a much stronger and more powerful singer live than I expected. I feel like her voice has softened since the first record, in a pleasant, less cutting kind of way. The songs sounded better live than I had hoped. After her brief solo set, her band came out and Joanna announced that they were going to play the new record from start to finish, which sent the crowd wild. I wasn't sure exactly how the band would try to recreate Van Dyke Parks' wonderful instrumentation for the record, especially after I noticed that there were no string players on stage. They decided to recreate a lot of the string melodies on the accordion, which worked surprisingly well. The band's backing was intentionally sparse and quiet, with only occasional and subtle punctuations to Joanna's singing and playing. This was the right decision, as it placed all the emphasis on the harp and the voice, which were beautiful and interesting for the entirety of the performance. The audience was stunned and rapturous: during the songs everyone in the venue was silent, and kind of look hypnotised in a pleasant kind of way. But when the songs ended, the place erupted. And when the band finished playing Ys and left the stage, the audience clapped and cheered loudly, for at least five minutes before Joanna returned to play a few more songs. This wasn't one of those typical half ass encores where the audience makes a little noise for a minute or two and the band comes back on before it dies down; it was the kind of encore where the audience doesn't move, goes nuts, and demands that the performer return. Awesome. And props to the folks doing the sound, everything sounded clear and wonderful, which was the last thing expected at that venue.

I left the show in a great mood, feeling kind of like I'd been told a beautiful fairytale as a child. If you haven't heard Ys yet, check it out, it's beautiful and amazing.

Labels: Concert Reviews

I've caught Holy Fuck a few times before, and what I've noticed is that each time I see them, I like them more. So after hearing some good things about their recent shows during CMJ, I decided to shell out ($17, ouch) to catch them at the Bowery last night, where they were opening up for Mouse On Mars. It was worth every penny. Holy Fuck are two electro noodlers that play a bunch of old, crappy keyboards and synths through a variety of effects pedals, coupled with a blazing rhythm section consisting of a bass player and a drummer. The total effect is excellent. It's a very human form of electronic music that inspires you to shake your ass.

At the Bowery last night, Holy Fuck brought it. The energy the band creates is very palpable, and it certainly won over the crowd. Considering the kind of music the band is making and the inherent imprecision of manipulating sounds in the way that they do, Holy Fuck are remarkably tight and together live, and were definitely tight last night. Disparate sounds floated together in pleasing ways, and I ended up spacing out to the drummer. Their set filled me with energy, and was so good that I immediately left afterwards because anyone playing next was going to be a disappointment after a set like that. Check them out if you get the chance, you'll be happy you did.

Holy Fuck's myspace

Labels: Concert Reviews, Holy Fuck

So, I'm still tired from last week, and suddenly it's the weekend, and I have a couple of friends in town and more shows I want to go to. Damn. Possibilities for the upcoming week:

Holy Fuck
Celebration
Joanna Newsom
O'Death
Stephonik and the Brightside
Annuals

Pitchfork actually wrote something I agree with recently, in that they praised Marnie Stern. I'll be writing much more about her in the coming months, but here's the short story: I first heard/saw her about a year ago at Pianos, and she blew me away. Basically, she was alone, shredding over cheesy drum machine and synth loops she recorded at home and is playing through a CD player on stage. She gave me a disc full of demos, which were also very good if a little lo-fi. She gets signed to Kill Rock Stars/5RC on the strength of those demos earlier this summer, and finally makes her debut album, played on and produced by members of bands she adores. She'll be taking over the world starting in late January. What does she sound like? I've not yet heard the new record, but if it's like what I've seen her do before, it's catchy math rock. She is a ridiculously awesome guitar player. Like, so good she'll hurt your feelings. She rules. So, more on her later, especially after I have her record.

Some more first spin snap record judgements:
Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block : Interesting, poppy, I'll listen some more.
Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder : Sounds like them, has moments that make me happy, but they've lost some luster.
The Village Green - Feeling the Fall : For some reason, I felt preconceived to dislike this band. But I like this record, it reminds me of Supergrass, among other things.

I keep on running into the same people I kept on running into during CMJ. This is both positive and negative.

Does anyone know of good websites to shop for sneakers online?

It's November and in the sixties on a Friday. Awesome. Have a nice weekend!

Labels: Marnie Stern

Apparently I'm addicted, because instead of finally getting some sleep, I just keep going to shows. As I just mentioned, I can't resist Les Sav Fav, so I decided to see them again at NYU. I was curious to catch the whole bill, as I meant to see the Big Sleep during CMJ but kept missing them, and I've heard nothing but good things about Matt and Kim for some time now.

Matt and Kim totally exceeded my expectations. I'd heard their first EP the night before, and it wasn't quite what I'd expected, though it did seem charming. When Matt and Kim came out on stage, it all made sense within the space of one song. How can you not love these two? They're so happy and fun and cute and they made everybody in the place flip their shit! The whole crowd was dancing, people were even crowd surfing, and there was plenty of sing along action. I don't think Matt or Kim ever stopped smiling or laughing, and they put me in a great mood. I look forward to getting their record and to seeing them again. Here's their myspace


The Big Sleep didn't do it for me, maybe I'll like their record better.

Les Savy Fav sounded big in that big room, and though the guitar was initially too quiet, they got it fixed by midway through the set. Maybe a third of the crowd was going apeshit, the way I'm used to seeing most of the crowd at LSF shows. I left satisfied, though I preferred the previous show at the MoMa, mostly due to that crowd's better energy. And the open bar.

Labels: Concert Reviews, Les Savy Fav

This is my first time writing about Les Savy Fav here, so I'm just going to get this out of the way: LSF are one of my favorite bands, and also one of my favorite live bands. I heart them, and I will find my way into any show that they play near me, no matter how secret it is or what I have to do to get in. For my devotion, Les Savy Fav have rewarded me with several albums I love, some of my favorite concerts I've ever been to, and Tim Harrington has humped me in his underwear at least twice during concerts. So when Brooklyn Vegan spilled the beans that the 'Fav were playing MoMa, I of promptly got a ticket and decided I would recover from CMJ some other week.

This was supposed to be a secret event, promoted by a group called LVHRD, partnering with PopRally. It was billed as New York's first ever "(CLL) PHN-LCKN", which meant that when you arrived at the door, your cellphone was confiscated by people wearing HAZMAT suits and then placed on a huge rack in the entrance way, facing the stage where the band would later play. It was a good idea, as I hadn't realized how long it's been since I spent an evening away from my phone.

To summarize: open bar at MoMa + no cell phones + Les Savy Fav = Fun^2. There were all sorts of microphone troubles, and that space wasn't really meant to host a loud band, but I still enjoyed myself thoroughly. Some other folks were there and also enjoyed it, and they took pictures. Check it out:
pitchfork
brooklyn vegan

Also, not that it's really news, but the word on the street is that Les Savy Fav are in the studio recording their next record. Awesome.

Labels: Concert Reviews, Les Savy Fav

Despite being totally wiped out from CMJ, I decided to get back on the horse quickly this week and went to see Voxtrot and Annuals on Monday. I was looking forward to the show for a couple of reasons: first, though I enjoyed seeing Annuals playing cramped sets in cramped spaces over CMJ, I was looking forward to hearing them in the Bowery, which has both space and a fantastic sound system. Secondly, I was curious to see if I would like Voxtrot any better than the last couple of times I caught them, considering that I've taken a liking to the Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives EP over the last couple of months.

By the time Annuals went on, the Bowery was starting to get pretty full (it sold out by the end of their set). They took advantage of the nice sound system to sound HUGE for their dramatic moments, which was pretty cool. I also noticed that they now have some hardcore fans, by which I mean a cluster of people that stand front and center by the stage, sing along to the songs, and dance. In fact, by the end of the show there were several little islands of folks getting their groove on. All in all a decent show, not my favorite, but I've already seen them many times, and I'm going to see them again at Union Hall next weeks. I hope that the next time they play Bowery, they turn down the vocals in the mix, I think that would sharpen everything up nicely. It's fun to see new folks getting into this band.

When I first saw Voxtrot play Rothko (RIP) around two years ago, they were opening for a small band from Massachusetts that I like called the Shenzou 5. What I remember most about that show was how Voxtrot packed the whole venue with girls. I don't think there were more than five guys there to see them, but there must have been 60 girls. It was nuts. And I remember that I didn't really like them all that much. Fast forward to now: this is the first time I've seen them headline anything, and they've definitely developed a good size following in that time, become more mature musicians, and put out an EP that I enjoy. Even with all that going for them, my opinion of them live hasn't changed. I think they're boring, and the only reason I'll go see them is if there are other bands on the bill that I want to check out, or if I want to watch pretty girls dance. Which isn't a bad reason to go to a show, I guess. If you happen to not know Voxtrot, don't let me discourage you from checking them out. I'm not going to post any tracks, but if you heart Belle & Sebastian and need a new band in your life, you'll probably love them.

Labels: Annuals, Concert Reviews

White Rabbits were the last show I saw at CMJ; I ended up there on a whim, and I probably shouldn't have even gone, as a good friend of mine was having a going away part that I needed to attend. All that being said, holy shit am I happy that I went. This was another one of those magic moments where you end up at a show with a band you've never heard of and they completely blow your mind.
The Cake Shop was pretty packed, though I'm not sure for who. Allegedly Michael Stipe was there (I didn't see him, but my friend claims he did). Then the band started playing. I have (as I'm sure many others do as well) a 30 second test for bands that I've never heard of. Even though when I'm not in a hurry I'll usually give a band at least two songs to win me over, I can usually tell in about thirty seconds whether or not they are worth listening to. White Rabbits passed that test with flying colors. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, it was more of a general "wow, these guys are fucking gooooood!" What did it sound like? Something that has a lot in common with both the Walkmen and Cold War Kids, but different. There was something in the melodies, something in the harmonies, that neither of those reference points touch on. This show was really, really good, and a fitting end to my CMJ. I can't wait to hear more of their stuff and to catch them again; I just hope they can live up to the very strong first impression they made on me.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

After skipping around to a couple of shows on Saturday, I made it back to the Fader party to check out a band I've been mildly curious about, Malajube. I've had the record for a bit, and it seemed to be pleasant French pop with strange song structures. With all the love they've received lately from the usual suspects, I thought I may as well check them out while I have the chance. They did not disappoint. Live, it became very obvious that they are a guitar band, and a tight one at that. Even though I couldn't really hear the vocals (my one complaint about the Fader parties this year), I could hear plenty of awesome guitar tones and the drums. Malajube are tight and worth checking out live whenever they make it to your town. That being said, I think that I like the live show better than the record, and as a good friend pointed out to me last night, I don't think they sound that much like Arcade Fire, so if you are expecting that, you'll be disappointed. If you like good, unpredictable and well layered pop songs (in French), this is right up your ally.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

I stopped by another Brooklyn Vegan showcase on the Saturday of CMJ, this time hoping to catch Annuals with a better sound system and Tokyo Police Club playing a real show. I made it to Annex just in time to see Annuals start their set, and it was one of my favorite that I've seen them do, despite it only being four songs short. They seemed fresh, energetic and on point, breezing through the mini-set to a packed and appreciative audience. The sound system at Annex didn't like keyboards very much, which made Annuals sound rhythm and guitar heavy, which suited them just fine. It's too bad they didn't get to play longer.

Tokyo Police Club, on the other hand, were completely the opposite. They inexplicably had much more time to play than Annuals, so much so that they got to sludge through some new material, as well as the rest of their rather small catalogue. They seemed tired and sloppy, and the set dragged for me for those reasons. I realize that they'd probably played about four or five CMJ shows at that point, and were probably tired, but this wasn't anywhere near to as good as I've seen them in the past. The crowd still dug them though, and their were a lot of folks to check them out for a Saturday afternoon show. After seeing them twice this CMJ and not being overly impressed either time, I hope they bring their A-game back the next time they're in New York.

Labels: Annuals, CMJ, Concert Reviews, Tokyo Police Club

I recently gushed about Stephonik and the Bright Side, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I was excited to see them again. I decided to get away from most of the CMJ madness I'd been apart of for the week and see SATBS in a neighborhoody type bar in Williamsburg on Friday night. Some tacky hip-hop parody group opened up the show, and though they did manage to get all of their friends there and have some fun, I didn't dig it at all. But that's just me.

Stephonik and the Bright Side, playing only their third show, changed things up a bit from the last time I saw them. First, they were much louder, and the music was much faster and felt more punk rock than the last time. There was a decent crowd on hand to catch them, and the crowd seemed to dig. Stephonik was her charismatic self, and the songs continue to tighten up. I'm told they are in the studio currently, continuing to experiment and change things around. Judging from the changes I heard between the two shows I've been to, I say keep up the good work!

If you've not seen them yet, Stephonik and the Bright Side are playing another show next week at Fontana's with Padre Pio. I'll be there, so should you.

Stephonik and the Bright Side - November 16th, Fontana's - 11PM - $7

Labels: Concert Reviews, Stephonik and the Bright Side

It makes me feel so optimistic that yesterday, millions voted for change. Well done.

Labels: Politics

Earlier in the day when I was over at KEXP catching Tokyo Police Club, I heard them play a tune by a band I'd never heard of called Archie Bronson Outfit. I remember thinking to myself, "hey, this is pretty good." What I didn't know at the time is that I would be catching them later that night, as they were playing right before Forward Russia!. I was already in pretty good spirits and a little buzzed from the Hot Chip show when I arrived at the Mercury. I came in to the sounds of loud, dirty, awesome guitar rock, to which my immediate reaction was "Fuck Yeah!" These Brits play some kind of loud, dirty swamp boogie. I'm very much looking forward to picking up their record and seeing them again, whenever they make it back to this side of the pond.

Forward Russia! was another group I'd been meaning to check out based on their reputation for being killer live. I've enjoyed their current record Give Me A Wall, though I've never thought of it as being particularly noteworthy. But as is sometimes the case, I needed to see this band live before I would understand what they were doing, and consequently like the record a lot more. iForward Russia! came out in their matching tees with their catchy logo, and I could immediately sense that they knew what they were doing. What I never understood until I heard them play live is that they're essentially a British mix of Les Savy Fav and At The Drive In. If you're like me, that gives you a major hard on. They were all business like both of those groups, and proceeded to bring heavy energy and intensity. They rocked the Mercury, and honestly didn't play for the crowd they deserved. It was a bunch of tired, crabby industry folks who didn't get down (which is a pretty apt description of the crowd at almost every CMJ show I went to). The way they play, I totally expect them to have a sea of bodies shaking their asses when they play the Bowery with Snowden and Meneguar on the 28th. Did I mention that they have a chick drummer who's totally fucking hot, looks bored on stage (at least at that show), and is awesome? Cause they do, and it's rad. Their frontman is pretty awesome too. This show, unexpectedly, takes the honors for my favorite show of CMJ. Well done gentlemen.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

This was one of the CMJ shows I was looking forward to the most, because of the rave reviews my friends have given their live show. Everyone I know who has seen them swears that Hot Chip are fantastic live, and considering that my CMJ show-buddy was one of those people, this seemed like the right moment to check them out. I didn't have many pre-conceptions about what to expect, though I do give The Warning occasional spins and I did know that they were British. I certainly did not expect Hot Chip to be five super dorky white boys who inexplicably have the funk flowing from their loins. Even though I'm not a huge fan of Webster Hall, the band sounded good and the ample space let the packed crowd get their groove on. You can't deny a band that has both insane amounts of energy and rhythm; Hot Chip have plenty of both. The verdict: Hot Chip broke my legs, and I walked out of the venue with a shit eating grin on my face.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

I'd never been to a KEXP in-studio performance before (despite being sorely tempted last year), so I didn't quite know what to expect upon finding the New York home of this fantastic radio station. Once we finally found Gigantic Studios, the place was humming with people and activity. The studio itself is pretty nice (ridiculously nice compared to the college radio stations I've previously spent time in), with a viewing room, studio room and broadcast room all linked with big glass panes. You could hear the band soundchecking in the viewing room, as well as the live broadcast. After about a half an hour, Tokyo Police Club started their in-studio performance. Since I saw them last at the Southside Seaport, they've gotten new, nicer equipment which brightens up their sound. Their new guitar rig also makes them sound more like the Strokes than they previously did, probably because they are very similar. I don't know how I feel about this. Anyway, the band and instrumentation sounded great in the studio, they continue to become better musicians with time. The singer, however, sounded like he'd been partying pretty hard for the last week; his voice was hoarse, his demeanor was tired and a little awkward. He kind of fumbled through the interview section as well, hopefully he'll get better at answering obvious questions in the future. Did you really come to CMJ and not expect anyone to ask you about when your band might be recording their debut album? Really? Anyway, it was nice to see them again, and cool to see a KEXP in-studio. I'll likely check out another next year.

For the record, I still think that they'll be signing to Stolen Transmission, but only time will tell.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews, Tokyo Police Club

I've seen many, many concerts, but I've never seen one that looked quite like this.

A friend and I made it to Webster Hall in time for the late show, which was the only the second time the Knife had ever played in the US (the first time being the early show that same day). It had the atmosphere of an 'it' show, the kind where you see lines around the block, plenty of people trying to beg their way in and a tangible sense of excitement and anticipation for a band they've probably not had the chance to previously see. There also happened to be an abundance of very attractive Scandinavian folks both inside and outside the venue, quite possibly fans from the Knife's native Sweden.

We went to check out the show from the balcony, as the main level was packed. We found a pretty good spot by the VIP section, where we could see the whole stage as well as the duo themselves. The stage was extremely dark, with two different stations set up with different electronic instruments. The stations were covered with some type of fluorescent tape, creating a cool looking 3D box. One station had an electronic drum pad, the other some electronics for manipulating the voice of the singer. Most of the music was prerecorded, with the brother and sister duo providing some twiddling and the vocals. They were both wearing dark jumpsuits and masks that looked like the came out of some post-modern artist's sci-fi acid trip.
As I mentioned before, the stage and the room were very, very dark, with black lighting (or something like that) making only the masks of the performers and their instruments appear to move. Except that I've neglected to mention the visual shapes, objects and animation that were seamlessly integrated into the whole experience. I couldn't tell for certain from where I was standing, but there appeared to be 3 or 4 different sheer, opaque screens at different parts of the stage. There was usually some animation or film clip on the screen furthest back, with different shapes and pictures being simultaneously projected onto the other screens in front (including one in front of the stage). Sometimes this created the effect of spinning, rotating 3D mathematical objects, which blew my fucking mind. Or as my friend kept on saying, "OMG, I'm gonna lose my shit." Everything was choreographed and synchronized with the music, it was pretty to watch and pretty to listen to, though the show came off a bit more like a visual art experiment than a traditional concert. Not that this was a problem, I've never really seen anything like it before, and I'd totally see it again if given the chance. Considering that the Knife don't really play shows (this was their 12th show ever), and are rumored to be retiring from live performances after their US tour, I'm happy I caught it when I did.

And like most of the CMJ shows I went to, there was drunken debauchery to be found: among other things, someone threw up on my shoes. I guess that makes this otherworldly show kind of rock and roll. And props to my friend for hooking it up and getting us in!

Also, Stereogum has a decent review of the first show with better pictures than I those I took.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

I kicked off my CMJ at Brooklyn Vegan's day showcase at Pianos, still a bit sleepy and hungover from the Halloween debauchery of the night before. I was excited to be seeing Land of Talk (whom I caught and loved earlier this summer), and also to be meeting up with a fellow music-addict from LA who would be my show buddy for the next couple of days.

A couple of bloody mary's and Nicolai Dunger kicked things off. They were a competent, Scandinavian band who played folk-pop or something along those lines. They were good at what they did, but it wasn't my thing.

LA's Little Ones followed, and they have their sugar perfect happy pop down to a science at this point. I also caught them previously this summer (oddly enough, opening up for Land of Talk, again), and I imagine that they can look forward to some success when their album drops sometime next spring or summer. They're also very friendly guys, who I ended up getting drunk with after the show through a mutual friend. Shots at 4 in the afternoon are totally rock and roll.


Montreal's Land of Talk played next, and continued to woo me. I saw them this summer on accident, but after hearing them play for about a minute I was totally sold. Their excellent EP Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss has kept me satisfied since then, and I jumped at the chance to see them again. I love the vibe from the band, and particularly that of their frontwoman. She's got this spunky, funny charisma that draws you in, and then when she starts playing and singing, you're hooked. LoT played a few new songs which sounded good, and the old stuff sounded great. I can't wait for their new album (sometime early next year, perhaps?), and I'll definitely be at their next NYC show, whenever that is.

I had to run off to another party after Land of Talk, and when I came back it was too full for me to see CSS. However, they sounded good from outside, and everyone who walked out had a glazed smile on their face, so I'm guessing the show went pretty well.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews, Land of Talk

CMJ is over and I'm back at work, a little tired and with a cold I didn't have before, but all things considered I'm very musically satisfied. I caught many excellent shows, including many bands I'd not had the chance to see before. I'll be writing more detailed descriptions of the good shows I caught over the next few days, but briefly, here are my favorites:

Land of Talk - Pianos: A great band with great charisma, even the second time around
The Knife - Webster Hall: I've never seen a concert look anything like this one.
Forward Russia! - Mercury Lounge: I'd have never guessed how good this band is from listening to their record, now I can't wait to see them again in a few weeks.
Stephonik and the Bright Side - Charelston: They were louder and heavier than the last time, fresh out of the studio and sounding awesome.
Annuals - Annex: A short but sweet set, they sounded amazing.
Malajube - Fader: These guys have their shit together and make their album rock live.
White Rabbit - Cake Shop: Biggest and most pleasant surprise of CMJ, I can't believe how great these guys were. They passed the '30 seconds test' for bands I've never heard before better than anyone else I've ever seen.

I didn't move much yesterday, and would love to take this week off from shows. However, this isn't to be the case as I'm seeing Voxtrot and Annuals tonight, Les Savy Fav tomorrow (and probably Thursday), and have people trying to get me to shows on Wednesday and Friday. I love music, and apparently I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

Fuck yeah. Another good day yesterday, though I'm pretty tired right now. Single sentence summaries from Thursday:
Tokyo Police Club, KEXP - the band sounded and played great, the singer was a bit hoarse and a bit nervous
Lo Fi Fnk, Fader - Young Sweedes looking stylish and playing electro pop
Annuals, Fader - Sounded good until the sound got fucked, which it did
Hot Chip, Webster - Hot Chip broke my legs.
Forward Russia!, Mercury - Fucking Right On. These guys bring it, I'll definitely catch them again in a few weeks when they play Bowery with Snowden and Meneguar

So the big question, what will I end up at tonight? Still working my connections for the Bowery, but Mercury would also be good. Why do the Black Angels have to play at fucking Nokia Theater, why? I'll also try to catch Stephonik and the Bright Side at Charleston in Billyburg. they're on at 12:30, and it's free, if you'd like to go there too.

And welcome Brooklyn Vegan folks!

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews

I'm still in the midst of everything, and there are many more shows awaiting me before everything's done, but here's a quick run down of what I've seen so far, with much more to come next week:

Brooklyn Vegan Showcase, Pianos:
Nicolai Dunger: good at what they do, not my thing.
The Little Ones: still very tight, their happy music fought valiantly with my Halloween hangover. And they like to do shots during the day, as I discovered the fun way.
Land of Talk: I heart this band.

Webster Hall - The Knife: much more on this later, but this was easily the most visually unique and interesting concert I've ever seen. and some girl puked on my shoes.

Unfortunately, a very drunk friend cut my evening short before I could see anyone else, but I'm already off to a good start.

I've already seen a couple of shows today, and I'm about to head out for the first of four concerts this evening. On my list: Annuals, 120 Days, Hot Chip, Forward Russia, and wherever the rest of my night takes me...

Labels: CMJ, Concert Reviews