hip pop, hooray!!

top of the pop banana!

2007-04-01T19:34:00.000-04:00

since their formation in 1998, palomar have traipsed the indie easy streets of brooklyn, humbly perfecting pop. despite risky lineup changes, their fourth album, all things, forests maintains all the cutsey power pop hooks and effortlessly pretty harmonies you’ve come to expect of these gals (and guy!, dale miller, who is endearingly shunned in nearly every recent photo of the group). in addition, all things, lives up to it’s sort of somber cover art, showing off the band’s mature, more serious side. life’s no bowl of cherries, but palomar makes even the darkest parts sound awfully sweet with catchy tracks like, “keeping us up” and “woah!!”

for more info,
including info on their upcoming record release party at the mercury lounge: http://www.palomartheband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/palomar

two thousand six picks.

2007-01-15T22:21:00.000-05:00

best albums:
1. band of horses: everything all the time.
2. the gossip: standing in the way of control.
3. peaches: impeach my bush.
4. yeah yeah yeahs: show your bones.
5. the editors: the back room.
6. built to spill: you in reverse.
7. pearl jam: s/t.
8. cat power: the greatest.
9. the sails: s/t.
10. sunset rubdown: shut up i am dreaming.

best compilation:
pj harvey: the peel sessions.

best live album:
my morning jacket: okonokos

album i should like more than i do:
she wants revenge: s/t.

best music dvds:
pj harvey: please leave quietly.
my morning jacket: okonokos.

best dance songs:
i don’t feel like dancing: scissor sisters.
i don’t wanna fall in love: she wants revenge.
military fashion show: and one.
sexy back: justin timberlake.*
wind it up: gwen stefani.*

* denotes guilty pleasure candidates, so stop your snickering.

best live performances: my morning jacket, pearl jam, wolf parade, band of horses, peaches, the gossip, no dynamics, diamond nights, yeah yeah yeahs, madonna, nin.

no crying wolfe.

2006-12-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

when calling to mind all of the memorable riot grrrl bands you listened to as a zine-reading pre-teeny, bratmobile is sure to be remembered as one of the few feminist bands who were actually fun! sure their raw garage sound was chock full of girl-friendly, queer-friendly punk politics, but also, they were fun!! like allison wolfe’s other bands, the cold cold hearts and deep lust, partyline proves that girl punk can be simultaneously smart and dancey.

with it’s over the top absurdity and catchy dance punk sensibility, their first full length album, zombie terrorist ,is refreshing and virtually irresistable. topics addressed include the war on choice, the war on women, the war on gays, and other sweetly anti-bush sentiments. since the majority of songs speed by in two minutes or less, you’re likely to suffer lyrical whiplash, unless you break out the liner notes, where you’ll find tongue in cheek cheerleader chants like , “ain’t got the right, ain’t got no life, ain’t got no right? right.” and that’s not even from the catchiest song (which by the way is "trophey wifey"- see video below)! perfect for all those weird parties amy sedaris’s latest book has got you planning.

what a wonderful band.

2006-12-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

my morning jacket
roseland ballroom
november 30, 2006

set list: one big holiday, what a wonderful man, gideon, the way that he sings, off the record, just one thing, it beats 4 u, wordless chorus, lowdown, lay low, phone went west, dondante, run thru, they ran.
encore: tonight i want 2 celebrate with you, nashville to kentucky, golden, steam engine, dance floors, mahgeetah, anytime.

my morning jacket have come a long way from the reverb-drowned sounds of their early efforts, the tenessee fire and at dawn. over the past few years, they have grown from no name down home boys into modern day missionaries devoted to spreading the alt country word. after dazzling critics with the flawless country rock gem, it still moves, and more recently with the quirky, Z, buzz began spilling over from the indie community into the much larger and more mainstream rock world. with endless months of touring under their cowboy belts (including their recent arena tour supporting seattle grunge gurus, pearl jam), the band’s consistently impressive live performances continue to earn them a loyal fan base; equal parts hipster and balding rocker.

barely a year after their last new york show, mmj returned to promote their live double cd/dvd, okonokos (both released this fall). all of roseland ballroom quickly fell under their southern spell as the band’s shadows took stage from behind a white sheet. anticipatory finger horns and air fists flew up from the audience until at last the sheet fell just as the band launched into the first wild riffs of “one big holiday.” from there the momentum kept building, even when the band switched from classic rock kickers like “run thru” to revisit their country roots with slower, sweeter songs like “nashville to kentucky” and fan favorite, “golden.”

written almost ten years apart, the similarly reggae infused “phone went west” and “off the record” demonstrate mmj’s ability to evolve without ever having to let go of the enchanting echoes that haunt the prettiest of their early works. the sweet epic “dondante” and the literally wordless chorus of “wordless chorus” allow jim james‘ stark falsetto to finally float out from it‘s previous tin can hiding spot.

their jam band meanderings and classic rock inspired breakdowns are nothing to laugh at, but james’ moon boots and unabashed love for lionel ritchie proved that the band still knows how to let loose and have fun.

how royce rolls.

2006-08-21T18:59:00.000-04:00

royce
tuff love
galapagos4

like the chicago wind they rushed in on, royce are cool and breezy. their second album, tuff love, is actually not that tough to love given it’s streetwise bark and electro bite. what sets these guys apart from similar up-and-coming artists like the streets are the surprisingly semi-sweet indie moments which could make even experimental veterans like yo la tengo, tango. blast this in your headphones while you strut down the steamy mean streets of the city. you’ll feel tough and maybe even a little bit pretty.

http://www.roycelove.com/

hear 'em.

2006-08-09T19:23:00.000-04:00

reality serum: s/t.
supple records.

remember when rock infused rap was still an innovative idea? before the red hot chili peppers and the beastie boys had bored us all with a hundred albums each, and bands like system of a down, limp bizkit, (etc., etc., etc.) shamed the whole scene? yeah, me either.

but in the wake of that whole mess, braver bands are beginning to explore the unknown, trippy waters of ambient hip hop. reality serum have joined the likes of other genre-melding acts like tricky and 311 (in their amber days). with lickety-split lyrics spit over soothing tunes and hypnotic background vocals, this self-titled ep could easily be the dreamy sequel to the judgement night soundtrack.

enjoy yourself: http://www.myspace.com/realityserum

heart factory to close.

2006-08-03T19:28:00.000-04:00

sleater-kinney
@ webster hall
8.02.06

set list: start together, the fox , the drama you've been craving , wilderness, jumpers, light rail coyote, night light, ironclad, rollercoaster, hot rock, what's mine is yours, youth decay, modern girl, let's call it love, entertain, sympathy, dig me out, ballad of a ladyman, oh!, call the doctor, get up, words + guitar, turn it on, one more hour.

dear janet, corin + carrie,

over the last eleven years, you have grown from your raw riot grrrl roots into modern rock n’ roll masterminds. i love you because you always sound like you. i love you because no one else sounds like you. i love you because you scream and jump and kick, even when my city’s simmering with the sweat of a hundred hipsters. i love you because you saved my favorite song for last. and no, you don't have to leave for us to want you here to stay.

xo.

rip: http://www.sleater-kinney.com/

polly says her back hurts.

2006-08-01T21:32:00.000-04:00

pj harvey: on tour...
please leave quietly
island

the first time i saw pj harvey perform “rid of me” live, i thought i would melt into a pool of color, like in some surreal scene from amelie. though the exact details of that moment have since been blurred over time, the moment still retains enough magic in my mind, that i was hesitant to spoil it by watching the live recordings collected on “please leave quietly.” but, like nick, i caved.

this is not your typical concert dvd. in music video fashion, the songs have been pieced together from various live snippets filmed during her most recent, "uh huh her," tour. interspersed with backstage footage of harvey and her bandmates rehearsing, partying, and unraveling, all rough edges are kept in tact, and the end result is more artsy collage than glossy montage. the disc offers a rare and refreshingly honest portrayal of the stunning woman stripped of her all onstage glamour. plus there’s the added bonus of the unreleased and irresistibly delicious song,“uh huh her,” (which was unfortunately not included on the album of the same name).

wash clean: http://www.pjharvey.net

**buy it at insound!**

c'mon get sappy.

2006-07-29T11:46:00.000-04:00

the sails: s/t
rainbow quartz

few things in life make me giddy. the light-hearted sweetness of songs like “she’s a rainbow” by the stones and finding new britpop bands who actually deserve comparisons to the beatles. here, we've got both. the sails hail from london and perform painfully cute songs about love and candy! their self-titled debut is a sugarhigh that never crashes, complete with charming harmonies and bittersweet symphonies, i mean melodies. some of the songs (“see myself”) are simple and catchy, while others like “peter shilton” dazzle with their depth. regardless, all songs will stick in your head like cotton candy kisses. i have cavities just from singing along and i barely even care.

http://www.myspace.com/thesails

**buy it at insound!**

the boys wanna be her.

2006-07-23T17:55:00.000-04:00

peaches/eagles of death metal
@ irving plaza
july 22, 2006.

set list (not in order): fuck or kill, tent in your pants, hit it hard, boys wanna be her, downtown, 2 guys (for every girl), rock the shocker, you love it, slippery dick, give’er, do ya, i u she, operate, shake yer dix, back it up boys, rock n’ roll, fuck the pain away, aa xxx, lovertits.

having been jammed into irving plaza (instead of the originally planned, more spacious, roseland ballroom), the crowd was pleased as peach pie when the vixen surprised us, starting the show off stage from a side platform. dressed like a deranged harem girl in metallic hotpants, thigh high boots, and sequined veil thrown over aviator shades, peaches eased into a smooth rendition of the new “tent in your pants.” from there both the songs and her costumes became progressively sexier until at last she was grinding against various crowd members in her black underpants while singing “fuck the pain away.”

other highlights included peaches teaches on the forgotten art of foreplay in “rock the shocker” (“thumbs up, fingers out, pull back, pull back”), an audience participation ymca take on “aaxxx,” a medal ceremony for the band members (which included le tigre’s lesbian heartthrob, jd samson). oh yeah, and i should probably mention the enormous penis hanging out centerstage for a few songs, then falling over and being carried away on a stretcher. if you haven’t seen peaches’ live show yet, then you had godamn better be a housebound grandmother.

do ya?: http://peachesrocks.com

**buy it at insound!**

the beat is on.

2006-07-18T18:44:00.000-04:00

dark side of the cop: s/t
auger down

once upon a time, while attending high school in vermont, marco panella, got the bizarrely impassioned idea to create an “alternate soundtrack” for one of his favorite movies, beverly hills cop. years later, between gigs as truck driver/hand model, the san fransico based musician (with the help of some friends), finally found the time to pursue this idea. the result was a concept album of original songs that exceeded panella’s (and certainly my own) expectations.

dark side of the cop is electronic infused indie pop reminiscent of the busy signals or some other sugar free band i’m not hip enough to list here. the songs cover all the universal topics like growing up, falling in love, stealing cars. it’s serene and a little silly, with softly sung lyrics like, “who’s the bitch now?” but more importantly, it’s tangible proof that those weird ass ideas you got in your teenage pot-rotted brain all those years ago, just might evolve into something cool someday.

by the way, can someone who is less busy than i am, please go ahead and play this cd while watching beverly hills cop and let me know how it turns out? okay, thanks.

pull over: http://www.darksideofthecop.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darksideofthecop

here comes the train.

2006-07-11T23:19:00.000-04:00

follow the train: a breath of sigh.

i’m a sucker for bands that hail from the south and record their albums in unconventional spaces. follow the train are four kickin’ cowkids from louisville who recorded their full length debut, (and follow up to their 2004 ep) a breath of sigh, in a funeral home. maybe that explains all the eerie guitars, ominous percussion, and haunting vocals here. the overall feel of the music, the lyrics, even the accompanying artwork are dark and dreary. and frankly, i rather like it.

though the album contains an ode to kentucky as well as a guest appearance by my morning jacket’s jim james, who lends his mesquite charms on the track “i’m not sorry,” the train’s sound is less alt-country and more dreamy folk pop. sometimes sour, often sweet, but always refreshing, like lemonade left out in the sinking sun of tornado alley. yeah, that's it.

cool tracks: "flower," "original disconnect," "remember."

"check their pulse, they're still alive":
www.followthetrain.com/
www.myspace.com/followthetrain

**buy it at insound!**

stick it (in).

2006-07-03T20:06:00.000-04:00

peaches: impeach my bush.

in the last few years, the one peach with the hole in the middle has gone from underground vixen to guilty pleasure to some pretty big name stars. her cult hit, “fuck the pain away” appeared in the film lost in translation, mangled shock rocker iggy pop performed on her last album, and in recent months she even opened shows for nin and bauhaus. now she’s got joan jett and josh homme contributing to her latest traxxx. but don’t panic, peaches hasn’t grown too big for her aa cups and hot pink hot pants.

impeach my bush retains all of the charming simplicity and sexually explicit audacity of her previous albums (teaches of peaches, and fatherfucker). in typical peaches fashion, the rhymes are quick and the beats are wicked. with abrasive joan jett rockers ("boys wanna be her") and dirty missy elliot inspired raps ("tent in your pants"), impeach my bush is a non-stop romp in the electro sack. if you don’t hear from me for the rest of the summer, i’m probably holed up in my bedroom dancing in my underwear.

see the live peaches rock show with eagles of death metal: http://peachesrocks.com/

**buy it at insound!**

music makes new yorkers come together.

2006-06-29T23:58:00.000-04:00

madonna
@ madison square garden
6.28.06

when you’re an icon like madonna, you’ve pretty much done it all, and yet you’re still expected to wow both your fans and enemies just to keep them coming back for more. and when you’re anyone else but madonna, after all these years you’re probably still intrigued by your love/hate relationship with her, and you think you’ve seen it all, until she begins her concert by stepping out of a gigantic disco ball in a jockey outfit to dominate her entourage of man-horses into submission.

yeah, so she’s still got it. the hot body, the bad attitude, the wicked fashion sense, and most importantly, she still has that keen chameleon-like ability to keep re-inventing herself. much like her rise to fame, madonna’s show was overwhelmingly extravagant. i say overwhelming because within two short hours, it displayed every side of her we’ve ever seen from hopeless romantic to coy sex kitten. i say extravagant because of the fabulously colorful lights, entrancing dance routines, and jaw dropping props including a flying leather studded carousel (from which, “like a virgin” was performed) and a christ-sized cross (for “live to tell”).

of course the show had moments that weren’t quite so flashy. frequent wardrobe breaks left ample time for dancers to climb down from their monkey bars to deliver intimate soliloquies paired with intense interpretive dance sequences based on some of their personal life tragedies (such as abuse, suicide, and gang violence). at other times, enormous video screens flashed disturbing photos of orphans whose parents were lost to aids, as well as repetitive images of notoriously wordy politicians who were implored not to talk, or speak.

anyone who was there will undoubtedly rave about the over the top “hung up” finale in all it’s gold mylar balloon, roller disco glory. they will tell you about old favorites like “erotic,” “la isla bonita” and “lucky star” all performed saturday night fever style. but for me, the best moment was the controversial yet stunning “isaac.”

have you confessed?: http://www.madonna.com/

**buy it at insound!**

photo by: kenyon hopkin.

entitled persons crossing.

2006-06-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

person: entitled.
if it weren’t for the name, you might never guess that person is actually a one man band. self righteously titling his experimental solo debut entitled, miguel lacsamana (of the dc spacefolk band, stamen & pistils) seems to be begging for critics and indiesnobs alike to put him in his place. fortunately, lacsamana’s innovative fusion of electropop and hip hop is both confident and cool. smart ass synth-soaked raps rock like the bastard child of a sleazy one night stand between alison goldfrapp and har mar superstar. embodying the entire album’s concept, “you ain’t hot” is a sultry rip on everyone from the pussycat dolls to their glitzy club-girl fanbase, which includes just the type of girls who might be willing to spill out of their tube tops drunk dancing to such songs on a saturday night. now this is the kind of ironic exploitation you can really get down to.

go ahead, hit that shit: http://www.myspace.com/personmusic

the hand that bleeds.

2006-06-18T18:42:00.000-04:00

nin, bauhaus, peaches
@ jones beach
6.17.06.

nin set list: somewhat damaged, you know what you are?, sin, terrible lie, march of the pigs, the frail/the wretched, closer, burn, gave up, help me i am in hell, non-entity, only, wish, la mer, into the void, the big come down, dead souls, suck, get down make love, down in it, hurt, the hand that feeds, head like a hole.

peaches’ triple xxx antics appall the hot pants off some unsuspecting early arrivals. not to be upstaged, peter murphy then swoons around stage in a cape to perform bauhaus' well known "bela lugosi’s dead" and show off his shadows mysterious ability to morph into that of a bird.

nin take the stage and i immediately feel a pang of shame that i could be this excited to see a band that i haven’t really connected with since 1994. i mean, i don’t want to speak for everyone (but i will) when i say that it’s sort of embarrassing that after all these years, we all secretly remember the words to “hurt” and even more secretly still feel trent’s pain. if you were there, you probably know what i’m talking about. if you weren’t, here’s what you missed: mesmerizing lights that at different times looked like carbonation, smoke, and blood!, a surprisingly inclusive set list, and an overwhelming turnout from the overgrown darkwave crowd (which made me ask myself whether i only make fun of them because i’m jealous that within the confines of their own distorted social circle it’s acceptable for them to leave the house looking black and dead the way i feel every day when i wake up and go to work).

best song i barely knew existed: "the big come down."
best songs period: "wish," "get down make love."

you can have it all: http://www.nin.com/

**buy it at insound!**

photo by: kenyon hopkin.

r-e-s-p-e-k-t her.

2006-06-13T19:19:00.000-04:00

regina spektor: begin to hope.

a few years ago, following a visit to a certain SUNY school in the middle of nowhere, a friend of mine slipped a rather bland looking cd into my overnight bag, insisting i listen, as this particular alum put all other folk femmes to shame. sure enough, my entire car full of friends and i all fell pretty immediately in love with the spoken-word, rap, folk, rock ramblings of the lovely and then unknown regina spektor. since then, spektor has gone on to release the acclaimed soviet kitsch, which landed her an unlikely gig touring with the strokes.

if you’re new to the sounds of spektor, imagine a recipe which calls for two cups fionna apple, two cups ani difranco, one cup tori amos, and a sprinkling of imogen heap. now glaze with honey and leave to cool on your brooklyn fire escape. but if you’re already familiar, then you’ll note that her first release since her seemingly overnight success plays it safe. sure “begin to hope” shows growth and promise and all that good stuff. however, along with that progression, her previously untouched charms have been tampered with, muddled by grunge-drenched bass lines, and drowned in moments of pop/rock fluff. but hey, maturity is awkward like that sometimes. fortunately, spektor remains innovative enough to see her through her mild growing pains.

tracks to respect: samson, fidelity, better, après moi.

play spektris, not tetris: http://www.reginaspektor.com/

my pet rock.

2006-06-11T17:19:00.000-04:00

be your own pet: s/t.

after taunting us all with a handful of wild singles, nashville punks, be your own pet, have released their self-titled full length debut. yeah yeah yeah, they sound an awful lot like another female-fronted dance punk band we all know and love (though, if you ask me, jemina’s vocals tilt more to the cinder block side). anyway, their killer combination of infectious punk and silly but strong songwriting (apparent in titles like bicycle, bicycle, you are my bicycle and we will vaction, you can be my parasol) is pretty much irresistable. with so many bands taking themselves more seriously than they should, you'll appreciate that be your own pet are seriously fuuuuuun. heavy petting tracks: adventure, bog, we will vacation you will be my parasol.

for adventure: http://www.myspace.com/beyourownpetmusic

**buy it at insound!**

how to keep your dance-band happy.

2006-06-05T19:42:00.000-04:00

the cosmopolitans: wild moose party.

do you ever want to drop acid and travel in your mind back to a better time, probably before you were even born, when musicians weren’t ashamed to let loose and make cool-looking fools out of themselves? if so, then perhaps you should break out your best flip-wig and give the cosmopolitan’s wild moose party a spin.

the album doesn’t contain any new music, but it might sound new to you if you weren’t hip enough to swing with the new nyc new-wave crowd back in 1980. so who the hell are the cosmopolitans? just two downright groovy chicks jamie k. sims and nel moore whose north carolina based experimental dance troop turned into an awesome party band, in which the girls sang, played keyboards and harmonica, hand clapped, baton twirled, and danced their asses off, in front of a slew of different drummers.

the girl’s sound has an obvious b52’s wild side, but is backed with a cutesy tongue in cheek feminist attitude (think thee headcoatees and/or the slits). the compilation is genuinely old school, collecting studio sessions as well as live performances, including their best known single, (how to keep your) husband happy, (inspired by the notorious debbie drake fitness album with the same name), and my personal favorite, chevy baby, a weirdly voiced tale of a new york post-ly “true” story of a couple who trades in their baby for a chevy. hey, sounds like a good deal to me.

since it's not really 1980, you can check them out on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thecosmopolitans

oh, they're still alive.

2006-06-02T19:42:00.000-04:00

pearl jam + my morning jacket
@ continental airlines arena
6.01.06.
set list:

eddie vedder: hide your love away.

my morning jacket: it makes no difference (w/ eddie vedder), off the record, what a wonderful man, gideon, wordless chorus, o is the one that is real, one big holiday, anytime, magheeta.

pearl jam: severed hand, corduroy, world wide suicide, do the evolution, marker in the sand, given to fly, dissident, evenflow, army reserve, immortality, green disease, not for you/modern girl, alone, jeremy, why go, life wasted, rearviewmirror.

encore 1: wasted reprise, man of the hour, come back, footsteps, once, alive.

encore 2: last exit, comatose, leatherman, glorified g, leash, baba o’riley, indifference.

say what you will about pearl jam, but they’ve got a knack for picking top of the line supporting acts (buzzcocks, death cab for cutie, sleater-kinney). my morning jacket are no exception to this rule. though relatively unknown within the realm of aging post-collegiate jock-rockers, they managed to impress a good majority of the anxious crowd, spreading their louisville charm, in the form of delicious harmonies (including the jim james/eddie vedder collaboration on the band’s, “it makes no difference”) and country rock breakdowns.

pearl jam then took the same stage where i first saw them perform over ten years ago, and wasted no time delving deep into the hard rock heart of their new material. luckily the fan-club heavy audience was fully prepared to sing along with even the newest songs. and this loyalty paid off, when the band later broke out their big hits like jeremy and evenflow, along with lesser known favorites including the mamasan trilogy (alive, once, footsteps), alone, leatherman, man of the hour, and leash. recalling post 9/11 jeers for their anti-bush politics, as well as the now infamous sign which appeared in new york years back, reading “play leash, you pussies,” eddie vedder insisted they would always come back for more, thanking us for giving them the best job a guy could ever have.

lone wolf.

2006-05-25T19:44:00.000-04:00

sunset rubdown: shut up i'm dreaming
you know, i was already smitten with wolf parade’s better half, spencer krug, but then the quirky little mastermind went ahead and released the first full-length album from his lo-fi side project, sunset rubdown, and now i am sure to adore him forever. shut up i’m dreaming is a strange gem, which calls to mind a bunch of similar diamond-in-the-rough type bands like the unicorns and neutral milk hotel. oh yeah, and wolf parade.

except one can imagine that these are the sort of oddball songs that even the offbeat wolf parade wouldn’t dare indulge in. refusing to fit together like chapters in a book, each song stands on its own like a mini-novella, complete with it’s own set of endearing lyrics told to the tune of a zillion instruments (including many appearances by our forgotten friend, the triangle!). even with several tracks stretching over seven minutes long, the songs are never boring, as they are all backed with krug’s signature ultra-frantic, ultra-manic, urgency.

i go in circles.

2006-05-21T20:48:00.000-04:00

unwed sailor: circles.
ep’s are tricky. at best a tryst with captivating music ends entirely too quickly. at worst, you’ve invested your time in a handful of songs that go nowhere. unfortunately, for unwed sailor and myself, the latter scenario holds true for circles, which consists of two lengthy instrumental tracks seamlessly melded together.

thirteen minutes into their fifteen minute ep, the band finally finds their footing, landing on a pensive little melody with upbeat percussion and purposeful guitar ramblings. but beware, the road leading there is dreary and vacant.

wild horses couldn't drag me away.

2006-05-14T23:34:00.000-04:00

band of horses: everything all the time.

whatever small spark carissa’s wierd created, band of horses has fed it into a glowing pyre. a particularly stunning debut, everything all the time effortlessly unfolds into a full blown melodic masterpiece.

the coolest cowboys in the northwest, horses successfully pull off a sound eerily similar to the mature country-kissed rock stylings of my morning jacket. banjos, twanging geetars, and twinkling pianos all swim beneath reverb drowned vocals creating a consistently beautiful album.

i dare you to resist their charms. and i defy you to find even one throw away song hiding out in their haystack.

thoroughbred tracks: "the funeral," "weed party," "wicked gil."

i hate myself for allowing new york tickets to sell out before i was let in on this well kept secret. don’t you miss your chance too: http://bandofhorses.com/

built to last.

2006-05-11T19:34:00.000-04:00

built to spill: you in reverse.
sometimes i worry that after so many years of the same old songs, i’m growing bored of built to spill. but then they release a new album and i reluctantly buy it, and before the first verse even fades out, i’m hooked. you in reverse is no exception to this rule. since it’s release a few weeks back, i have once again found myself shamelessly floating around in indie-jam band heaven. let’s face it, doug martsch is cuter than a yawning bear cub and had this album been released during the snow-capped winter months, i would have cuddled up in bed and hibernated with it.

including the subtle lineup changes, there’s nothing unexpected about this album. built to spill are built to last, sticking with the same familiar sounds which have won them a large and loyal fanbase. but maybe that’s not such a bad thing. maybe, built to spill is the best friend you can count on to consistently give you what you need. if what you need is sugary, but sharp-witted lyrics thrown over psychedelic guitar solos stretching over eight minutes long. and really, isn’t that what we all need sometimes? make you melt tracks: "goin’ against your mind," "liar," and "gone."

get postponed tour date details and play a little b-ball with douggy doug: http://builtospill.com/

dande lion's gonna tell me where the light is.

2006-05-07T18:55:00.000-04:00

imaad wastif: s/t.

when i first listened to this album, i wrongly assumed that the birds chirping sweetly outside my window were a hidden charm lurking behind the prettiest harmonies of this sappy lovesick acoustica. alas, they were just birds out my window. still, the album is perfect for spring time sunsets, and wasif is a bulb on the verge of blooming for years now. before embarking on his current tour with the yeah yeah yeahs, wasif has dabbled in lesser known projects like alaska! and the new folk implosion. check out his self-titled solo debut if you’re still bummed over losing beloved singer/songwriters jeff buckley and elliott smith, and/or if you want to know where the yeah yeah yeahs have been drawing their mushy inspiration from. stand out track: blade.

still curious?: http://www.killrockstars.com/bands/factsheets/imaadwasif/

there she goes.

2006-05-06T12:28:00.000-04:00

theo + the skyscrapers
@ metasin
may 05, 2006

it’s nearly midnight as the lovely theo awaits her cue from the skyscrapers. it’s hard to believe she’s the same pony-tailed woman i saw backstage just an hour ago, relaxing with some starbucks in a hoodie. no matter how many times i watch her take same stage, she is always mesmerizing, a perfect punk rock picture painted with smudged make up and tattoo ink. she is a tiny blonde thing in a tiny black dress with a voice taller than any of the towering skyscrapers. she is confident and cool and she should be. the mixed crowd (used to resident dj’s spinning strictly industrial and ebm at this hour) adored her from start to finish. even those who started out just trying to get a good look up her skirt soon recognized the talent.

slinking around stage, sporting the trademark karen o. gloves and shouting out abrasive vocals over thumping and incessant new wave-inspired, metal-kissed, rock n' roll, it’s no surprise that theo and the skyscrapers have already drawn comparisons to the yeah yeah yeah’s and blondie. so theo will have to work extra hard to break past her lunachicks days and explode like a "volcano," leaving the rest in ashes.

for new album + tour info, go here:
http://theoandtheskyscrapers.com/

photos by: kenyon hopkin

they know what they know.

2006-05-04T19:14:00.000-04:00

yeah yeah yeahs
@ roseland ballroom
may 02, 2006.

Opening bands:

black lips: groovy “flower punk” straight outta 1960-something. more than anything else, i wanted to hate these guys, but their songs and immature antics were so consistently ridiculous that they kind of won me over by the end of their set. http://www.myspace.com/theblacklips

dirtbombs: a bunch of badasses (including two drummers, and a singer rocking shades) effortlessly dished out loud, crunchy garage rock that spawned the monstrous moshpit which then carried on for the rest of the night. http://www.thedirtbombs.net/

yeah yeah yeahs set list: phenomena, black tongue, pin, gold lion, honeybear, tell me what rockers to swallow, mysteries, art star, cheated hearts, the sweets, turn into, y control. encore: maps (acoustic), warrior, tick.

can a punk band known for their incredible on-stage energy still rock hard even when they go acoustic? yeah yeah yeah, they can.

still a relatively new band, the yeah yeah yeahs have already proved to indie elitists everywhere that they know how to rock and they do it really well. backed with that knowledge, playing to a hometown crowd filled with family members and friends galore, the yeah yeah yeahs were able to let their guard down a little bit, sticking with newer songs off their recent release, show your bones.

karen o’s stage prescence is always worth coming out for, but i can’t help feeling that the band took advantage of the loyal fanbase, showing off a little too much of their soft side, “treating” us to an acoustic version of “maps,” and other slow songs like “the sweets,” “turn into,” and “warrior.” personally, after hearing “pin” and “tick,” i was craving more old favorites like “rich” and “bang” (even if it meant actually getting banged by the obnoxious crowd of wild drunkards in front with an apparently insatiable taste for slam-dancing). oooh, new york, you’re soooo hard core.

photos by: kenyon hopkin.

here comes your band.

2006-05-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

fool the world: the oral history of a band called pixies.
by josh frank + caryn ganz.

five years ago, josh frank “started thinking what would a ‘rock musical’ for [his] generation look like, and it was obvious. it would look like the pixies.” apparently researching the myth-laden, gossip-drenched history of the pixies turned out to be a much larger undertaking than he had anticipated. so he axed his original plan to write a play on the life of charles thompson (aka. black francis, frank black), and instead compiled his findings into a book which chronicles the life of the pixies.

frank, who describes himself as a “rock dramatist” (not to be confused with rock journalist), warned me within the first few pages that i should stop reading if what i craved was sleazy stories of illicit sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. still i kept reading, hoping that his years of endless interviewing would shed some light on the shadiest parts of the pixies past. unfortunately, the book only confirmed what i already know about the formation, breakup, and eventual reunion of the band, which is nothing.

basically kim deal and charles thompson never really got along because they both wanted to lead the band. he let her sing a few songs, the fans la-la-loved it, and he freaked. she partied hard, he became reclusive. tensions built, they got bored and split up (via thompson’s notorious fax) to pursue other projects (the amps, the breeders, the catholics, martinis) and magic. yes, magic. but then something really magical happened and after not speaking for twelve years, they decided they wanted to make a lot of money (oh yeah, and music too) so they reunited and now they’re back together and they play shows. uh, the end?

you know, it’s not to often a rock journalist (ahem, dramatist) stands aside and lets the band tell their own story. and now i know why. rock stars aren’t the most reliable characters and the truth is, they can’t really be trusted to recall history the way it was, instead they tell it how they remember it was, and half the time they were too drunk or tired from touring to remember much of anything, and the end result is a tangled mess of time lines and he said/she said’s.

at one point, frank black mentions his admiration for david lynch’s truly surrealistic ability to present ideas while refraining from explaining them. in this way too, i believe the band’s history is better off unknown. like everyone else, i love the pixies, but their story is just as boring as the story of most bands; a bunch of kids who grew up listening to everything from country to punk rock, formed a band even though they had no clue what they were doing, smoked pot, drank beers and jolt cola, and played music until people listened. you’ve heard the story a thousand times before. but never, to this day have you heard songs like “tame” and “break my body.” so lets follow david lynch’s lead and let the songs speak for themselves. without any explanations whatsoever, that soft/loud dynamic, that screaming/sweet juxtaposition. that is the pixies.

come back.

2006-05-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

pearl jam: s/t.

bless the sweethearts over at the ten club, for sending my copy of pearl jam’s new album a few days early and rewarding me for pre-ordering with a free bootleg cd of a nyc new years eve show from 1992!

you know, we’re all friends here, so i can confess to you that after tolerating riot act, i had pretty low expectations for the self-titled eighth studio album (ninth, if you count lost dogs). still, they’re my favorite band, and as soon as the cd arrived in the mailbox i immediately cancelled my plans for an afternoon nap and rushed into bed for an uninterrupted listen.

let me just get a few less important things out of the way: firstly, the album art is weird (including darkly gruesome shots of the band members surrounded by dirt, bugs, and severed heads). and i fear that the stark avacodo cover art (which is so ridiculous it had many fans convinced that the anti-climactic unveiling was part of some lame april fool's joke ) could cost this album the classic rock status it deserves. secondly, releasing a self-titled album is lazy and bland, no matter what kind of statement you're hoping to make by doing it so late in your career.

having said that, this album rocks. no, it really rocks, in a straight up, no nonsense sort of way. look, if you’re waiting for another album like ten, then you're stupid. if ten came out today, you would hate it. the timing was such a crucial part of what made that album the relic that it has become. similarly, pearl jam is relevant to today’s music and i sincerely hope that with the current resurgence of rock n’ roll, this album will get all of the attention and appreciation it deserves.

so, if you stopped listening after "last kiss," you might want to get back in touch with the band who brought you four hit songs with their debut release so many angst-ridden years ago. pearl jam is full of memorable rockers like "worldwide suicide"(the first single), "life wasted," and "comatose." and the slower songs ("parachutes," "inside job") are nothing to fall asleep to. the bluesy lovesick ballad, "come back," will make you tip your fedora forward and nod with solemn approval.

the album is catchy like the stones, ballsy like the who, and even squeezes beatles-sweet sentiments inbetween. as a whole, it proves what i have known for ten plus years; pearl jam will not go down in history as another washed up band hailing from seattle. they will continue to evolve, (regardless of how many fans they alienate along the way) until they find themselves standing humbly alongside the very same rock heroes who have inspired them.

show me.

2006-04-29T17:51:00.000-04:00

noteworthy shows in the metro area:

5/02: northern state @ mercury lounge.
5/02: yeah yeah yeahs @ roseland ballroom.
5/04: pearl jam @ ed sullivan theatre! *
5/05: pearl jam @ tba (irving plaza is the rumor)! **
5/05: theo + the skyscrapers @ metasin/ultrasound lounge.
5/10: brian jonestown massacre @ webster hall.
5/13: diamond nights @ maxwell’s.
5/13: depeche mode, she wants revenge @ jones beach theatre.
5/14: kittie @ knitting factory.
5/15: goldfrapp @ irving plaza.
5/16: nyc beard and moustache championships @ knitting factory. ***
5/17: elefant @ webster hall.
5/17: a.r.e. weapons @ sin-e.
5/18, 19: tom verlaine @ bowery ballroom.
5/19, 20: tool @ city center.
5/20: rainer maria @ bowery ballroom.
5/30: team dresch, partyline @ knitting factory.
5/31: team dresch @ southpaw.

* FREE tickets available through fan club only.
** FREE tickets available while supplies last when you buy the new album at tower records (4th + broadway) at midnight on 4/01.
*** okay, so this one's not a show, but come on. beards! and moustaches!! and if you think i'm making this up, do your research: http://www.nycbeard.com/

everyone needs the editors.

2006-04-18T22:32:00.000-04:00

i know, i know, even though you’re a regular lame-o american, you hid in your faux flat smoking fags all those nervous rainy months you thought the manic street preachers were done. and i also know how the gallagher brothers added insult to injury, ruining the magical notion of modern britpop with their beatles-inspired arrogance and bratty antics. still, i implore you to get over all this pettiness in time to adore the editors who just happen to hail from manchester.

now imagine if coldplay birthed a beautiful baby and let husker du raise it so it wouldn’t grow up to be such a wuss (with a dumb name like i don’t know… apple or moses). well that’s just how the editors sound. except the back room holds together so tightly, you’re likely to forget it’s their debut. catchy songs like munich and blood, along with the solemnly steady sparks, feel so familiar, you’ll swear you’ve heard them before but you haven’t. because despite endless comparisons to every other english band imaginable, the editors assure us, “blood runs through your veins, that’s where our similarity ends.” and you better bloody believe it.

oh oh, they're still alive.

2006-04-17T19:53:00.000-04:00

breaking news: pearl jam rocked saturday night live so hard this past weekend, nyc is still trembling with aftershocks. performing worldwide suicide and severed hand (both songs off their upcoming self-titled album due out may 2nd). i am more than happy to report that eddie vedder and the boys seem to have grown out of their “grown up” phase, kicking the easy-listening scene in the ass and returning to their grimy seattle roots. as a result i predict an unforeseen super-heroic comeback for the following forgotten trends: jesus haircuts, doc martens and seriously hard rocking.

don't miss their performance on david letterman may 4th. with all this publicity, maybe they'll even make another music video some day. maybe?

here with a re-vengeance.

2006-04-11T19:32:00.000-04:00

a couple of years back, liam lynch, (the sock puppet mastermind behind mtv’s beloved sifl and olly), put out an album which included “fake” songs by artists like the pixies, bjork, david bowie, and the talking heads. i think these were supposed to be both flattering and funny in their silly slop-rock mockery, but instead they just sort of ruled. and if you missed out on that, then surely you remember when phenomona such as the darkness and spinal tap stormed the more mainstream scene and became mock-metal overlords. at first listen, the self-titled full length debut from she wants revenge might come off like some computer geek preteen with too much time on his hands, messing around on his computer interspersing sparse interpol vocals atop drowsy joy division droans. but just because the bands influences are uber obvious, doesn’t mean you should dismiss them so easily.

don’t get me wrong, there are undeniably cheesey moments here. and to my knowledge, no one is mistaking she wants revenge as the next depeche mode, at least not yet. but, “i don’t wanna fall in love” is worthy of becoming the newest synthpop staple on dance floors that tend to lean towards the dark side like it’s 1980-whatever (even if it sounds an awful lot like fischerspooner’s loveable dance hit, emerge). i’m not saying you’ll be blown away by any of this, but i suggest checking out songs like monologue, tear you apart, and broken promises for broken hearts, before rolling your eyes and scoffing.

and yes, i know i’m a little late with this review, but i keep hearing more and more about this band, so perhaps we should all keep our stretched ears perked and our eyeliner smudged eyes open. there just might be a new guilty pleasure band on the horizon.

oh yeah, and they’re opening for depeche mode:
http://www.shewantsrevenge.com/

indie mavens in wolves clothing.

2006-04-10T19:35:00.000-04:00

wolf parade
@ webster hall
april 9, 2006.

after a quirky, but ultimately charming electronic set from holy fuck, wolf parade took the stage only to weed through some annoying technical difficulties. but this is the price we must pay when indie bands start to sweeten things up with keyboards and synths and such. waiting around on a sunday night was a real bummer, but somehow the typically restless nyc crowed remained relatively patient, despite one band member’s wise ass suggestion that we should all just come back the next night. fortunately, wolf parade proved to be well worth the wait.

oscillating with ease between two singers, the band showcased their fascinating ability to sound like two entirely different bands. for half the songs, (modern world, this heart’s on fire, shine a light) the band came off like a pre-radioheyday modest mouse that you could really nod your head to. for the other half, (i am my fathers son, fancy claps, dear sons and daughters of hungry ghosts, i’ll believe anything) they morphed into a more mature, more accessible version of the unicorns, complete with wind chimes, tambourines, and maracas.

the set included all of my favorites and also a handful of songs i had never heard before (probably a combination of new material, and older stuff from subpop ep’s and demos). the show opened beautifully (if anyone is cool enough to tell me the name of this song, i’ll buy you a coke) and quietly came to a close with dinner bells as an encore, but there was still plenty of room for rocking and i don’t care if it was a sunday, nyc sucks for not dancing harder. okay?

go ahead, indulge:
http://www.myspace.com/wolfparade

shine on, you crazy diamonds!!

2006-04-06T19:37:00.000-04:00

Diamond Nights
@ Crazy Donkey
Farmingdale, NY
4.05.06.

do you ever hate your parents for growing up in a generation chock full of kick ass rock and roll bands? and do you also resent them for mistreating their black sabbath records before eventually handing them down to you all dusty and scratched up? well, i hear you and i’ve got good news. even though axl rose got fat and started sporting faux dreadlocks, rock lives on!! (and right here in new york!)

don’t get me wrong, i adore all sorts of indie pop, but sometimes you just gotta rock or else you overdose on sappiness and fall into a lovesick coma. the diamond nights are the fix we’ve all been craving.

having never heard them before, i was nearly knocked down as they rolled through a handful of rock songs like a derailed f train on the loose in long island. and even though it was a wednesday night in a tiny bar full of even tinier high schoolers (mostly waiting around for headliners, head automatica), barely halfway through their set, the diamond nights had me believing it was a saturday night in some enormous stadium filled with seasoned arena rock veterans.

these guys pretty much have it all: the talent (cock rock sound minus the misogynism), the style (the bad ass look yet harmless demeanor), and the groupies (if they ever wanna meet up with me). i strongly reccomend the songs, "it’s a shokka" and "girl’s attractive". if you have the chance to see the diamond nights in the future, don’t miss it. if you have the chance to hang out with them around their tour van after the show, don’t miss that either.

get hip: http://www.diamondnights.com/index.html
and hear the rump-shaking remix of saturday night: http://www.myspace.com/diamondnights

[shh]out like a lion.

2006-03-28T19:50:00.000-05:00

when a band is capable of taking an annoying everyday sound such as a car alarm and manipulating it ‘til it gets you shaking your hips a bit, they’ve pretty much got it made in the dance/punk scene. but unlike a lot of newer bands, the yeah yeah yeahs aren’t just another name you hear hipsters drop just to guarantee getting laid by other hipsters. people have actually heard their music, and they even like it!

for the four or so short years they’ve been around, they yeah yeah yeah's have created quite a stir, even if most of their press is shamefully misdirected, often bypassing the band’s music to gossip about karen o’s quirky fashion sense, wildly drunken onstage antics, and/or her romance with liars frontman, angus andrew. seriously though, the yeah yeah yeahs deserve all the hype they’ve gotten and their loyal following has backed them with the kind of confidence that many new bands lack, allowing them to take a big risk with their second full length album.

show your bones does just that, exposes the bones of the band, which are definitely solid but not nearly as hard as you might’ve expected. remember when KISS took off their makeup? okay, well it’s not that bad, but almost as shocking. if before the band conjured images of a rabid jaguar, now they’ve gone gold lion. sure “maps” is a good song, i can’t deny it without my pants lighting fire, but, i’m sort of disappointed by a new album full of similar-sounding slowed down songs.

the howling and hardrock breakdowns are still there, you’ve just got to listen more carefully. just do yourself a favor and skip over “dudley” (a painfully embarrassing ripoff of the lullaby, mommas gonna buy you a mockingbird). instead, check out songs like "phenomena," "honeybear," "mysteries", and "turn into." trust me, we’ll all get used to this. i can feel it in my bones.

want more?
http://yeahyeahyeahs.com/

the gossip heart nyc. ditto.

2006-03-26T23:42:00.000-05:00

the gossip/no dynamics
@ the knitting factory : 3.25.06.

is there anything better than being unexpectedly floored by some no name opening band? after seeing no dynamics, i think not. imagine what an orgasm would sound like if it were a song, slowly building up to a steady throb and ending in the most insanely cathartic release ever. now imagine that this song is being sung by some sort of demonically possessed voodoo goddess convulsing in rhythmic perfection in the best red dress you’ve ever seen. sure the songs themselves were strong, but the delivery was uncooked perfection, bare bones hooks and raw red meat lyrics (“i want you and if i can’t have you, i want nothing”). you could tell just by looking at them that these canadians are so cool they’re actually getting bored of it by now. even if the dorky drummer admitted to living out his junior high fantasy by suckering the audience into a twisted sister sing-along at The knitting factory in new york city!

and man, the gossip’s got guts getting a band like that to open their show. still i doubt beth, brace, and new drummer hannah, were hiding backstage biting their nails. it’s just not possible to upstage the gossip who just put out their third and best ever full length album, which has not left my cd player since its release earlier this year. opening with "standing in the way of control," (the title track of the latest lp, which the increasingly annoying murray hill desperately tried to ruin with his own tap dance inclusive mock rendition), the gossip blew through their set with all the down home southern sweetness and pure punk confidence you’ve come to expect of them. stopping only so beth could catch her breath and spread the fat girl love, they broke out all the dance classics, flawlessly nailing both new songs (jealous girls, your mangled heart, keeping you alive, listen up) and familiar favorites (jason’s basement, swing low). still not impressed? well what if i told you that the after party was at the beauty bar and le tigre was sure to be there?

you can check out both bands on myspace or go here:
http://www.geocities.com/nononodynamics/
http://www.gossipyouth.com/

little disc, big disc.

2006-03-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

finally, something interesting in my inbox. on may 1st, island records will release pj harvey's first dvd, pj harvey on tour- please leave quietly. the upcoming disc promises lots of live concert footage from the recent uh huh her tour, interviews, and other rare goodies, including previously unreleased material. songs include some of my favorites like, "dress," "who the fuck," and the ever-crazy "taut." trust me when i tell you that i am truly looking forward to wearing out the pause button on my dvd remote in an effort to capture the perfect still shot of those sexy stick legs, but without "rid of me," she still might leave me dry. yeah, right.

different strokes.

2006-03-21T22:40:00.000-05:00

remember in 2001, when the strokes built the post-pop garage bandwagon for bands like the killers and franz ferdinand to hitch rides into the scene upon? remember when you first heard "last nite" and fucking loved it, but it's overly obvious radio-friendliness caused you to snub them in public, until eventually the guilty pleasure just spread like indie wildfire and the strokes became sort of endearing in that bad habit sort of way?

well, fast foward five years. it's the future and i'm officially sick of the strokes and the hundred other bands that sound just like the strokes. it's simple physics, folks. backwards motion tends to make people nauseous. and the strokes' third album is like a well-intended time warp gone awry, as it tries to whisk us back to a time that has barely passed us by. first impressions of the earth could only be excusable if it were actually created by inhabitants of another planet, truly alien to this redundant bullshit sound (which happens to abound in sickening amounts here on planet earth).

i admit that i was briefly shaken awake by the first single, "juicebox," and it's relentless serial-killer guitar riff. for a second, i was almost fooled into believing that maybe the strokes got a little bit bad ass! but then the bratty bastards slipped back to their boring basics, with fourteen tracks of bland music and repetitive fourth grade lyrics, like, "my feelings are more important than yours" and "i hate them all. i hate myself for hating them." i'm not even joking.

at least their website looks cool: http://www.thestrokes.com/index2.html

marshall has the power.

2006-03-12T20:47:00.000-05:00

when it comes to chan marshall, people either adore her or cringe at the very purr of her namesake, cat power. something about her mopey demeanor and laidback crooning, leave little room for indifference.

we've all heard the stories. surely, you or someone you know or someone you wish you knew have witnessed one of her infamous on-stage breakdowns during which she stormed off or cried or spent the majority of the show hiding behind a flimsy curtain of hair, attempting the same song nine times in a row without ever getting it "right". well, relax. according to matador, chan has cancelled her recent tour due to mysterious health reasons, which is an absolute shame because the greatest is begging to be performed on stage.

the newest album draws on the same full sound present on you are free, only this time around there are a few new additions, mainly the plethora of instruments, including violin, viola, cello, saxaphone, trumpet! oh and don't forget the bluesy piano and country twanging geetars. it sounds overwhelming, i know. but buried beneath it all, chan's whole sappy lyrics/sultry voice combination remain completely intact. it's a trademark she will always own, no matter how hard beth orton tries.

though the album lacks any obvious standouts for airplay in weird stores like old navy, you might want to get yourself a blanket and some warm apple cider, and indulge in these last days of winter with tracks like empty shell, and the moon. you'd be wise to save songs like after it all for the long lonely haul of summer.

un-humdrum.

2006-03-12T16:01:00.000-05:00

you know how when workers are doing construction right near where you're sleeping and you wake up cranky and ready to kill? well maybe the liars were making too much noise for me to really appreciate what they were trying to do. wait, what were they trying to do?

if their two previous albums were hammers and drills, then, drum's not dead (due out march 21) is at it's softest, spackling, and at it's roughest, a fine sand paper. i'm not saying i could curl up and sleep to this, but this whole less sound more music approach is definite daydream material.

let's face it, we're never ever going to hear any of these songs on commercial radio. mr. you're on fire mr. was their best shot and those days are long gone. still i'm sure accusations of selling out will abound from indie snobs without ears. yeah, the sound is softer and more approachable, but there's still plenty of weird effects and strange incantations to stick with the hip experimental/noise classification. at worst, die-hard fans might be turned off by this unexpected and seemingly wussy turnaround. i suspect they'll get over it. at best, less experienced listeners might scratch their heads at the peculiar sound instead of clawing off their ears in agony.

for international tour dates and other weirdness, go here: http://www.liarsliarsliars.com/

sole mates.

2006-03-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

mates of state bring it back on march 21st with their fourth studio release. the first track, which extends over six minutes, winds down with both halves of the cutesy couple engaging in a "tired of singing" chant. but if the band is tired, you would never know it by listening to the rest of the album. whatever they've been practicing for the past few years, they have finally perfected it.

bring it back has all of the familiar components: the infectious keyboards, the unobtrusive drums, and the make-you-melt harmonies we've all come to know and love, but this time kori and jason seem out to prove that they can also hold their own. and they can. remember when jason covered nico's "these days" (for the eerily good wicker park soundtrack) and you thought to yourself, why is he not singing more? well, we've all gotten our wish. he gets his own song, "what it means," which is possibly the best moment of the album if only because it's stark, sparklehorse awkwardness and grandiose spiritualized choruses, stray so completely from the typical mos sound.

other noteworthy tracks include the catchy "for the actor" and also what i predict will be the live favorite "so many ways."

for tour/ticket information, go here: http://www.matesofstate.com/

how do they cram all that jam?!

2006-03-11T22:49:00.000-05:00

andrew wood, kurt cobain, and layne staley are all dead. alice in chains, nirvana, soundgarden, all dead. i have single handedly donated enough flannel to the salvation army to warm the entire lumberjack community of the northwest, still i'm a sucker for pearl jam. waiting for their eighth studio album, i've been climbing the walls, like eddie vedder during a wicked porch solo back in the day.

the good news is that the self-titled album is due out on may 2nd, and you can download the first single, "world-wide suicide" from the ten club's brand new myspace page (for free!). but the best news is that beloved alt-country heroes, my morning jacket will be opening the first leg of the tour. after the vote for change tour, i was wishing this would happen and now i'm willing to travel into the bowels of new jersey just to watch jim james and eddie vedder compete for the honor of being my most favorite person ever.

for more information, including tour dates and ticket pre-sales go here:
http://tenclub.net/
http://www.mymorningjacket.com/

wolf creak.

2006-03-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

in the upcoming winter months, an annoyingly large number of big bad bands dressed in wolves clothing will be taking a bite out of the big apple. wolf eyes, we are wolves, and wolf mother will all be playing shows in the nyc area.

um.. when the hell did this trend start?
have i been hibernating that long?

unless any of these bands are as good as wolf parade and are planning on devoting a significant segment of their shows to pay well-deserved homage to michael j. fox and/or jason bateman, well then i’m just not coming out to see them.

[addendum: ahem, wolf parade kicks off spring and marches right into webster hall in early april. i'll be there in all my hypocritical glory.]

so this is the new year.

2006-01-01T18:23:00.000-05:00

top ten albums/ep’s of 2005:
my morning jacket: z.
wolf parade: apologies to the queen mary.
sleater-kinney: the woods.
ladytron: the witching hour.
the raveonettes: pretty in black.
gravy train!!!!: are you wigglin’?
the fiery furnaces: s/t ep.
antony and the johnsons: i am a bird now.
the kills: no wow.
arcade fire: s/t ep (okay, well technically it’s an independent release from ‘03, but it’s clearly too good to ignore. but if you’re such a stickler for the rules and you demand that my selections consist of new music only, then i will abide and fork over the last slot to alternapop heroes of the 90’s, magnapop, with “mouthfeel,” (their first release in nine years!))

worst album: somebody’s miracle: liz phair.
pair this latest atrocity with her previous release, and you might be able to put together a set of huge hologram-esque earrings so magnificent that even the snobbiest of your diy friends will approve.

best single: hung up: madonna.
please allow me to express my complete unabashed love for this song. also, please allow me to challenge you with the following rhetorical question: is it just me or is everyone too hung up on madonna’s ass-cleavage exposing leotard in this video to focus on the sheer brilliance of this insanely danceable 80’s throwback? come on, get into the groove already. you know you want to. sure, it’s sort of embarrassing at first, but at least she ain’t no hollaback girl.

worst single: trapped in the closet: r. kelly.
yes, that includes all four "chapters." h + m, i genuinely appreciate your low-priced high-fashion, however, i will not forgive you for interrupting an otherwise pleasant day of shopping by introducing me to this god awful song until i am long dead and can finally finally forget it. unless, of course, i wind up going to hell, in which case, i am fairly certain that the devil himself will be spinning all four "chapters" in constant devious rotation.

embarrassed i still haven’t heard:
le tigre: the island remixes.
palomar: 3.5 (available in digital format only via itunes).

best concert moment:
sleater-kinney’s ultra-wicked cover of danzig’s, “mother.”
(june @ roseland)

worst concert moment:
the gravy train!!!! screeches to a halt. chunx gets rightfully pissed off when drunk boys start grabbing her chest, and wrongfully cuts the set short.
(july @ knitting factory).

best concert: my morning jacket, (october @ webster hall).

best concert i probably missed out on because i’m a jerk:
it’s a tie. soul asylum @ bowery ballroom, echo and the bunnymen @ irving plaza.

innovators, not imitators.

2005-10-19T18:30:00.000-04:00

My Morning Jacket October 18, 2005 @ Webster Hall

Set list: Wordless Chorus, It Beats 4 U, Gideon, One Big Holiday, The Way That He Sings, Golden, Sooner, Wonderful, Off The Record, Lay Low, Dondante, Run Thru. Encore: At Dawn, I Think I’m Going To Hell, Mahgeetah, Anytime.

The leaves have been slow to change color this autumn, but upon leaving my first My Morning Jacket show, I could have sworn they’d turned golden, gently out-glowing the cities street lamps. At that moment, I could state with complete confidence that the band had proved to be worth my many months of waiting. And I assure you those months were hell, often filled with worry that even in-person, Jim James’ endless charms might fall short, and fail to distract from possible shortcomings (i.e. recent major lineup changes and/or the experimental meanderings of the newly released, “Z.”)

Though the latest album was actually recorded far from the band’s home of Kentucky, it is an undeniably acquired taste, a bourbon in it's own right; no matter how smooth it starts to sound after repeated listens, chances are you will never forget the sting it left the first time you heard it. That is the beauty of the record. Masters of their own domain, MMJ are not content unless they are out exploring unfamiliarly rugged terrains. And that is the beauty of the band.

Tuesday’s set list consisted of mostly newer songs, forgoing catchy country hooks and homegrown harmonies, for those loaded with hard-rock breakdowns. In step, the audience (made up primarily of an older crowd), put down their beers to raise their finger-horns in well-deserved salute. The band’s overall mood proved hard to read beneath all the hair, however their maturity and respectability as musical pioneers came through clearly in the way they swung that hair (a move presumably perfected only after many years of dedicated practice). MMJ whispered in with “Wordless Chorus,” mesmerized with fan favorites, “Golden, One Big Holiday, Run Thru, Off The Record, Mahgeetah,” and kicked up the dirt one last time, closing with “Anytime.” Amazingly, even in their quietest moments, from the black shadows of the stage (lit only by an occasional flashlight to allow for guitar switches), MMJ never stopped rocking long enough to wonder if their fans would follow. I mean, how could we do otherwise?

turn it up, it really isn't loud enough.

2005-09-19T18:42:00.000-04:00

Le Tigre
@ Webster Hall
September 18, 2005.

The limits of gender-bending, same-sex loving Le Tigre fans were put to the test upon entering Webster Hall last night. While they have come to embrace taboos such as chicks with moustaches, they were forced to draw the line, rightfully shunning Deva, the tone-deaf Devo cover-band comprised of co-eds donning pink wigs and creepy plastic masks.

Headliners, Le tigre continue preaching to the choir, and we continue blessing their bad-ass beating, liberal, bleeding hearts, because let’s face it, their anti-bush, pro-feminist messages are hella easy to dance to. Their set list was shorter than JD’s new do’, and dared to omit fan-favorite, The The Empty. But, come on, didn’t we all leave feeling full of grrrl love?

Also, check out: The Island Remixes. Haven't heard it yet, but with contributions from Peaches and Junior Senior, (including four new versions of After Dark), how could we go wrong?

the living testament.

2005-07-26T18:47:00.000-04:00

Gravy Train!!!!
@ The Knitting Factory, July 25 2005.

A lot has changed in the two years since Gravy Train!!!! released their hella dirty, hella danceable debut, Hello Doctor. For starters, Drunx has been replaced by the aptly-named Junx, (imagine half the clothes and double the gay-chic of Andrew McCarthy’s quirky sidekick, Hollywood, in the 1980’s flick, Mannequin). Oh yeah, and Chunx has noticeably lost most of her chunk, moving from Burger Baby to Ghost Boobs. You follow?

There’s no doubt that Gravy Train!!!! could have easily coasted by forever, fueled by shock value alone. Sure, Gravy Train!!!! is gimmicky and often over the top, but they are undeniably the best at what they do. Though the new album, Are You Wigglin?, includes a track called Pussy Sauce, the sound here is way more mature. Okay, well maybe not mature, but certainly more developed. Even if the best song on the twenty-two minute album happens to be a cover (I Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Wanna Get Rid of You), Wigglin still proves Gravy Train!!!! to be the sexually-liberated phoenix rising from the ashes of the short-lived and long –dead electroclash movement, churning out new songs with lyrics that could make Peaches blush and keyboards that leave Le Tigre to lie flat as a cat nap.

The Train managed to pack another show at The Knitting Factory. But more noteworthy is the way they made even the too-cool-for-dancing kids dance themselves into sweaty summer oblivion. Junx proved to be the best addition to the band, swinging his pink pom-poms and flinging his trunks into the audience while informing rowdy dancers, “We’re not here to be shady. We’re just here to be fierce.” Still, the seemingly harmless on-stage dancing and off-stage diving soon emboldened a few front row titty-grabbers to grope Chunx, who I then believed punished New York City, leaving You Made Me Gay out of the short set and choosing instead to close the show with other old favorites such as, Titties Bounce and Sippin 40’s. Despite the awkward tension of the show, Hunx proclaimed it to be one of their best ever and I concur, having once again been convinced that Gravy Train!!!!’s synchronized dance moves and impromptu humping never flunx.

so you wanna be entertained?

2005-06-25T18:51:00.000-04:00

Sleater-Kinney
@ Roseland Ballroom, June 23, 2005.

Set list: The Fox, Wilderness, One More Hour, Light Rail Coyote, Modern Love, Rollercoaster, What’s Mine Is Yours, Faraway, Jumpers, Let’s Call It Love, Steep Air, Sympathy, Entertain. 1st Encore: Oh!, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, Step Aside, Words And Guitar. 2nd encore: Mother, Dig Me Out.

Trapped in a decade when many female indie pioneers such as Liz Phair and Tori Amos have traded in their feminism for flat-ironed hair, husbands, and babies, I have to admit I was slightly nervous when the sound of chirping birds filled Roseland Ballroom as Sleater-Kinney took the stage. Okay, so maybe the indie women have gone soft and sold out, but not Sleater-Kinney, right? Right!

True, the last time I saw them perform they were opening in enormous venues for beloved arena rockers, Pearl Jam. And yes, I even witnessed Corin rock out like it was 1991 as she joined Eddie Vedder in a chilling rendition of the Temple Of The Dog grunge classic, “Hunger Strike.” Still, Sleater-Kinney remains true to their riot grrrl roots, with their latest album, The Woods. Complete with tree ring album art and guitar solos long enough to span the entire length of the 1970s which inspired them, the album offers an autobiographical history of the band. Clearly, their sound has matured. No one’s sporting radical sharpie-scrawled slogans across their liberated midriffs, but guitarists/singers, Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker have stuck with their familiar formula of screaming, raw guitar riffs, and punk rock attitude, maintaining the riot grrrl credibility they have carried with them from the long gone days of short-lived careers with Excuse 17 and Heavens To Betsy (undeniably two of the best bands to ever come of the North Western movement).

Playing the entirety of their new album (give or take a few songs), Sleater-Kinney proved that they are both talented and interesting enough to keep adding to their loyal fan base even while they stray away from their older material. I probably wasn’t the only one vying for an old school anthem, like “I’m Not Waiting” to feed my hunger for teen angst nostalgia, but I also wasn’t the only one completely enthralled by the new songs which offer a women’s modern take on traditionally vintage male rock. Um, did I mention Janet Weiss played the cowbell?! The fact is, Sleater-Kinney could play it safe for years, indulging their fans in danceable favorites like “I wanna be your Joey Ramone," but the women of Sleater-Kinney just don’t seem satisfied with that sort of safety. Besides, any band who can keep cool while performing guilty pleasure covers (i.e. Boston’s “More Than A Feeling” and Danzig’s, “Mother”) is a band born to take chances.

let's have a ball.

2005-06-16T18:54:00.000-04:00

Interpol/Pixies
@ Jones Beach, June 14, 2005.

Interpol set list: Next Exit, Slowhands, Say Hello To Angels, Narc, Not Even Jail, Leif Erikson, Evil, Take You On A Cruise, Obstacle 1, PDA.

Pixies set list: Is She Weird?, Subbacultcha, Dead, Wave of Mutilation, I Bleed, Broken Face, Monkey Gone to Heaven, #13 Baby, In Heaven, Where is my Mind?, La la love you, Nimrod's Son, Mr. Grieves, The Holiday Song, Vamos, Here Comes Your Man, Bone Machine, Stormy Weather, The Sad Punk, Something Against You, Isla De Encanta, Allison, Cactus, Gouge Away, Tame, Debaser, Hey, Gigantic, Encore: Caribou.

Okay, so I probably shouldn’t have shunned those extra squirts of bug spray. And I shouldn’t have assumed that the breeze off the water might create enough of a chill to make dragging around a sweaty cardigan sweater seem practical. And surely, I should have spent less time leisurely sipping vanilla vodka and cola in the parking lot and more time rocking out to the seemingly dance-worthy beats of Lcd Soundsystem.

Still, after making my way through the obnoxious barrage of gigantic Tommy Hilfiger logos and the masses of red and black clad preteens, I reached my seat just as Interpol had taken the stage, easing me gently into my summer concert life with a delicate yet heartfelt rendition of “Next Exit.” Honestly, they pretty immediately garnered my undivided attention based on coolness factor alone, failing to miss a single note while at least three band members simultaneously smoked cigarettes mid-song. But, it was more likely the hypnotic effect of the nostalgic but never overly sappy nature of the songs themselves that truly won me over. Having never before seen the band perform, I was thrilled to indulge in personal favorites such as, “Obstacle 1” and “Leif Erikson,” and though I may have rolled my eyes ever so slightly, I even secretly enjoyed “Slow Hands” and “Evil”. The thing is, when the opening band, primarily made up of a bunch of baby-faced scenesters possesses more stage presence than the headlining act, you realize Interpol is probably too good to be opening for anyone (even the Pixies!), and when they left the stage I’m sure I wasn’t the only one left feeling disappointed.

Allowing for just the right amount of anticipation to build, the Pixies finally appeared, boasting the sort of calm confidence that can only be acquired over time. But they only showed their years in terms of focus, playing straight through almost thirty songs, rarely stopping to chat or even breathe between songs. True, they lacked enthusiasm at first, but after just a few songs, their looks of boredom faded and Frank Black began delivering guttural screams with ease, Kim Deal gave a smile or two!, David Loverling led the band into the super cute, “La La Love You,” and guitarist, Joey Santiago, (if for one night only) dethroned Thurston Moore and became the reigning king of reverb. Mixing a heavy handful of well-known classics (i.e. “Monkey Gone To Heaven,” “Where Is My Mind,” “Here Comes Your Man,” “Gigantic”) with a few surprises (Kim Deal’s melodic version of “In heaven”), and downright hard rock breakdowns (during songs like “Tame” and “Something Against You”), the Pixies managed to appease their diverse audience of both diehard fans and more inexperienced ones, new to the captivating combination of “Caribou” and “Cactus” -like textures responsible for turning the Pixies into the rock icons they have become since their split in 1992. Let me assure you, even if the nosebleed seats were empty, the Pixies are still deserving of all the hype which surrounds them these days.

While nothing can quite compare to indulging in semi-sweet harmonies and crude bass lines while the sun sinks into the ocean, Jones Beach (excuse me, Tommy Hilfiger) Amphitheater is unfortunately just large and conveniently located enough to draw entirely too many ambiance-wreckers (i.e. girls in skin-tight camisoles dancing drunkenly and screaming “I love you” to the angelically indifferent Carlos D. and Frank Black). Still, I’d be a liar to suggest that the lack of seats combined with the familiarly sticky feel of city floorboards beneath my aching feet could have made this show any cooler.

2005-03-29T19:02:00.000-05:00

If in their latest news update, Kill Rock Stars is backtracking to boast about a random 2002 5RC compilation which included a track by the unknown VV and the Hotel, then The Kills must be a pretty big deal these days. And they are, despite the self-deprecating title of their sophomore album, No Wow. Two years after their debut, Keep On Your Mean Side, the Kills have managed to retain a respectable amount of cool, even though they’ve traded in muffled snippets of conversation for more user-friendly and mind-numbingly redundant choruses. Hey, let’s face it, The Kills are hip, I know so just from looking at all the typewriter front and blurred black-and-white photography crowding the layout of their album art. Still, their sound just misses the commercially accessible hooks of the White Stripes, while failing to distinguish its bare-bones approach from the similar sounds of lesser known bands such as The Eagles of Death Metal. And though the album is perfect for complimenting the feel of sweaty skin stuck to leather seats during backseat summer makeouts, after a few tracks you might just be bored enough to sell your soul to Meg and Jack, and Get Behind Satan.