WaterCoolerGossip

The torrent file for the 2006 SXSW performing artists is up, that's 750 free MP3s (2.3 gigs) from different bands playing the festival. There is a 30-second clip file as well.
If you need a bit torrent client, I suggest Azureus.

Posted by 3xWes at 01:23 PM | Permalink

DOWNLOAD HI-RES


DOWNLOAD HI-RES

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs played three shows in the New York area to kick off their tour for their new album Show Your Bones. I went to their second show on Friday at the Bowery Ballroom. The crowd filled up early and lots of fancy cameras were unsheathed in anticipation. Unfortunately, we (the people with cameras) were told by the Bowery Enforcers as we tried to take pictures that no flashes were allowed; it was clarified later that no professional photography (ie 35mm/SLR) was allowed. Apparently, a few people were thrown out because of this. If you ask me, it is because Karen O did not want to appear in a magazine wearing a plastic gem encrusted leotard—a second-grade ballerina’s dream—because some might question its awesomeness. She harnessed the enchantment of this costume to twirl and stomp around the stage all the while bearing this creepy but endearing smile. Her moves were more than just shifting around the stage but an interpretive dance to each song, sometimes involving giant neon plumage.



DOWNLOAD HI-RES


DOWNLOAD HI-RES

The band did not interact with each other much during the show. Nick was in a different world where he looked and acted like a rockstar, bending notes on his guitar and triggering samples. Brian seemed to be the closest to reality and was having fun watching them both. The new touring member, Imaad Wasif, kept shadowed in the background. They played mostly new stuff but I think it prevented the crowd from really getting into the music. Some people will dance regardless but I think to engage the entire crowd, known songs are going to get more of a reaction. All this new stuff also caused idiots in the crowd to continuously shout for songs they wanted to hear. The other two shows were reportedly a bit more high energy.

Other reviews here, here, here, here, and here. MP3s of songs off the new album here and here.

Set List:
Cheated Hearts | Way Out | Black Tongue | Honey Bear | Mysteries | Down Boy | Gold Lion | Happy Birthday (to KO's Mom) | Phenomena | Miles Away | Warrior | Turn Into | encore | Maps | Our Time | Modern Romance

More non-professional pics and after the jump. Also more hi-res downloads per request from two photographers who were threatened by the Bowery Enforcers.

DOWNLOAD HI-RES


DOWNLOAD HI-RES


DOWNLOAD HI-RES


DOWNLOAD HI-RES


DOWNLOAD HI-RES

Posted by 3xWes at 10:33 PM | Permalink

I have not been able to find that much good information about the Guillemots. However, I can tell you that everybody in the band has an interesting name, they are based in London, the lead singer used to be a college music teacher, and they are named after a sea-faring pigeon. Fyfe Dangerfield sings and plays the keyboard, MC Lord Magrão plays guitar, Aristazabal Hawkes plays double bass and Rican Caol does percussion.

They make spectacular sing-along pop music. Check out these songs from the Trains to Brazil EP:

Trains to Brazil (MP3)
My Chosen One (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 07:34 PM | Permalink

I saw Baltimore's Celebration (4AD) at Rothko on February 16th. They were headlining a Productshop NYC show with The Hong Kong and the Baby Shakes also on the bill. This was a night of awesome female vocalists.




To start, the Baby Shakes play bubble-gum punk layered with rock-n-roll guitar soloing. And when I say rock-n-roll, I mean 1950s Chuck Berry style rock-n-roll, when there was only one word to describe that type of music. Check out Boys Talk (MP3). More at their myspace page.





Next up was The Hong Kong. This a very apt description of their music:

The Hong Kong taps the pure pop mainline and spits out electro fuzz that will have the kids jabbering for weeks. Ice-goddess vocals sit atop a Krautrock-y drone while noisy guitars and a pulsing bass take it all to the next level. The Hong Kong has arrived through the hole in your favorite psyche-pop 45s [1].

Finally, Celebration took the stage. I have seen them before in Williamsburg and the crowd was a bit limp comparatively, people were less inclined to go crazy to the music, but they still packed a punch. Sean Antanaitis plays all the instruments besides the drums, which are played by David Bergander. He is kind of like a one-man band of deep heavy sounds. In addition to the vintage electric organ, keyboard, and Moog bass pedals, Sean has also crafted a guitorgan, an electric guitar with only a back pick-up that makes analogue organ tones. My only complaint is that the placement of the organ forced him to have his back to the crowd the entire time. However, singer Katrina Ford was fun to watch. She was running around in the crowd and abusing a tambourine. David Sitek of TV on the Radio was also there, posing as gnome, to help out on a few songs (He did produce the album). It was lots of fun. Check out War (MP3). Also check out their myspace page.

Posted by 3xWes at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is a pic of Africa Bambaataa at the Canal Room yesterday incase you are wondering what he looks like nowadays. He spun a eclectic set of new and old electro funk that he was know for in the 80s. I was disappointed he was not wearing a crazy outfit.

Posted by 3xWes at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wolfmother at the Mercury Lounge? Really? For those who don't live in New York, most foreign bands have to start at the bottom of the venue food chain unless you blow in on a gust of hype. I guess going platinum downunder was not enough to skip a small club stop. Still, their popularity brought some interesting characters out last Monday. I was privy to stand next to a pack of rabid sorority girls, some of whom came to the show wearing Wolfmother shirts; a fat dude with a pony tail who probably owns a headshop; and two mowhawked punks in all black.

But I am getting ahead of myself; our story begins with Wolfancestor at the dawn of heavy metal, somewhere around 1974, where doobies, sci-fi dragons, and white guys with afros were far too common. This was the day of Sabbath and Zeppelin. One could make the case that these riff masters descended from the sky through a time warp to play the show, but their wolf-prefix dates them to the recent wolf-band naming frenzy. They could not even predate the mock-metal band The Darkness, because Wolfmother is actually serious about lyrics involving white unicorns, other dimensions, and the mind's eye. Wolfmother is now: appealing to both the middle age guy waiting for the classic rock revival and the hipster, who has had enough irony but not enough fantasy, now on a quest for post-ironic lyrics.

This power trio destroyed the Mercury Lounge. Andrew Stockdale, the singer, can really project with his voice and Chris Ross, the bassist / keyboardist, completes the sound so well you would think there is another person in the band. Myles Heskett, the drummer, was the target of the coos from those crazed girls. The show was extremely high energy and ended with a mic stand knocked over, a guitar dropped, a keyboard toppled, and cymbals strewn across the stage. Wolfmother rules.

Check out White Unicorn (MP3) to see what I mean.

More pics after the jump.
Wolfmother will be back in New York at bigger venue in April.

Posted by 3xWes at 09:21 PM | Permalink

I saw Be Your Own Pet at the Knitting Factory Wednesday night. Those Nashville kids have got it going on. You remember in high school when you went over to your friend's garage to listen to their punk band practice at an insanely loud volume. Well this show was kind of like that, except these youngsters are good enough to headline a show (all ages of course) at the Knitting Factory. Their songs have really catchy hooks like "You got me on a leash, a damn, damn, leash, and its hard enough to be my damn self." Jemina, the singer, delivers those lyrics at a high voltage. She reminds me of what would happen if you stuck a fork in a socket. She, nor the band, did not stay still for one second—hence, the blurry photos. A good show and it was over at 11 too, so I made it home just before curfew.

Posted by 3xWes at 02:25 PM | Permalink

Mystery Jets are one of my new favorite bands and they are coming to the Mercury Lounge March 24th and 25th. There are a few awesome facts you may not know about this band.

Awesome fact #1: The lead singer's dad is in the band. So the band is partly comprised of four young chaps: Blaine Harrison (vocals/keyboards), William Rees (guitar), Kai Fish (bass), and Kapil Trivedi (drums). Henry Harrison (guitar/keyboard), who is Blaine's father, has been in the band since the beginning and has always encouraged his son to explore music.

Awesome fact #2: The band is based on Eel Pie Island in the River Thames near London, which can only be reached by footbridge or boat. Mystery Jets explain:

Blane: Mystery Jets is a band from Eel Pie Island
Henry: Eel Pie Island happened when Blaine was thirteen. I loved the idea of a being a step back from the mainland.
Blane: It is on the Thames, it used to be quite famous in the Sixties because a lot of bands started there, the Who, The Stones, the Yardbirds, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton...
William: And there was a hotel where squatters lived and where they made this manifesto called the "Eel Pie Dharma". But then the hotel burnt down and there's been no-one there since and there's no music.
Blane: Music comes really easily there. There's a real sense of freedom.

Drownin' not Wavin' (MP3)
Alas Agnes (MP3)
You Can't Fool Me Dennis (MP3)

Yesterday, I went to see Bling Kong at Southpaw and I regret not bringing my camera. Bling Kong is comprised of three drummers, three guitarist, and four cheerleaders who cheer, sing, and dance. Without the pictures to prove it, I know that it seems like I am yarnin' a tall tale here, but it is probably better this way. Bling Kong you have to see to believe.

There were three girl cheerleaders, one of whom could play the guitar and was appropriately nick-named "shredder," and one guy cheerleader, who was wearing more lip gloss than the girls. All four had matching pink outfits with BK letters (Brooklyn what?!), a crazy gorilla logo embroidery, and matching pom-poms. Also, the guy's outfit had more sequins than the girl's.

There music is like the perfect cheer transposed for a rock band. The drumming was interesting but the guitars were just there to complete the picture. Two of their songs were about getting knocked up and being left in the gutter. I think one was told from the perspective of a heartbroken baller/rapper from the back of his Escalade.

If you get the chance to see Bling Kong, you should T-O-T-A-L-L-Y check them out.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:39 AM | Permalink

The Rakes are going to be in New York again on March 21st at the Bowery Ballroom. Capture/Release was one of my favorite albums of 2005. The are on V2 (Virgin) in the UK and Dim Mak put out an EP in the fall. Like their most notorious single, they blend modules of speedy bass-lines, catchy riffs, and up-tempo drums, then repeat with a few breakdowns and buildups. Unlike their post-punk mates, Franz Ferdinand or !!!, The Rakes are less funky. Their bass-lines are real simple, alternating two notes usually, and the drums follow suite in a tick-tock fashion, but the songs still have all the proper embellishments of a dance rock track. However, I think there is a direct correlation between the number of notes in the bass-line and the number of moves you can make on the dancefloor. This is glossy punk on the dancefloor, the type of music you pump your fist too, or jump up and down all crazy if the song really has you going.

Here is an unreleased track and their first single:

All Too Human (comes out 2/27)
22 Grand Job (they made this song then made the album)

Posted by 3xWes at 07:54 PM | Permalink