WaterCoolerGossip

The were a lot of shows this week and most of the bands I saw played more than one night.

MERCURY LOUNGE – WEDNESDAY


The Little Ones were fun, all smiles. They were tight on their instruments too. The set was bit short though but understandable since they only have an EP. They have one more show to play tomorrow at the Bowery with Elvis Perkins.



Land of Talk sounded great at the Mercury Lounge. I can't get over how good of a singer Elizabeth Powell is. The band played most of the songs off their album Applause, Cheer, Boo, Hiss.

CAKE SHOP – WEDNESDAY


I had never heard of Drunk Horse but they have been doing the 70s Sabbath rock revival long before WolfMother ever had pups. The last song was a 10 minute riff explosion with really awesome keyboarding.

THE SYRUP ROOM - THURSDAY
The Ballet was good. There were no stage lights in this venue so that was a bit odd but fitting to their hushed but zippy music.



Ramesh from Voxtrot played a few songs, two of which were new. While still rough, the songs were catchy. The band was in the crowd and approved.



Tokyo Police Club was high energy. On a few songs, the bandmates yelled in unison without mics, which didn't over power the vocals. It was an intensifying effect. I'm for it.



Land of Talk again. They played a lot of new songs this time - still really good stuff.

Tonight - Voxtrot, TV on the Radio, Birdmonster!

Posted by 3xWes at 04:17 PM | Permalink

On the Bloc Party forum, Gordon Moakes talks about the recording their new album with the producer Jacknife Lee:

Bloc Party have finished a month at Grouse Lodge in County Westmeath in Ireland laying down licks and chops for the next record. It rained a lot but it was a truly enjoyable experience: in between the riffola and the twiddling we could be found walking through moist green meadows, exploring haunted houses, shooting at stuff with guns and generally lording it about as if the Irish Potato Famine never happened....

Jacknife Lee has guided us skilfully through the process, encouraging all kinds of thinking and attitude to get the best we can out of this record. We've all been banging and hitting things, detuning guitars, programming beats and making various kinds of racket.... I shan't reveal too much just yet, but expect a song where Matt and I play drums simultaneously; some truly R'n'B-styled beats; Russell's work with a Big Muff pedal; the sound of a guitar amp being thrown off a first-storey balcony; at least one unplayable guitar solo; both eggshell-thin fragility and trouser-flapping hugeness; piano, glockenspiel, strings; you name it....

And we've been filming a lot of this stuff too, so expect so see a bit of that here soon too.

G.x

Posted by 3xWes at 01:30 PM | Permalink

Liars are freakin' crazy. The Apes play some pretty weird shit too. One might think that an entire show of noise, drums, and chanting would get boring real fast but Liars were hard not to watch. The Apes play quite possibly some of the weirdest music that still seems slightly familiar. They have a new singer so it is almost like a new band. Check out a track from the Tour EP they were selling. Full review and more pics over at Product Shop.

DOWNLOAD
The Apes – Mr. Fairer (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 10:43 AM | Permalink

The crowd was out early at the Bowery Ballroom on Friday night for the Ryan Adams and The Cardinals show, which was billed as Cold Roses, Inc. The line was already wrapped around the block when the doors opened at half past midnight. And another line was forming downstairs in the bar at the second set of doors to get into the ballroom. Too bad everybody in line could not fit in the bar because it was pouring outside. But our collective wetness seemed appropriate since Ryan has never been much for sunny days.

Now flash forward to about 2 o'clock when Ryan and the band finally took the stage, and the energy in the room surged. Ryan looked like he had just rolled out of bed with a chic mess of hair. The band played a good sampling from their back catalog but oddly avoided songs from Gold, which was his biggest seller. This was fine by me. Bassist Catherine Popper got all fired up about an unknowing fan who would not let her cut the line at the door to get into the show. This rant segued perfectly into the rowdy "Shakedown on 9th Street," where Ryan sings in the chorus "I was just gonna hit 'em but I'm gonna kill 'em now." I also loved "To Be Young" because Ryan really wraps a thick southern accent around those lyrics. During the encore, the crowd was in silent awe for "Call Me on Your Way Back Home." Seriously, it is hard to beat Ryan solo with his guitar and harp. But the showstopper was "Come Pick Me Up" with the entire crowd singing along. Not bad show, even with the rain and the wait, if you were willing to stay up all night.





More pics after the jump.

Set list:
Love Is Hell / This Is It / Please Do Not Let Me Go / Cherry Lane / Note To Self: Don't Die / Peaceful Valley / Wish You Were Here / Magnolia Mountain / Easy Plateau / Hard Way To Fall / Let It Ride / To Be Young / Dear Chicago / Cold Roses / Shakedown On 9th Street / Beautiful Sorta // Call Me On Your Way Back Home / Come Pick Me Up / Mockingbird

Posted by 3xWes at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tomorrow 6/22 :: Club R&R, 416 West 14th Street, $5 cover (or whatever you want), 10pm Doors, 21+

NEXT WEEK
Whores of Fashion will feature The Three Favorites (DJ Set) and Lions & Tigers (Live).......

Posted by 3xWes at 02:35 PM | Permalink

I had a Band of Horses weekend. I saw them Friday at Bowery (top) and Saturday at Maxwell's (bottom). I liked the Bowery show better. Review over at Product Shop.

DOWNLOAD
Funeral (MP3)
Bass Song (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 09:47 AM | Permalink

There are so many shows coming up in the next few days. What are you going to?

6/20 TUESDAY
-Todd P: Wooden Wand, Vanishing Voice @ Union Pool
-Beirut @ Northsix
-Midlake, The 1900s @ Mercury Lounge

7/4 TUESDAY
-Belle and Sebastian @ Battery Park (ticket info here)

Posted by 3xWes at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

¡Forward Russia! brought havoc to the Mercury Lounge on Wednesday. We witnessed Tom Woodhead sing lyrics like "Give me a call! Give me a call!" or "Give me a wall! Give me a wall!"—the climax of two totally different songs. "12" and "15 pt. 1" respectively, which are actually sequenced next to each other on their album. Confused? Maybe you should go read my review at Product Shop. Good stuff Wednesday though.

DOWNLOAD
Twelve (MP3)
Fifteen Part 1 (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 05:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

FROM PRODUCT SHOP NYC:
Peaches couldn't have asked for a better endorsement than when Radiohead took the stage Tuesday night with "Fuck The Pain Away" playing on The Theater's soundsystem. And with her new single, "Downtown" being her best song since "Lovertits", she seems poised to hit another career high.

Peaches will be doing a special DJ Performance at R&R (416 West 14th Street, NYC) this Thursday night as part of the new weekly Whores of Fashion party.

You still get on Devon Detrich's WOF RSVP list.
$15 cover | $10 list, RSVP HERE until 7:00 PM.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:49 AM | Permalink

Nathan Asher & The Infantry is coming to Arlene's Grocery this Thursday. Nathan is an excellent songwriter who has a singing style that reminds me of Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Craig Finn (The Hold Steady). This Raleigh NC band is currently unsigned but has been getting some love by winning the John Lennon International Songwriting Contest and the Great American Songwriting Competition with the track "Turn Up The Faders."

Come check them out on Thursday (10pm set time) before you go to the PSNYC Party at R & R with Peaches.

DOWNLOAD
Turn Up The Faders (MP3)
Sex Without Love (MP3)

REMAINING TOUR DATES
June 15th - Arlene's Grocery, NYC
June 16th - Bloomfield Cafe, Montclair NJ
June 18th - The Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh PA
June 20th - The Space, New Haven CT

Posted by 3xWes at 04:25 PM | Permalink

"Bands like Deerhoof, Of Montreal, The Walkmen, Les Savy Fav, Enon, Apollo Sunshine, Beirut, Dr. Dog, Human Television, Silversun Pickups, The Harlem Shakes, Elvis Perkins, and many more exciting surprise names that are soon to be announced, are all on board…plus expect the best of the best DJs rockin out on the wheels of steel from The Rub to Questlove."

For the format of the show we were pairing something old with something new and talking about musical influences. Hopefully soon we will get a podcast of shows online.

PSNYC's Playlist 3.0 | 6-12-06 | Sirius Blog Radio | Channel 26

* Gulag Orkestar - Beirut
* Life In A Glass House - Radiohead
* Free Radicals - The Flaming Lips
* The Pot Head Pixies- Gong
* Company Dance - Sam Champion
* Honey Bee - Tom Petty
* All You Deliver - José González
* Which Will - Nick Drake
* Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids
* In the Meantime - Spacehog
* War - Celebration
* R U A Believer - The Make-Up
* Downtown - Peaches
* Sex Style - Kool Keith
* Woman - Wolfmother
* Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath
* Damn Damn Leash - Be Your Own Pet
* Identity - X-Ray Spex
* Drunken Lullabies - Flogging Molly
* A Pair Of Brown Eyes - The Pogues
* Cheney - Brakes
* Weinerschnitzel - The Descendents
* Black Cat - Broadcast
* TV - The Flying Lizards
* My Lady Story - Antony & The Johnsons
* The Other Woman -Nina Simone
* Is This Love? - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
* Prove My Love - Violent Femmes
* Feel Good Hit of the Fall - !!!
* Shack Up - A Certain Ratio
* Feel the Machine - The Chalets
* Strobe Light - The B-52's
* Raised By Wolves - Voxtrot
* Timeless Melody - The La's
* Stadiums And Shrines II - Sunset Rubdown
* Blue Thunder - Galaxie 500
* Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken - Camera Obscura
* Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying - Belle & Sebastian
* All Hands And The Cook - Walkmen
* To Be Alone With You - Bob Dylan

Posted by 3xWes at 11:31 AM | Permalink

AOL Music has some great album streams this week. I love the new Hot Chip. I am also sort of obsessed with Regina Spektor right now.

Hot Chip – The Warning
Regina Spektor – Begin To Hope

Have not heard any of the albums below but I am really stoked to hear what these bands have been up to.

The Juan Maclean - Visitations
Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
The Replacements – Don’t You Know Who I Think I Was

Posted by 3xWes at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

!!! (chk chk chk) had a dance party at Northsix Sunday. Review of the show at Product Shop.

!!! was formed to be a party band in Sacramento. Thus their live show is where they found their sound. I am not sure if the recordings do them justice—you also need a room full of sweaty dancing people to get the vibe right—but check out this track from the rare Live! Live! Live! recorded in Tokyo in 2004.

DOWNLOAD
Hello? Is This Thing On? (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 12:47 AM | Permalink

So Edan rapped, DJed, and played some guitar/kazoo at the Bowery Ballroom last Saturday. WARNING - Nerd Rap. Edan weaves together a multisyllabic rhymes using phrases that usually don't make much sense but sound cool strung together or relate to a theme - abstract lyrics as he puts it. I am describing him based on his first album because I have not really listened to his second one. He and Dagha (pronounced something to close to dagger) have got a pretty tight stage show. Edan carried a pedal around to put weird effects on his voice. The most impressive part was when he did "Rock and Roll" while Dagha held up a big stack of records he flipped through as words on the covers became lyrics in the song. Dagha slapped the last record at the end of the song and a cloud of dust exploded from the stack. That's real.

DOWNLOAD
Rock and Roll (MP3)
Rapperfection (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jason PSNYC, DJ Del, and I joked around last night talking about summer music for the Product Shop NYC Blog Radio show on Sirius' Left of Center station that aired from 10-midnight. BrooklynVegan's show airs tonight and Gorilla vs. Bear's show airs tomorrow. If you are curious about the shows, check out Sirius for a free trial.

PSNYC's Playlist 2.0 | 06-05-06 | Sirius Blog Radio | Channel 26

* I'm Nuthin' - Ethan Hawke
* Thunder Road {Acoustic Nebraska demo} - Bruce Springsteen
* Astral Weeks - Van Morrison
* This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads
* Nightswimming - R.E.M
* Because the Night - Patti Smith
* Dancing In The Moonlight - Thin Lizzy
* Wake Up - Arcade Fire & David Bowie
* Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
* Vindaloo - Fat Les
* I Predict A Riot - Kaiser Chiefs
* Be Aggressive - Faith No More
* The World's A Mess; It's In My Kiss - X
* Bad Town - Operation Ivy
* Hit The North Pt 1 - The Fall
* Whole Wide World - Wreckless Eric
* Chains Of Love - Erasure
* Electric Music & Summer People - Beck
* Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (Untitled) - Eels
* Peace Frog - The Doors
* The City Never Sleeps - Jonathan Fire*Eater
* Rain On The Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
* It Can't Rain All The Time - Jane Siberry
* Summertime Rolls - Jane's Addiction
* Sunny Road - Emiliana Torrini
* LDN - Lily Allen
* Heart Of The Country - Paul McCartney
* Let It Rain - Tilly and The Wall
* My Sweet Lord - Fitzroy Sterling

Posted by 3xWes at 03:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tapes n' Tapes n' Tapes n' Tapes n' Tapes n' Tapes n' Tapes n' Tapes n' Cold War Kids n' The Figurines. Review of over at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 03:19 PM | Permalink

Regina Spektor performed at a Synagogue in the Lower East Side for the Artist's Den last Thursday. The Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts Synagogue was a beautiful space with the columns and ironwork lit by red light and tons of candles. The acoustics in the room were great but the floors creaked as people moved around. Regina played solo on a grand piano and a few songs on the guitar. She is a virtuoso on the piano so it was quite a contrast to see her play the guitar with a reckless punk abandon. But that's because Regina isn't too serious or pretentious; she playfully exaggerated certain words or broke out of rhythm to quickly say an entire sentence in the space of a few breaths. Sometimes her songs reduced to a hum with handclaps, a beatbox, or taps on the microphone. She alone can carry a tune; the drums or violin backing her on record were not necessary and probably would have been more of a distraction. She had to start a few songs over due to lack of sleep or too much caffeine. By the third or fourth time she said she was running out of excuses but the crowd only cheered more. These false starts seemed to be part of the package deal considering the informality of her music and only made her performance more genuine. Her mom was also present for the show. Jason has some more thoughts on the evening at Product Shop.

Here are two songs from her new album Begin To Hope that drops next Tuesday. I was hooked on “That Time” when I heard her play it at the Synagogue. “Hey remember that time I posted those songs on my blog.” That song could potentially go on forever and it is really easy to make up your own verses. Try it; you’ll like it.

DOWNLOAD
That Time (MP3)
On The Radio (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 02:49 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)