WaterCoolerGossip

There is a legal torrent file of the 2008 SXSW participating bands floating around on the web (thanks to whoever made this), and Paul Ford has reviewed each of the 763 of the songs in exactly six words.

I don't 100% agree with some of his star ratings but the reviews are funny. However his star distribution chart showing 254 of 763 bands getting only one star (the please kill me rating) seems about right — because lots of bands out there just suck. The only thing that is missing is the a graph showing the amount of time he spent doing this (he says he listened to all the songs in full) and how that adds up for each star rating.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:54 AM | Permalink

Here is an updated calendar. Hot Chip and Joanna Newsom both perform this weekend but their shows have long been sold out. There are still somethings going on.

Phosphorescent and new French Kiss signees The DoDos play Union Pool Saturday. I heard good things about their Mercury Lounge show on Monday.

Singer-songwriter Peasant is playing coffee shops all over the city this weekend. It might be a nice change of scenery than the normal venues. Peasant is on Paper Garden, which is also the home of the awesome Eagle Seagull. Below are some MP3 links via Brooklyn Vegan.

DOWNLOAD
Peasant - Exposure (MP3)
Peasant - Icy Deep (MP3)

Tonight at the Lucky Cat in Brooklyn, Philadelphyinz face off against Flagrant Fowl. Apt One and Skinny Friedman will DJ then Cousin Cole and Pocketknife will also throw down. Looks good. Free baked goods by Dots will also be in the house. Also if you are in Philly this weekend you don't want to miss the Mad Pu$$y Party at Transit on Saturday. The DJ duo Philadelphyinz are blowing up down there and you might as well catch them before they go on tour. This is also free before 11PM and after that it is only $5 with RSVP. Also, I hear there will be free PBR 10-12. Woot.

Finally, get your Lightspeed Champion tickets. Dev is coming.

UPCOMING SHOWS
FEBRUARY
Joanna Newsom :: BAM :: Fri 2/1 :: SOLD OUT

Team Robespierre (Record Release) :: Death by Audio :: Fri 2/1

The DoDos / Phosphorescent :: Union Pool :: Sat 2/1

Philadelphyinz vs. Flagrant Fowl :: Lucky Cat :: Fri 2/1

Philadelphyinz at Mad Pu$$y Party :: Transit (in Philly) :: Sat 2/2

Hot Chip :: Highline Ballroom :: Sat 2/2 :: SOLD OUT

The Teenagers / Hot Chip DJ set :: Studio B :: Sat 2/2

The Teenagers :: Cake Shop :: Instore . Free . 6pm :: Sat 2/2

Bang Camaro :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Sat 2/2

Peasant :: Coffee shops around NY (see above) :: Free :: Early show :: Fri 2/1, Sat 2/2, & Sun 2/3
---
Robyn :: Highline Ballroom :: Tue 2/5

Nada Surf / Illinois :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Thu 2/7 :: Also 2/8 @ Bowery Ballroom :: SOLD OUT

Gallows :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Fri 2/8 :: Also 2/9 @ Bowery Ballroom

Liars / No Age :: Warsaw :: Sat 2/9

Jukebox The Ghost :: Union Hall :: Sat 2/9
---
White Williams / Ecstatic Sunshine :: Studio B :: Sun 2/10

No Age / High Places :: Venue TBA :: all ages :: Mon 2/11

Foals :: Bowery Ballroom :: Tue 2/12

Sufjan Stevens :: Carnegie Hall :: Wed 2/13

Yeasayer :: Bowery Ballroom :: Wed 2/13

Yeasayer :: Music Hall of Willaimsburg :: Thu 2/14 :: SOLD OUT

Sam Champion / Drug Rug :: Bowery Ballroom :: Fri 2/15

DJ Scottie B (Baltimore) / Dre Skull :: Silent Barn :: all ages :: Sat 2/16
---
Be Your Own Pet :: Mercury Lounge :: Early Show :: Wed 2/20

Friction Presents: The Big Sleep (Record Release!) / Sian Alice Group / Priestbird / Heavy Creatures :: Mercury Lounge :: Thu 2/21

The Magnetic Fields :: Town Hall :: Thu 2/21 – Sun 2/24 :: SOLD OUT

The Besties (Record Release) :: Cake Shop :: Fri 2/22

Bon Iver / Black Mountain :: Bowery Ballroom :: Fri 2/22 :: SOLD OUT

The National :: BAM :: Fri 2/22
---
Headlights / Evangelicals :: Mercury Lounge :: Sun 2/24

Super Furry Animals / Times New Viking :: Bowery Ballroom :: Sun 2/24 and Mon 2/25

DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist :: Irving Plaza :: Tue 2/26

Pela :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Wed 2/27

Bowerbirds / Phosphorescent :: Mercury Lounge :: Fri 2/29 :: Also 2/27 @ Union Hall

Oneida / Company / Oakley Hall :: Knitting Factory :: Fri 2/29

MARCH
Born Ruffians / Cadence Weapon :: Union Hall :: Sat 3/1 :: Also 3/2 @ Mercury Lounge

Lightspeed Champion :: Mercury Lounge :: Wed 3/5 :: Early Show

MSTRKRFT / LA Riots :: Studio B :: Fri 3/7

Sally Shapiro DJ Tour :: Mercury Lounge :: Late Show :: Fri 3/7
---
The Black Lips :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Tue 3/11 :: Also 3/10 @ Bowery Ballroom

Rock Over London Presents: Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip :: Bowery Ballroom :: Tue 3/11

Cut Copy :: Studio B :: Sat 3/15 :: Tickets at Other Music and here
---
Cut Copy :: Mercury Lounge :: Mon 3/17 :: SOLD OUT

Tilly & The Wall :: Knitting Factory :: Fri 3/21

Digitalism :: Webster Hall :: Sat 3/22

Xiu Xiu / Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down / Chris Garneau :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Sun 3/23

Le Loup :: Mercury Lounge :: Sun 3/23

Le Loup + Special Guests :: Union Hall :: Mon 3/24

Acid Mothers Temple / Danava :: Mercury Lounge :: Tue 3/25

Crystal Castles :: Studio B :: Tue 3/25

The Raveonettes / Black Acid :: Bowery Ballroom :: Wed 3/26

Friction Presents: Crystal Castles / Health / Apache Beat :: Mercury Lounge :: Wed 3/26

Ghostland Observatory :: Webster Hall :: Fri 3/28

Blitzen Trapper / Fleet Foxes :: Bowery Ballroom :: Sat 3/29 :: on sale 01/16 12:00 pm

Boredoms (In The Round) :: Terminal 5 :: Sun 3/30

APRIL & AFTER
Beachhouse / Papercuts :: Bowery Ballroom :: Wed 4/2

Jens Lekman / The Honeydrips :: Webster Hall :: Sat 4/5

The Dirty Projectors :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Wed 4/9

Man Man :: Bowery Ballroom :: Thu 4/10

Hot Chip :: Terminal 5 :: Sat 4/12
---
Colin Meloy / Laura Gibson :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Wed 4/16 and Thu 4/17 :: On sale 2/9 at 12pm
---
Tokyo Police Club :: Bowery Ballroom :: Sun 4/20 :: SOLD OUT

Tokyo Police Club :: Music Hall of Williamsburg :: Mon 4/21
---
My Morning Jacket (An Evening With...) :: Radio City Music Hall :: Fri 6/20 :: SOLD OUT

Posted by 3xWes at 09:45 AM | Permalink

Take the slow rolling country caravan over to Product Shop to read about the Blitzen Trapper and David Vandervelde show at the Mercury Lounge on Wednesday.

DOWNLOAD
David Vandervelde - Jacket (MP3)
David Vandervelde - Nothin' No (MP3)
Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 05:28 PM | Permalink

Here are a few shows of note – that you have to pay for – happening this weekend. I forgot to mention the free Fujiya & Miyagi show with Black Moth Super Rainbow at South Street Seaport in the last post about free stuff. I am also very excited to see Casiotone for the Painfully Alone at Mercury Lounge tonight. His album Etiquette from last year should have made it on to my top 25 list but I did not start listening to it until this year.

HOT TICKETS
UNION POOL
Jamie T
Tuesday, July 17 (8:00 PM doors) $10

THIS WEEKEND’S WALK-UPS
THURSDAY, JULY 5
Benni Hemm Hemm / Casiotone For The Painfully Alone / The Donkeys
Mercury Lounge (7:30 PM Doors) $10

DOWNLOAD
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone – Young Shields (MP3)
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone – Malone Moves Home (MP3)
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone – Daytrotter Session with The Donkeys

FRIDAY, JULY 6
Fujiya & Miyagi / Black Moth Super Rainbow
South Street Seaport (7:00 PM show) FREE

DOWNLOAD
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Sunlips (MP3)
--
Britta Persson
The Living Room (11:00 PM show) FREE

SATURDAY, JULY 7
Yeasayer / Suckers / Mgmt
Flamboyan Theatre – 107 Suffolk Street (9:00 PM doors) $tba
--
Fixed presents: Simian Mobile Disco
Studio B (10:00 PM doors) $12

SUNDAY, JULY 8
Dan Deacon / OCDJ / Wyld Stallone
Death By Audio – 49 S 2nd (9:00 PM doors) $6
Http://Myspace.Com/Deathbyaudioshows

TUESDAY, JULY 10
New York Magazine Bad Art Auction with Band of Horses and Zach Galifianakis
Hiro Ballroom (8:00 PM doors) $30 tix

UPCOMING SHOWS
SILENT BARN AKA RAVEN’S DEN
Black Lips / Turbo Fruits / The Coathangers / Golden Triangle
Friday, July 20 (8:00 PM doors) $10

MERCURY LOUNGE
David Vandervelde And The Moonstation House Band / Blitzen Trapper / The A-Sides
Wednesday, July 25 (7:30 PM doors) $10
--
The Virgins / Lizzy Trullie
Tuesday, July 31 (7:00 PM doors) $10
--
Handsome Furs
Tuesday, August 7 (7:30 PM doors) $13

BOWERY BALLROOM
Deerhunter / Ex Models / Blues Control
Wednesday, July 11 (8:00 PM doors) $15
--
The Cribs / White Rabbits
Thursday, August 9 (8:00 PM doors) $15
--
Tokyo Police Club
Monday, August 13 (7:30 PM doors) $15
**Friday show sold out**
--
Cloud Cult
Saturday, September 8 (8:00 PM doors) $15
--
The Veils
Monday, September 10 (7:30 PM doors) $13

PIANO’S
Japan Seoul / The Hazey Janes / The Wildbirds / Eastern Conference Champions (CD Release Show)
Monday, July 23 (9:00 PM doors) $8

STUDIO B
Battles
Friday, July 20 (8:00 PM doors) $14
--
CSS / Shout Out Out Out / Dirty On Purpose
Friday, August 3 (8:00 PM doors) FREE with RSVP

LUNA LOUNGE
Shout Out Louds / Saturday Looks Good To Me
Tuesday, July 17 (7:30 PM doors) $15

WEBSTER HALL
Okkervil River / Damien Jurado
Friday, September 28 (7:00 PM doors) $20

HIGHLINE BALLROOM
Art Brut / White Rabbits
Monday, July 9 (8:00 PM doors) $18
--
Dj Z-Trip / Special Guest MCs: Gift Of Gab / Aceyalone / King Heron
Sunday, August 5 (6:00 PM doors) $30
--
Black Dice
Friday, November 23 (7:00 PM doors) $15

UNION HALL
Enon / Yeasayer
Saturday, July 14 (8:00 PM doors) $12

SOUTHPAW
I'm From Barcelona
Monday, August 6 (9:00 PM doors) $13

THE ARM
Totally Michael / Prizzy Prizzy Please / Sharon Cheslow
Friday, August 10 (8:00 PM doors) $tba
281 North 7th St @ Meeker St

KNITTING FACTORY
SubHumans / World Inferno Friendship Society
Sunday, September 23 & Monday, September 24 (6:30 PM doors) $12

Posted by 3xWes at 02:15 PM | Permalink

77BOADRUM with Boredoms
4 PM on Saturday, 7/7/07 at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park under the Brooklyn Bridge
FREE with RSVP

From the Vice:

Legendary Japanese iconoclasts Boredoms, a visionary band who has spent over twenty years pushing itself toward new frontiers, will stage the most extraordinary concert of their career on July 7, 2007. A once-in-a-lifetime performance featuring 77 drummers, and meant to be performed just once (on 7/7/07), Boredoms will create 77BOADRUM as a free show in the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

DOWNLOAD
Boredoms - Jungle Taitei (MP3)

Cheeky Bastard presents: Chromeo / Flosstradamus / 33Hz
Thursday, July 5 at Hiro Ballroom
Svedka Vodka Open Bar 10 to 11 PM
FREE with RSVP

TONIGHT is a double dose of the duos Chromeo and Flosstradamus. If you plan to go out to Hiro get there early or you might end up paying the cover.

DOWNLOAD
Chromeo - Tendreroni (MP3)

JellyNYC presents: Octopus Project / Erase Errata / Dan Deacon / OCDJ
Sunday, July 8 at McCarren Park Pool
FREE

And of course you could RSVP for the Pool Parties but that is unnecessary. Get there early for Dan Deacon and OCDJ. The first band usually goes on around 4 PM but doors open around 2 PM and folks from The Rub will be DJing.

Posted by 3xWes at 12:14 PM | Permalink

I like a good dance party. Totally Michael could rile up the same crowd that smash into each other at Matt & Kim and Deathset shows, except his party would probably be strewn with balloons and bowls of cashews. The man loves cashews, but aside from that he makes absurdly fun music by laying down a drum-machine beat, a sequenced keyboard melody, and some punk power chords.
In "Death Hill" the guitar chords chug as much as drums, which takes me back to the mid-nineties when bands like Green Day and NOFX topped the charts and I romped around the friendly all-ages punk shows for bands like The Queers. Totally Michael makes a similar burst of pop-punk, happycore, funcore, dancecore, cashewcore, or what every you want to call it. Punk will never die.

DOWNLOAD
Totally Michael – Death Hill (Over and Over) (MP3)
Totally Michael - Cheerleaders vs. Drillteam (MP3)

There are more MP3s at his website. Totally Michael is currently on tour but he does not have all his shows lined up yet. So if you want him to play your bar mitzvah or club party give him a holler. Full tour dates after the jump.

Continue reading "Totally Michael Is Fun For Kids of All Ages" »

Posted by 3xWes at 11:25 PM | Permalink

New York is overwhelming. This week, one of the shows I am kicking myself for not going to is Entrance and Yeasayer at Don Pedro's on Tuesday. Yeasayer's music is a bit overwhelming too. Listen closely and you might hear guitar riffs firing in rounds, hands clapping a Baltimore beat, voices harmonizing in unison, or children laughing. Maybe not, but the two songs I have (yes, I have only heard two songs) are sliced from a thick atmosphere. I could not even begin to list their musical influences.

Density seems to be the sound of Brooklyn right now. With exceptional albums from Grizzly Bear and Panda Bear (and a forthcoming from Animal Collective) out in the past two years, bands are finding something new in blurring rhythms, noises, voices, and sounds together. Maybe it is the vocal harmonies or just the warmth of the music but for some reason these bands tinkering around in Brooklyn sound like they are all listening to Brian Wilson or the the Beach Boys. But the music is obviously more than that, it feels new. This may not be the only thing happening in Brooklyn, but sonically it is the most exciting.

Yeasayer is signed to Monitor Records who are releasing their expansive single "2080" and an album this year. Said The Gramophone, Gorilla vs. Bear, and Culture Bully also have their ears peeled. Get ready.

DOWNLOAD
Yeasayer – 2080 (MP3)
Yeasayer – Sunrise (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 05:20 PM | Permalink

Finn Andrews is one of those life long musicians. As a young teenager, he had already met the current members of The Veils at grammar school in New Zealand. At 15, he had record companies on his back enticing him to move to London to record an album. It probably helps that his father, Barry Andrews, played in XTC and Shriekback. A few years later Finn signed to Rough Trade and released a record under the first incarnation of The Veils in 2001, but that band fell apart quickly. He then moved back to New Zealand and began rehearsing with old classmates Sophia Burn and Liam Gerrard.

They gave The Veils a second go with another album Nux Vomica, which was released in 2006 in the UK. I am not sure why this album was so overlooked in the US when it was released in April of 2007. The album is giddy with jangling pianos, coarse guitar strums, looming hums of strings, and Finn's possessed demeanor. One minute he is lulling you to sleep and the next he is tackling you, shrieking. The whole grand production is built on his unstable morbid optimism, where Finn's emotions gush like water and shift with the wind. Nux Vomica is soaked in the dark excesses of Romanticism and alive with pangs of joy and beauty. By the way, these crazies are on tour. Witness the spectacle.

DOWNLOAD
Not Yet (MP3)
Advice For Young Mothers To Be (MP3)

TOUR DATES
Jun 07 :: Mercury Lounge, New York
Jun 08 :: Union Hall, Brooklyn
Jun 09 :: Great Scott, Boston
Jun 11 :: DC 9, Washington DC
Jun 12 :: The Khyber, Philadelphia
Jun 14 :: El Mocambo, Toronto
Jun 15 :: Shelter 16, Detroit
Jun 17 :: Empty Bottle, Chicago
Jun 18 :: 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis
Jun 19 :: Grand Emporium, Kansas City
Jun 21 :: Larimer Lounge, Denver
Jun 24 :: Plaza Club, Vancouver
Jun 25 :: Crocodile Café, Seattle
Jun 26 :: Doug Fir, Portland
Jun 28 :: Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco
Jun 29 :: Spaceland, Los Angeles

Posted by 3xWes at 12:48 PM | Permalink

Sam Champion played the Bowery Ballroom Tuesday night with Tiger City. They rocked it out despite some of the band member's apartment building burning down recently. Also Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes was upfront wearing a white pinstripe suit and full beard dancing around for part of their set. He looked so happy to be hearing the sweet sounds of Sam Champ. Try some for yourself with a track from their new album Heavenly Bender.

DOWNLOAD
Like a Secret (MP3)

I was also at the Arctic Monkeys / Be Your Own Pet show which was also fun but everytime I go to Hammerstein I like it less and less.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:20 AM | Permalink

Studio B was a happening place last Wednesday. Not only did Art Brut and O'Death perform, there was a late show with Muscles and Soulwax. Muscles is a dude from Melbourne, Australia not to be confused with Brooklyn's Mussels, who just released their second album, Little Voices. Nor to be confused with another recent Modular signee, New Young Pony Club, who also have a hit song called "Ice Cream." Full review at Product Shop. You can also read Jason's Review of Art Brut.

DOWNLOAD
Muscles – Ice Cream (MP3)
Muscles – Chocolate, Raspberry, Lemon, & Lime (MP3)

See the other Mussels tonight at Knockout! at The Delancey.

ART BRUT


SOUL WAX

Posted by 3xWes at 02:50 PM | Permalink

Good Shoes is a young band from Morden, south London, near Wimbledon. Judging from their lyrics, Morden, or maybe Modern in a word jumble, is a classic shopping-town suburbia that still has its fair share of skinheads and drug dealers amongst the sprawl. The band has been lumped with technical prog-poppers Mystery Jets from Eel Pie Island and the Thamesbeat scene. However, some have argued that other neighboring bands like Jamie T, Larrikin Love, or Holloways, also labeled as Thamesbeat, only share a location not a sound. Regardless of whether there is a cohesive Thamesbeat scene in London, Good Shoes sings about the encompassing neighborhood where they grew up abound with small-town-meets-big-city dilemmas.

Their sound owes some to The Futureheads, Gang of Four, Television, The Jam, or any other UK band with chops on their guitars and lyrics that ride those riffs. Their album Think Before You Speak is out in the UK and I like it better than any of the other most recent imports like The View, The Fratellis, or The Kooks – Jamie T excluded. Something is happening in the suburbs of south London right now.

DOWNLOAD
Small Town Girl (MP3)
Photos (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Self-described "Absurdist composer and electronic musician," Dan Deacon is more like the mad scientist of Baltimore pulling from the "Fluxus Movement, Italian Futurism, Performance Art, Spiderman, Absurdism, and the current movement in underground rock." He hacks up and re-stitches Casio noises, computer blips, and his voice (or singing animals, super-heroes, etc) processed through some sort of helium-jacked vocoder. His album Spiderman of the Rings is a post-modern mishmash yanked from Toontown. It's-so-fun! I picture this man as cartoon.

When The Thermals played Studio B earlier this month, Dan Deacon was there too. He was going to perform in the side room but some of his equipment was messed up so he really ended up DJing. I guess we will have to wait until the end of his tour. Remaining tour dates below.

DOWNLOAD
The Crystal Cat (MP3)
Trippy Green Skull (MP3)

UPCOMING NYC SHOW
Dan Deacon :: Mercury Lounge :: May 12 :: $8

Continue reading "The Wonderful Cracked-Out World of Disney Dan Deacon" »

Posted by 3xWes at 01:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This week is post-SXSW in New York. Bands are just playing shows because they are in town. Last night I saw Reykjavik! from Iceland and David & The Citizens from Sweden. These bands had been in Austin earlier that day. David was even wearing a SXSW t-shirt. Anyway, that means there are some great walk-ups this week.

MONDAY - MARCH 19
REBEL - 251 W. 30th St
C-mon & Kypski (9:30) / Voicst (8:30) / and some other Dutch bands
(7:30 PM doors) FREE

When was the last time you could say you saw a good band that uses turntables? C-mon & Kypski serve up some hip-hop beats with drums, guitars, strings, samples, keyboards, and a little scratching.
Somebody said to me yesterday Voicst was the most underrated band in indie rock right now. Just so happens they are playing a free show tonight at Rebel.

VOICST DOWNLOADS
Detail 2003 (MP3)
Acts of Fire (MP3)
Sgt. Gonzo (MP3)

PIANO'S
The Automatic
(Sets at 9:00 & 10:00 PM) $10

No idea who these Brits are but a few people seem to be going there and it is in the neighborhood. Two sets!

TUESDAY - MARCH 20
MERCURY LOUNGE
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. / Fionn Regan
(7:00 PM doors) $12

I don't really like Get Cape... but they were nominated for a NME Shockwave Award. I would get there early for Fionn. He is a singer-songwriter from Ireland. Great album.

FIONN REGAN DOWNLOADS
Put a Penny in the Slot (MP3)
Be Good or Be Gone (MP3)

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 20
MERCURY LOUNGE
Panda Band / Jamie T / Luke Schurman
(8:30 PM doors) $12

Jamie T should be your priority for the week. But don't get there so early that I can't get in. He won a NME Shockwave Award.

PIANO'S
New Violators / The Epochs / The Dead Trees / Dappled Cities / Middle Distance Runner
(7:00 PM) $10

Pretty much every band on this bill has some buzz behind them. But New Violators could be one of the next big things. This band from Norway sounds exactly like 1982. "Runaway" seems to be a direct rip from "Girls on Film." Stereogum has some MP3s.

FRIDAY - MARCH 23
SIN-E
Brooklyn Vegan Presents: Pela / Shy Child / Marissa Nadler / Tim Fite / FUN
Friday, March 23 (8:00 PM doors) $10

Yeah Pela is good. Marissa Nadler plays dream-folk. Sin-e is closing. This will be a good one.

SATURDAY - MARCH 24
THE DELANCEY
Music Slut's Spring Fling Featuring: Locksley / The Silent Years / A Brief Smile / Cassettes Won't Listen, / The Midnight Hours
(7:30 PM doors) $9

Go support all the blogger shows. This is a solid bill. Locksley is almost too catchy.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:40 AM | Permalink

Beau Velasco and Johnny Siera are The Death Set. These two, who met in Sydney but now live in Baltimore, play punk over lo-fi electro. Live, this translates to them thrashing guitars and screeching into old harmonica microphones or rotary telephone receivers while a mechanical rhythm chugging in the background. To add to the mess, they both sing at the same time. Their robo-rhythm section pulls together all sorts of noises from Casios, toys, synths, old records, to kitchenware into disco, b-more, and electro beats. That may seem a little bare, but all the while, Beau and Johnny are spazzing out in smack dead in the middle of the crowd.

I have never seen them live but the two are so notorious that Baltimore City Paper named them Best Live Band of 2006. The Death Set has played shows with Japanther, Lifetime, Matt & Kim, Spankrock, and Best Fwends. They are playing tonight at Uncle Paulie's in Greenpoint. The have an EP To from 2005 on RabbitFoot Records, which clocks in as a ten-minute electric jolt of abrasive punk rock. If you can't go tonight, you'll have to wait till May.

UPCOMING SHOWS
The Death Set / Team Robespirre / JuiceBoXXX / Naked Boys Makin Noise!
Uncle Paulie's (directions) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Friday, March 9th (8:00 PM doors) $6 at door
--
The Death Set / Abstract Artimus / Team Robespierre
Venue TBA by Todd P – In Brooklyn
Thursday, May 10th

DOWNLOADS
Intermission (MP3)
Paranoia (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 05:13 PM | Permalink

Beirut is releasing a two song EP of recordings that were made before Gulag Orkestar called Pompeii. This is far far away from the awesome Lon Gisland EP he released earlier this year. Here are the first tracks off of both for your comparison. "Elephant Gun," the first track off of Lon Gisland, could possibly be one of the best songs the band has recorded. While "Fountains and Tramways" is just plain bad. Please guys, no more silky-smooth R&B beats. It is amazing how far they have come.

DOWNLOADS
Elephant Gun (MP3)
Fountains and Tramways (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 11:14 PM | Permalink

Stephen Ramsey, long-time touring guitarist for Stars, has formed a band with Catherine McCandless called Young Galaxy. He said he did not want the band to seem like a side project of Stars so naturally they named it something way bigger with gas, dust, and dark matter thrown in there too. And they signed to the same record label – Arts & Crafts.

Nonetheless, his spacey guitar work, the deep drones of their keyboard, and their dreamy vocal combo make for a good listen.

Young Galaxy recently toured with The Dears and will be at SXSW. Their self-titled album will available in April. For now, here are two tracks from their tour EP with the second not slated to be on the album.

Bonus commentary. How many other bands or rappers are there out there that use ‘young’ in their name? Fine Young Cannibals, New Young Pony Club, Young Knives, Young Love, Young Widows, Young Dubliners, Young Jeezy, Young Joc, Young Buck, and Young Dro. And about half of these bands will be at SXSW. Neil Young gets a pass.

DOWNLOAD
Swing Your Heartache (MP3)
The Golden Coin (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Z-Trip and DJ P took the mixtape to another level in 2001 with Uneasy Listening – Against The Grain Vol 1. These two hip hop DJs figured out in the late 90's that a dance party, particularly full of white people, will go bananas for 80s music unexpectedly and seamlessly mixed into their set with another hip-hop beat. This worked particularly well for 80s music since a lot of the drum tracks in that era were electronic anyway. Thus began the life of the mash-up and the death of the scratching, vinyl toting, hip-hop DJ.

Only 1000 copies of this CD mixtape were pressed (a few years later it was repressed on clear vinyl in an edition of 2000) but people kept duplicating the mixtape for friends and the it resurfaced in 2002 on numerous year-end lists like Rolling Stone's" Top Musical Moments" or URB's list of top albums. Both DJs were able to book separate national tours after this, where they eventually sold the rest of those original pressings. This is where I got my copy when DJ P came to perform at my college way back when. The tech at our radio station actually made a recording of this show—speak up if you want to hear it.

The precision in the nearly instant beat matching these guys could do was impressive, technically more impressive than the ADD overlapping of Girl Talk, because they had to adjust the pitch of every record without a computer and without any presets. I pick on Girl Talk even though I like what he does because he is the "it" DJ of the moment. Technology has almost eliminated the need to master this style of mixing—and record digging for that matter—but at the time it was mind blowing. Likewise, I was hooked the first time I heard Uneasy Listening, but all DJ sets are of the moment. Those tracks have become stale to my ears and do not elicit the same excitement as when I first heard the mix. However, their landmark mixtape does capture a snapshot of DJing when all the topcats were still using all vinyl.

Above is a screen capture of the CD in iTunes (click to enlarge). Instead of track names there is a slang-flavored paragraph about them pushing the envelope of DJing through their style of "mixology." It is dated and now funny because they were serious. MP3 track names below correspond to paragraph lines.

DOWNLOAD – A SEGMENT FROM UNEASY LISTENING VOL. 1 (2001)
Z-Trip & DJ P :: No Title (MP3)
Z-Trip & DJ P :: We Think After (MP3)

Z-Trip will be spinning at Studio B this Saturday (click to enlarge). I am curious to see if/how his style has evolved, especially since the last album he made involved guestspots from a bunch of underground rappers that might not go over so well on the dancefloor. Who knows how he has been spending his time since then. I might get excited for a brief throwback to another era, but way back.

UPCOMING SHOW
SAT 2/3 :: Z-Trip, Plastic Little, The Bangers @ Studio B. $12 tix, $15 door.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Chris Garneau keeps quiet, he doesn't make any sudden moves, and he doesn't smile while singing. His songs are solemn but beautiful, repeating the peaceful moments just before a tragic ending. However, his calming voice and lighthearted jaunts over the piano keys keep you from thinking there is anything wrong. The strings, most likely a cello, counter the waltz of his piano with a weep and quiver. Sometimes his voice gets a little heated and an accordion or brushed drums waiver in the distance but the song doesn’t escape its melancholy.

This album came out on Tuesday on Absolutely Kosher, but I have been coveting Music For Tourists since the beginning of December. Maybe I hesitated to share because his songs are so intimate or because I have trouble pronouncing his last name. Nonetheless, Chris Garneau's frail and bare songs require a close ear and a long day. He proves you can be sad and harmonious.

Chris is a delicate mix of Doveman, Regina Spektor, Antony, and even Elliot Smith (he covers "Between the Bars" as the last track on the album). Thus, his album would come recommended to anybody who wallows in those discographies.

UPCOMING RECOMMENDED SHOWS
FRI 2/2 :: Chris Garneau, The Ballet, Gregory and the Hawk, Michael Leviton @ Tonic, 8:00pm. $10.

DOWNLOAD
Chris Garneau :: Not Nice (MP3)
Chris Garneau :: Black and Blue (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Knife do Christmas once. They are still riding off of the song they recorded back in 2000 call "Christmas Reindeer." The song is a bit like "Reindeer" from their first album but with bell instead of a guitar solo. I wonder what Christmas was like at their house growing up as brother and sister.

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Christmas Reindeer (MP3)
DIY Cover Art (PDF)

Posted by 3xWes at 09:31 AM | Permalink

So we are taking the week off here. There will be no more posts on WaterCoolerGossip until after Thanksgiving. To tide you over until then, here is a mix of bands/artists I think you should be paying attention to right now. These are mostly new tracks. Maybe there will be some informative posts when we return but for now one sentence explanations will have to do. Get them now because they will be gone when we return.

DOWNLOAD
Rock Plaza Central - I Am An Excellent Steel Horse (MP3) :: Yes, this band really appears to have made a concept album about being an electronic horse and it is pretty good.
Van She - Kelly (MP3) :: I am sorry I missed this group at CMJ. The Aussies are still the best at reviving the 80s in new ways.
A Hawk and A Hacksaw - God Bless The Ottoman Empire (MP3) :: This is the least new track in this mix but I just got it. It still takes you to another world.
The Apples In Stereo - Energy (MP3) :: This song is so simple but so fun. Their new album should be out soon.
Panda & Angel - Dangerous (MP3) :: In the same vein as Ladytron or My Blood Valentine.
Alela Diane - The Rifle (MP3) :: This song is a vivid story. She is from the south and her album is called The Pirate's Gospel.
Prinzhorn Dance School - Eat, Sleep (MP3) :: These three just signed to DFA. This is a taste from a single that came out today.

Posted by 3xWes at 01:55 AM | Permalink

Black Dice played a "secret" show at Uncle Paulie's in deep Williamsburg on Saturday. Uncle Paulie's, which is about 10 blocks away from the Greenpoint G stop or rather in the middle of nowhere, is usually a diner but they cleared out the tables and the set up a stage. Black Dice destroyed their music as usual, the beers were a bargain, and Telepathe were a great opener. Below is a track from their latest EP. Catch Black Dice at the Bowery Ballroom on January 6th with Sightings and Excepter.

DOWNLOAD
Gore (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 01:34 AM | Permalink

I was not planning on posting these pictures from Okkervil River and Elvis Perkins In Deerland at the Bowery Ballroom two Saturdays ago until I realized that both Elvis and Will have hair that is out of control. The fauxhawk is new for Elvis and I am beginning to wonder if he was inspired on this tour by Will Sheff's messy "I just woke up" stylings. Regardless, it was great to hear Elvis with backing horns borrowed from Okkervil and see Will tear up their set list half way through their performance since they were playing whatever they felt like anyway.

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Love To A Monster (MP3) - From the new Okkervil River Australian tour EP Overboard & Down.
While You Were Sleeping (MP3) - From Elvis Perkins in Deerland's album Ash Wednesday. More here.

Posted by 3xWes at 01:30 AM | Permalink

About a month ago my friend Ofer recommended that I check out Herman Dune, which turned out to be a really confusing name to research. At first I thought that it was one guy but found out that Herman Dune is actually three: David Herman Dune, André Herman Dune, and Neman Herman Dune. David, also known as Ya Ya, does most of the singing. The band has roots in Sweden and New York but probably has their biggest following in France.

Herman Dune makes anti-folk similar to the big band sound of Jens Lekman, with a wide range of horns, marimba, ukulele, and percussion. Lisa Li-Lund and The Baby Skins contribute as the Woo-Woos on backup vocals, which makes the music of supposed one guy Herman Dune’s sound even bigger.

This family of musicians has been extremely prolific releasing eight albums since 2000, not including the solo material by David and André, so not every song is fantastic but every album has a few gems. Their newest album Giant is out now in France where they are currently on tour. That album is not out in the US till November so I would recommend starting with Not On Top from 2005. Here are two of my favorite songs by Herman Dune and coincidently one from each of those albums.

DOWNLOAD
I Wish That I Could See You Soon (MP3)
This Will Never Happen (MP3)

Also Here is the video for "I Wish That I Could See You Soon," which was filmed in LA with Toben Seymour.

Posted by 3xWes at 06:14 PM | Permalink

Remember when indie rock bands didn't really have remixes. That was before the days of the mashups and cross-pollination between genres. Cassettes Won't Listen has put their touch on Pela's "Lost to the Lonesome," which happens to be the first track on their new EP Exit Columbia Street. For some reason I thought Pela's next release was going to be an album but I guess they decided to scale it back and just put the strongest songs on there. You can get it and preview it at iTunes. You can also catch this excellent Brooklyn band at CMJ—dates below.

DOWNLOAD
Lost to the Lonesome - Cassettes Won't Listen Remix (MP3)

PELA CMJ DATES
10/31 - Halloween party @ B61
11/2 - Gothamist CMJ @ White Rabbit Lounge
11/2 - Amp'd Mobile CMJ @ TBA
11/3 - KEXP and Friction CMJ @ Sin-é
11/5 - The Militia Group and Death & Taxes Magazine CMJ @ Union Pool

Posted by 3xWes at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

NME cover stars The Horrors are vying for the best screamers of the year. The howls and screeches on their EP could have been lifted from a B-movie but instead belong to singer Faris Badwan. The characters in his songs also seem stripped from those movies but actually pay homage to long gone music acts. "Sheena Is a Parasite" is an obvious dark twist on The Ramones' punk classic. "Crawdaddy Simone" shares the same title as the rare 1960's freakbeat classic by The Syndicats. "Jack The Ripper" steals the hook from Screaming Lord Sutch's 1960's horror-rock hit. These grave robbers stitch their monster sound from rockabilly/gothabilly surf guitars, psychedelic organs, and hammering post-punk drums. Their wardrobe is black and white, combining a style of The Strokes meets Count Dracula mixing mod moptops with the gothic teased hair of The Cure. Faris Badwan, Tomethy Furse, Joshua Von Grimm, Coffin Joe, and Spider Webb could be the next pop-star heartthrobs of the undead.

The Horrors are ironically set to make their first U.S. appearance the week of Halloween at Stolen Transmission's party during CMJ. But you should be sure to see them at Product Shop's big show on November 3rd at Studio B (tix).

DOWNLOAD
Sheena is a Parasite (MP3)
Jack the Ripper (MP3)

Also check out this creepy old video of Screaming Lord Sutch singing "Jack The Ripper." Oh the horror.

Posted by 3xWes at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Ferraby Lionhart played an early show to people in the know at Piano's on Wednesday. I think you will be hearing more about this guy come CMJ. He sounds a little like Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet but is more on the folk singer/songwriter wavelength. His tunes are catchy. Check them out and the review of the show at Product Shop.

Don't forget to buy tickets to our CMJ-style show Nov. 3rd at Studio B in Brooklyn soon because they are going fast. Ferraby will be there!

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Tickets to Crickets (MP3)
A Crack In Time (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 08:33 PM | Permalink

Oxford Collapse held their CD release party at The Glass Lands last Saturday night, which felt less like a club and more like seeing the band in their practice space. Oxford Collapse kept the energy level jumping for the whole show. I watched most of the mayhem from the woodshop balcony. A full review is posted at Product Shop.

DOWNLOAD
Please Visit Your National Parks (MP3 – via Sub Pop)

Posted by 3xWes at 10:04 AM | Permalink

At Cake Shop last Tuesday, Guy Blakeslee resurrected the Delta blues in a ceremony that was as highly spiritualized, depressed, and sweet as those southern footstompers of the early 1900s. But his band Entrance's performance echoed a séance with Blakeslee straddling the line, pulling his spirit from a dark swirling psychedelic dimension while trying to keep his foot from going too far into the grave. The band was on the periphery but the drummer was tight and the bassist played some melodies that rivaled Blakeslee’s lead on guitar.
There were no organs, electric sitars, or eerie noises that surface on his fourth album Prayer of Death but the barebones performance served Blakeslee’s voice well. After breaking a string on both of his guitars, he finally asked the crowd if anybody knew how to change a string because he is has never been very good at it. Somebody volunteered and he fished the extra string and a tambourine out of his white canvas bag. The band stepped off the stage and Blakeslee sang while slapping the tambourine. The a cappella was hauntingly powerful.
Toward the end of the show the guitar with the new string required some tuning. He plays left-handed on a right-handed guitar strung upside-down and oddly can really shred despite having no formal training. However, he tunes each string individually by ear and does not use the other strings for reference. Who knows how long it would have taken him to perfect their harmony for the last song but after a few minutes he played it anyway. The notes were a bit crunchy but he heightened the mystery of his sound.
Many of the people in the audience at Cake Shop were sitting down, especially those in the front row, but there was one moment when everyone was locked into the beat, swaying back and forth listening to Blakeslee wail.

DOWNLOAD
Prayer of Death (MP3)
Grim Reaper Blues (MP3)

More MP3s here, here, and here. Also, blow your mind here. Prayer of Death was originally released on Entrance Records but comes out on Tee Pee Records November 14th.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:27 PM | Permalink

Out of all of the recommended shows for this week, none could be a better value than the all Barsuk line-up of The Long Winters, Menomena, and What Made Milwaukee Famous at Bowery Ballroom. This show is only $13 (adv. tix) for three bands, all worth seeing separately.

John Roderick of The Long Winters is very quick on his toes and his stage banter is half of the show. That is probably why he did a solo thing at Revenge of the Book Eaters. Anyway he was funny at Mercury; he will probably be funny at Bowery. Their new album is pretty good too.
Pushover (MP3)
Carparts (MP3)

Menomena is another Pacific Northwest band but these guys make pop melodies fueled by hip-hop drums. In recording those songs they sample their own drums, rearrange it, and then rerecord the sequence live. I love some funky drums and prefer a drummer actually playing them. Jerry Yeti says they will have the Wet and Rusting EP for sale since their new album will not be ready till 2007.
Sista Social Theme ... (MP3)

What Made Milwaukee Famous just released a remastered version of their album. The tracks with the dancier aspects of Spoon are quite fun. Being from Austin, obviously they are making a reference to beer rather than themselves in the band name. If that is not enough to get you to the show then I don't know what is.
IDecide (MP3)
Sweet Lady (MP3)

Also in addition to these MP3s, the Barsuk online store has more songs from bands that "put out" recently. If you have not heard this stuff you could make yourself a little mixtape. I would recommend checking out this new stuff: Viva Voice, John Vanderslice, Starlight Mints, Smoosh, Jim Noir, and Mates of State.

Posted by 3xWes at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Brooklyn's Matt & Kim played somewhere in the middle of the Todd P Big Out Of Doors Show II on Saturday. Kim bangs on the drums; Matt bangs on the keys. I think it helped that by the time Matt & Kim went on, the show had surprisingly moved inside. There is something more encouraging about pushing somebody when you know that if they fall, they will hit the floor rather than the rough concrete. On the first bang, we all had that same idea to bodycheck our neighbor. Until my very last ounce of strength on their last song, I happily crashed into the people around me and they bounced back. Friendly pushing is nothing new but I was not expecting it. I have not had that much fun dancing all summer.

To hear Matt & Kim you should really see them live or go check out their website. For a mental picture now think Mates of State keys and pep + The Thermals fuzz and attitude - the female vocals x Brooklyn ≤ A good description of Matt & Kim. Or just download these two songs I have been obsessing over lately. Both of these will supposedly be on their upcoming album but get their EP To/From if you can find it.

Matt & Kim are going on an east coast tour with King Tuff. Find the full dates after the jump.

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Matt & Kim - Silver Tiles
Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah

PS - I lost the shaky pictures I took at the show but this one from their flickr at some other outdoor show will do.

Continue reading "Matt & Kim at Todd P Big Out Of Doors Show II" »

Posted by 3xWes at 01:46 AM | Permalink