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.

DOWNLOAD
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.

DOWNLOAD
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!

DOWNLOAD
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.

DOWNLOAD
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

Also get a free poster when you buy (or pre-order) the album that drops 9/12 at these shops.

VIDEO VIA AOL MUSIC
TV on The Radio - Wolf Like Me

Posted by 3xWes at 02:09 PM | Permalink

I went uptown to Harlem for Sharon Jones and The Dap-kings Super Soul Review on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Park. Sharon Jones is always a pleasure to see live and I have never seen her put on a bad show. She recently celebrated her 50th birthday but, damn, she can still dance. Now, Sharon is usually dressed to the nines and always wears stilettos. Still she busted out The Camel Walk, The Boogaloo, The Pony, The Tighten Up, The Mashed Potato, The Funky Chicken, and The Swim. But when it was time to really get down, she had to take off her shoes. Growing up in Augusta Georgia, some people have called Sharon the female James Brown; she has got the soul but claims she can't do any splits. The Dap-kings hail from Brooklyn and could not be a finer funk/soul band. I am convinced they have a time portal from the sixties, which they use to spring decades ahead and blow peoples mind with songs that don't sound like revivals but golden-era raw funk/soul.

Get MP3s of Naturally here. Get MP3s of Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-kings here. Do it! I think Daptone Records puts it up for download because they know you will probably want to buy it on vinyl too.

Jackie Robinson Park is a great shaded outdoor venue with a cool bandshell and even cooler mural of Jackie Robinson. People bring chairs and just hang out. Next week the first rapper with a record contract, Kurtis Blow, will perform at the park. This man is a legend. “Basketball is my favorite sport, I like the way they dribble up and down the court.” Word. The show starts promptly at 7:00pm next Wednesday.

More pics after the jump.

DOWNLOAD
How Long (MP3)
Pick It Up, Lay It In The Cut (MP3)

Continue reading "Sharon Jones at Jackie Robinson Park" »

Posted by 3xWes at 01:31 PM | Permalink

This Saturday afternoon Peter & The Wolf, Castanets, and Jana Hunter will play on the Empty Vessel Project. They will perform on a salvaged WWII Navy Rescue boat, which doesn't look seaworthy but could probably hold a music show. Supposedly these bands are touring on a boat as a protest to high gas prices among other things.

Austin's Peter and The Wolf play folk music cast under the shadow lo-fi sound. Their boy/girl singing dynamic works dark and lo-fi because is not always in sync, which keeps it coarse. If you are as curious as I am about this show, come down to the Gowanus Canal and wish them bon voyage on their tour of the eastern seaboard. I honestly don't know anything about the other two acts or who all those people are in the picture. But maybe touring on boat is kind of like The Oregon Trail and they have lost a few people to snake bites and malaria.

Access to the Empty Vessel is from the west side of 1st Street, one block south of the Carroll Street Bridge over the Gowanus Canal. The Empty Vessel would like to become an Action, Art and Design Center fostering projects focused on Sustainable Living in Urban Landscapes.

SHOW
8/18 at Goodbye Blue Monday (1087 Broadway, Brooklyn), 9pm
8/19 at Empty Vessel, $5, 1pm
8/19 at Northsix, $8, 9pm

DOWNLOAD
Peter and The Wolf - Strange Machines (MP3)
Peter and The Wolf - The Fall (MP3)
Castanets - All That I Know (MP3)
Castanets - Three Days Four Nights (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Will Sheff of Okkervil River and Shearwater was kind enough to come into Product Shop NYC's Blog Radio show on Sirius two weeks ago. This was hectic day for him because he was moving back to Texas the following day to prepare for Okkervil River's upcoming tour. He played five tracks and I was blown away. We have the MP3s for you over at Product Shop. A big thanks goes out to Dave from Secretly Canadian / Jagjaguwar for helping to set this up.

Be sure to check out "The President's Dead" because you are not going to hear it anywhere else. Also be sure to get tickets to their Bowery show in October.

Get the live MP3s here. More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Will Sheff at PSNYC Blog Radio" »

Posted by 3xWes at 06:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Snowglobe's third album is titled Oxytocin, which is a hormone that is released during sex and involved in social recognition and bonding. You could probably get some good spins out of the album while in the act. The music is not sexy but there is the warble of a relaxed theremin and the bounce of horns. Pianos and cellos make a big enough appearance for track titles of their own.

Or maybe the album walks the line with platonic love because there are some really friendly songs on here. Even the sad and lonely songs are trying to make pals by the end. Brad Postlewaite is the mastermind behind Ocytocin but the other guys will eventually direct their own albums for the band. For now, Snowglobe's pop sounds vaguely familiar but still fresh and plays nicely all the way through.

DOWNLOAD
Happy (MP3)
Simple Song (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 01:22 PM | Permalink

The Hold Steady played a free show at Castle Clinton last Thursday. It would have been great except that they were playing the songs acoustic, which also was a factor in people remaining seated for the show. But the band did played a bunch of new songs, similar to the acoustic set they did for The Current 89.3. More thoughts at Product Shop.

DOWNLOAD – LIVE FROM THE CURRENT
Stuck Between Stations (MP3)
Modesto Is Not That Sweet (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 09:55 PM | Permalink

On Monday, I got an e-mail from a reader who insisted I check out New Young Pony Club. Later that day at the Product Shop NYC Sirius radio show, Justine D (Motherfucker/Night Time) had picked the track "Jerk Me" by the band for the playlist. These two recommendations were enough. New Young Pony Club has recently signed to Modular who will be putting out their first single "Ice Cream" soon. But this song actually came out a couple years ago on a 7" by Tirk records. I have tracked down "Ice Cream" because you know if I had two scoops of mint chocolate chip I would share one with you. For their sound, think of a cute girl singing over electro with guitar riffs on repeat, cowbell, and synths. That's the flavor.

DOWNLOAD
Ice Cream (MP3)
The Get Go (MP3) - Bonus scoop: another single from Tirk

UPDATE
Here is Comets' remix by request.
Ice Cream - Comets Remix (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I saw Jens Lekman twice last week and have yet to talk about it. Both shows were great. Before the show, I learned that his first name was pronounced Yens while trying to figure out how to pronounce his last name.

Anyway, at the Mercury Lounge the show centered on Jens' lyrics and he was able weave in and out of songs and banter because everything he says is bone-dry but funny. Wednesday night, I felt like I got to know Jens Lekman. He also suprised the crowd in the encore with horns bursting in at the chorus of "Julie" from the back of the room. Friday night at the Bowery, was more of the spectacle of Sweden and Jens on a grander scale with horns, piano, drums, and backup singers. His band is composed of all blond Swedish girls and they were wearing matching white dresses. Also that gold keyed accordion was killer. "Postcard to Nina" was my favorite song from Friday, everybody in the band was hitting some essential note in that song. Eddie Argos has met his match in repeated stories about girls, because Jens also told a story about Nina both nights. The girls in the band also pulled the horn trick again but this time from the balcony.



Frida Hyvonen was also good but I liked her set a Mercury better. She was slightly more awkward and aloof there with long pauses and weird stories, which worked in her favor. She likes to eat fruit on stage.

More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Jens Lekman in New York" »

Posted by 3xWes at 09:51 AM | Permalink

Cansei de Ser Sexy got crazy at Warsaw on Thursday. The album is elctro but the show was punk. Read more and see more at Product Shop. "C-S-S-Sux!" This is high art.

DOWNLOAD
Let's Make Love and Listen Death from Above (MP3)
C.S.S. Suxxx (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Think About Life is coming back to New York with Cause Co-Motion, and The Long Blondes. The last time they were here was Art Brut's Knitting Factory Takeover but they did not go on until 1:30am or so. I could not stay but BrooklynVegan was there and got some pics. I won't miss them this time.

These guys make dirty DIY post-punk ripe with raw emotion and distressed keys. This show is a nobrainer. I like their url too, www.thinkaboutlife.org, because it sounds like some online self-help group. The message is so much bigger than the band.

THINK ABOUT LIFE NYC TOUR DATES
Thu 7/27 - Knitting Factory (w/ The Long Blondes, Cause Co-Motion)
Fri 7/28 - Lucky Cat, 245 Grand Street btw Roebling & Driggs (Bunz of Steel (Reserve) Party - midnight performance and free Steel Reserve at 1am, $3!)
Sun 7/30 - Cake Shop (w/ The Long Blondes, Cause Co-Motion, Eyeball Skeleton, and Crystal Stilts)

DOWNLOAD
Money (MP3)
Paul Cries (MP3)
Snowee Caterpillar (MP3)

Check out Dan Bodin's "Think Images." These animated GIFs are mindblowing in a 1997 56kbps sort of way.

Posted by 3xWes at 04:05 PM | Permalink

Arizona is a New York based band by way of Arizona Atlanta. Sticking pins on that state, I would probably put them somewhere around Carefree, AZ (home of the world's largest sundial). The Shins, who originated one state over in New Mexico, also come to mind as a reference point. But enough geography because Arizona is really all over the map in the sounds they are exploring. "Some Kind of Chill" is mix of simple guitar strums, tambourine shakes, and group harmonies. While "Splintering" is more dramatic, starting with upright bass bowing chased by glockenspiel pings and flipping half way through the song into heavy guitar rips. They have another tune that is entirely in Italian. I like these guys and I am excited to hear their album Welcome Back Dear Children. I like the cover art too, which is drawn by Deems.

You can see Arizona live this Saturday 7/8 around 8:30 at Piano's.

DOWNLOAD
Some Kind of Chill (MP3)
Splintering (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have been meaning to post about Headlights for a while, especially considering a friend went to college with the band. I was originally going to post "Put Us Back Together Right" from their EP2, but now that their album Kill Them With Kindness is coming out, I will post that version. They have polished the song up a bit. It starts calmly with only a piano but builds to a drum-roll rhythm, tremolo guitar line, and warbling synths. It is the only good song about chairs I know.

DOWNLOAD
Put Us Back Together Right (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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

¡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)

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

Electronic rockers The Gaskets are coming to the Mercury Lounge next Tueday on 6/6. These two guys from Richmond, Virginia make music that would mix well with Prince, Michael Jackson, The Scissor Sisters, or Ghostland Observatory. In other words, if you come to this show you are going to dance.

TOP 5 REASONS TO SEE THE GASKETS ON TUESDAY
5. You want to see the singer Ted's tattoo of an Eames chair on his arm.
4. You don't have ticket to Tapes n' Tapes / Cold War Kids / Figurines. They are playing Sunday anyways.
3. You are curious how any band that is good enough to headline the Mercury Lounge could rock a show with only a Yamaha Rm1x sequencer.
2. You are really good at giving/receiving high-fives.
1. You listened to the MP3s below and recognize their awesomeness.

DOWNLOAD
Left Hand (MP3)
Hold Steady [Hot Weather] (MP3)

UPDATE
The Gaskets will be back on 7/30 for a show at The Delancey sponsored by The Music Slut.

There was lots of dancing and high-fives at their last show at Piano's as pictured above.

Posted by 3xWes at 03:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Thao Nguyen is singer-songwriter from outside of D.C. She grew up working in her mother's Laundromat and appropriately her first album is call Like the Linen. She also has one of the stand out tracks on the Kill Rock Stars compilation The Sound the Hare Heard. Thao has a relaxed singing style that contrasts nicely with her quick finger plucking on guitar, which is again cooled by the brush percussion. Take a listen.

DOWNLOAD
Tallymarks (from Like the Linen)
Hills (from Like the Linen)
Feet Asleep (from The Sound the Hare Heard)

Dodge at MOKB, Dreams of Horses, and Village Indian also have nice things to say. She is about to go on tour for The Sound the Hare Heard and will be in New York in July. See the full tour dates after the jump.

7/12 North Six - Brooklyn, NY
Essie Jain, Southerly, Lovers, Thao Nguyen & Lauren Hoffman
7/13 Knitting Factory - New York, NY
Essie Jain, Southerly, Lovers, Thao Nguyen & Lauren Hoffman

Continue reading "Upcoming: Thao Nguyen" »

Posted by 3xWes at 06:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A band runs a huge risk by only singing one phrase in a song. If this phrase is cliché or just dumb then the song automatically sucks. Oh No! Oh My! has some really great one liners. Here are two from their self titled album that came out recently. You should get it to hear the more in-depth lyrical juicyness. The album has a few of those too.

I Love You All the Time (MP3) is a cracked-out dance tune with lasers that transition to acoustic guitars. You must hear this.

Women Are Born In Love (MP3) goes in the opposite direction of of hand claps and group choruses. It is still infectious.

Also their cover art is one of my favs for the year so far.

Posted by 3xWes at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's opened up for Film School yesterday at the Mercury Lounge. Their live show packed a punch. Theses guys are getting a lot of love on the internet lately probably because their album The Dust of the Retreat has also been rereleased and remastered this year with more snap and shimmer. The band is definately worth you time if you like elaborate midwestern indie tunes. The heater tracks have also been moved to the beginning of the album. Check out my review of the show at Product Shop. Also check this track Skeleton Key (MP3).

Posted by 3xWes at 08:17 PM | Permalink

Film School came back to New York. It was ok. A lot of their songs are mush. A full review at Product Shop. They were signed to Beggars Banquet on the spot after a supposedly killer show at the 2005 SXSW, which was partially due to the song 11:11 (MP3), it has a catch baseline but a lot of their songs don't really have anything to grab onto. Garrison is also a good song. It has some My Bloody Valentine influenced sampling and looping. They are by no means a bad band.

Posted by 3xWes at 07:53 PM | Permalink

AOL Music has a video of Franz Ferdinand live in Chicago. From those back shots, the Aragon Ballroom looks gigantic but probably not bigger than the Hammerstein Ballroom. I caught them twice there when they were in New York, once on their mega-tour with Death Cab For Cutie and then the following afternoon for a myspace "secret" show in the same place. It was good but not amazing. But that is old news, check out the video. It has some nice close-up shots you just don't get live in a venue that size.

Posted by 3xWes at 04:41 PM | Permalink

Friday was Hockey Night at the Mercury Lounge. Nothing else is saying summer louder than these guys right now. Read a review of the show and other thoughts on the weekend at Product Shop. Indie-licious caught them at Cake Shop. Check out Dark Trance (MP3).

Posted by 3xWes at 03:00 PM | Permalink

Amy Correia will play Mo Pitkin's this Friday. Her second album Lakeville from 2004 came out of material she was using in her live set. Amy is trying to start over after being tossed to the wayside by Capital when her first album did not have the commercial success they had hoped. “The first one, I had what seemed like limitless resources — major labels, seven different producers, money. This record I had no money, no label, no resources,” she said. Amy's voice is from another era and glows with an unpolished beauty. After seeing that she is playing Mo Pitkin's, I rediscovered the song "Coney Island, USA" which is about falling asleep on the F train after a late night drinking and waking up in Coney Island. I liked that song the first time I heard it and that was before I woke up one cold winter morning down on Neptune Avenue. That sucked but now I can really relate.

Coney Island, USA (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 06:59 PM | Permalink

The Heartless Bastards are coming to Mercury Lounge Friday and Saturday. When I first heard Stairs and Elevators, I was not entirely sure if the singer was a girl or guy. That's because Erika Wennerstrom's voice is all down and out blues; but the band plays rock. It's a cool combination of strife and anger. Come to the show and you'll see.

Check out New Resolution (MP3).

Posted by 3xWes at 11:10 PM | Permalink

Editors acoustic? Yeah right, until I heard this . . .

Someone Says - Acoustic (MP3)

Feel Good Inc - Acoustic Cover (MP3)

Brian Eno and David Byrne are rereleasing a remastered version of My Life in the Bush of Ghost, a heavily influential album from 1981 that used a lot of atmospheric and found sounds. Here is an excerpt from an essay David Byrne wrote about the album:

At that time there were no samplers, so the found vocals were often flown in (this consisted of two tape machines playing simultaneously, one containing the track and the other the vocal) and, if the Gods willed, there would be a serendipity and the vocal and the track would at least seem to feel like they belonged together and it would be a “take”. . . . Sometimes we’d record radio sermons after-hours on our cassette players that were built in to our late 70’s boom boxes. The quality was sometimes dubious (on “Come With Us” we had to make the hiss part of the dark ambience)…but overall we came to realize that hi fidelity was vastly overrated- and sometimes the harsh megaphone like quality of these vocals was actually more immediate sounding. Like transmissions from a desperate planet. Other times the vocals often came from those records we’d been listing to over the previous year.

I think some people found all this disturbing. In the West anyway the causal link between the author and performer is strong. For instance, it is assumed that I write lyrics (and the accompanying music) for songs because I have something I need to “express”. And that as a performer it is assumed that everything one utters is naturally autobiographical. I find that more often, on the contrary, it is the music and the lyric that triggers the emotion within me rather than the other way around. By making music we are pushing our own buttons, in effect, and the surprising thing is that vocals that we didn’t write or even sing can make us feel a gamut of emotions just as much as ones that we wrote. In a way making music is constructing machines that, when successful, dredge up emotions- in us and in the listener. For some, this fact is, it seems, repulsive, a trick, a betrayal and deception. Many prefer to see music as an “expression” of emotion rather than a generator of it.

Also, I have been obsessed with the new Hot Chip album for the past couple days. "Colours" has been on repeat; it's TweeTronic. The album has bit more range than that descriptor but it's all laid back. I did not really like their first album but there are lots of good tracks on The Warning. Look for this scorcher soon.

Colours (MP3)
Over and Over Video : Real Player High / Real Player Low // WMP High / WMP Low

Posted by 3xWes at 07:24 PM | Permalink

Because I have waited so long to write something about SXSW I am going just mention a few of the recaps that I found particularly interesting.

1. A Cool Hunting SXSW Video
Although they don't really capture any crazy street shenanigans, they do film a ton of bands and the sound is pretty good.

2. Gorilla vs. Bear Recap
Chris has a lot of good pics. It seems like he was hanging out with Tapes n' Tapes a lot.

3. Central Village Talks A Lot
If you want to read 2000+ words about the three day music fest – have at it. I could not finish the whole thing.

4. Blue States Always Lose in Texas
I hope you are familiar with the wry commentary of Blue States Lose, which documents hipsters at their worst. If that is not enough for you, see more at The Cobra Snake.

I have compiled a SXSW Mixtape from some of the cool bands on the torrent. Get the 41 song mix and a lesson in downloading after the jump.

Image above stolen from The Cobra Snake

Continue reading "SXSW Recap of Recaps & Gigantic Mixtape" »

Posted by 3xWes at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So Gnarls Barkley is the amalgamation of Cee-Lo Green and Danger Mouse. Their press photos are spoofs on movies. The possibilities are endless. They also cover a Violent Femmes song on their St. Elsewhere promo. Their album is out in the UK soon and in the US later.

Gone Daddy Gone (MP3)

More press photo hilarity after the jump.

Continue reading "Gnarls Barkley; That Dude" »

Posted by 3xWes at 02:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

After seeing Brakes at The Annex last week, I have really gotten into their short songs. I was probably this guy in the song to a few people who I talked with at the Editors show tonight. Get their album Give Blood. It's good. If had to lump some words together to describe their music, I would say it's Country Punk with English accents.

Hi How Are You (MP3)

Posted by 3xWes at 01:53 AM | Permalink

I saw The M's at Pianos. Something from that album was missing from that show. I really like some of the songs on their new album Future Women. Something was missing from that show either the horns, or the strings, or the crazy percussion. The drummer was the highlight of the evening. I have never seen a drummer eagle-eye his bandmates so intensely. You would lose to this dude in a staring contest. While the show was not that great, that is no reason not to check out their album.

Listen to Plan of the Man (MP3).

Jerry Yeti was also there.

Posted by 3xWes at 01:36 AM | Permalink

White Rose Movement. With that name, a manifesto must have been drafted and its members must be preparing to make their avant-garde assault upon the masses. Well kind of, the WRM already happened in the 1940s with a German student group that organized around an anti-Nazi leaflet campaign. Flash-forward to modern-day UK and the name works equally as well for Finn Vine (vocals, guitar) Jasper Milton (guitar) Owen Dyke (bass) Taxxi (rad name, keys) and Ed Harper (drums). "We’re London based, but not a London band,” says Jasper. ”Well, let’s say we’re an East Anglian band, because it has the word angle in it,” says Finn (gigwise). ‘We formed the band just as we were going to war (in Iraq), and we wanted something that suggested peace, to wave a white flag to what was going on. Not only that, but it sounded good and made sense.’ Or as Finn succinctly says, ‘the right name for the right time’ (myvillage). While I can't say that their songs are political, they make some kick-ass borderline rock/dance (it could go either way depending on the song) music. These guys are not only reviving a name, but they are shaking up 80's synth pop with a grittier edge. I was beginning to think that the 80's revival was getting tired but WRM zaps new life into it. They look the part too.

The debut album for White Rose Movement Kick will be released April 17th, 2006. For Now check out:

Love is a Number (MP3)
Cruella (MP3)

Aloha (Polyvinyl) is going to release Some Echoes on April 11th. The band has been around since 2001, debuting with a jazz-influenced record and following with a prog-influenced record. Then T.J. Lipple joined the band. T.J. can play the mellotron and the marimba. Now with all current members, they made another departure with Here Comes Everyone, a pop record that draws from prog and jazz but keeps a restrained rock structure with less improvisational noodling. Some Echoes is along the same lines except a bit catchier. It's real good and I think this record should push them to the next level. They are playing with Voxtrot in April at the Mercury Lounge. That show is going to be awesome. They are also playing SXSW.

Check out Your Eyes (MP3) from the forthcoming Some Echoes.
You can also stream and download parts of Here Comes Everyone at their website.

Posted by 3xWes at 01:50 PM | Permalink

So, the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album Show Your Bones seems to be a straight-up rock album. The first single, Gold Lion, first appeared as Diplo remix, where the guitar strums were chopped up, along with the chorus, to rock well with some blippy Diplo drums and an ill synth bass line.

Another stand out track on the album, Phenomena, which is roughly the same tempo, presents the same opportunity. Again we have a killer chorus, which was lifted from Grand Master Flash's White Lines. “Something like a phenomena baby" rides the chops of Nick's guitar. This song is just waiting for the drums to double-up and the bass to come in.

Now the entire album is not like this but it is pretty cool there are two half-speed dance tracks to say, "This wasn't an accident." We all know Karen O loves to dance.

Check 'em out for yourself and get the rest of the album when it drops in March.

Phenomena (MP3)
Gold Lion (MP3)
Diplo's Gold Lion Remix (MP3)