WaterCoolerGossip

I saw Fuck Buttons at Mercury Monday, although I am not sure if Merc was the right venue. These two guys make some awesome noise with laptops, synth keyboards, and toy instruments. Their music drones, twinkles, and clicks along sometimes to weird tribal beats or screaming in the background, which would be more fitting if we were all outside, around a campfire, with robots flying overhead and blowing things up, marking the end of human civilization. True those environs are not really possible but maybe they could have played on the floor.

Also in regards to their stupid name one would think the would at least have buttons at their merch table either that say "fuck" or have one letter per button. You could collect them all.

(image credit)

Posted by 3xWes at 11:39 AM | Permalink

Lykke Li and El Perro del Mar played Bowery Ballroom last night. Before the show I was a little bitter for missing out on their Joe's Pub show one night earlier because both girls make dark, sad music that is probably more enjoyable sitting down. But once Lykke Li and her band took the stage, the room felt more like a party. She has a sexy hip-hop luster that is hard not to watch — the girl has stage dancing down to capital T. There is star power in her performance and her music is really catchy, Lykke Li seems poised to really break out.

El Perro del Mar put some extra energy into her show and really tried to get the crowd going but did not get quite the same response, maybe because the back of the room had cleared out. She is very talented musically but this show was overshadowed by her opener. Towards the end of the show, Lykke Li came back out to sing backup. The two of them sounded really great together, especially in they encore when the covered "After the Laughter (Comes Tears)." Their tour together has just started and I wonder if this dynamic will keep up.



EL PERRO DEL MAR AND LYKKE LI TOUR DATES
May 06 :: Johnny Brendas – Philadelphia
May 07 :: Joe's Pub – New York
May 08 :: Bowery Ballroom – New York
May 09 :: Middle East – Boston
May 10 :: Lambi – Montreal
May 11 :: Mod Club – Toronto
May 12 :: Schubas – Chicago
May 14 :: The Red Room – Vancouver
May 15 :: Triple Door – Seattle
May 16 :: Doug Fir – Portland
May 18 :: Bimbos – San Fransisco
May 19 :: El Ray – Los Angeles

Posted by 3xWes at 11:30 AM | Permalink

Over two years ago I saw Langhorne Slim at the now defunkt Rothko in the Lower East Side, in fact, that show was the first post on this blog. Since then, Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles have seen two record labels (V2 who have since folded and Kemado who picked up the band), acquired a small army of loyal NYC fans, and recorded a new album.

Langhorne still sings twangy love songs and wears funny hats. Their new album, a few tracks withstanding (like the one below), gets bogged down in muddled production. The heart of this band is in the energy of their live show and the earnest grit of Langhorne's lyrics. All that said, I still think he is a great performer and song writer.

On Wednesday everyone at Mercury Lounge was in high spirits for their long over-due self-titled album release party. Striped down to just an acoustic guitar, stand-up bass, drums, and an occasional harmonica, the band really delivered.

You can see for yourself when Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles play Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 31st.

DOWNLOAD
Langhorne Slim - Rebel Side of Heaven (MP3)

Also at the show, there was much talk of Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson or MBAR as some of the kids call him. Look out for this guy but he will probably come to you considering folks from Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio are helping him along. He plays Cake Shop on May 11th.

The good folks at The Fader have an MP3 here.

Posted by 3xWes at 09:57 AM | Permalink

Jay Reatard, the full band, is three chubby dude with three distinct haircuts. Picture on stage at Bowery, the triangle of Mr. Reatard, himself, singing behind a curly mop shrouding his face while next to another guy of slightly more girth who has the same do but hair exploding outwards. Both are playing flying V guitars. Behind them, the drummer is in a tank top and a frizzy, blonde, metal hairdo with short bangs, probably to see where the symbols are. These three dudes are all drinking from the same shoe and form one "Jay Reatard," who played for twenty exhilarating minutes on Monday night. This show had real punk rock energy (not like that post-punk energy of Sunday) and the crowd danced around in chaos. And nobody got punched (see below). The band did not say a word either. Nor did they play an encore. But I think we all got our 66¢-a-minute's worth.

Camera is still busted. I am working on it. I hope this video suffices. Sometimes shit gets out of hand at a show. Reatard's explanation here. (via Brandon, who is living in 2002 or 2009 and does not have a blog).

Posted by 3xWes at 10:37 AM | Permalink

Tokyo Police Club began their sweep of the city last night at Bowery. It is amazing these kids sold out three separate shows in New York. They have traded in their flags and signs for bright flashing lights. Red still covered the stage. I walked into the show a little dreary from the weekend but the minute they came on stage I was jolted awake. I have not been to a show like that in ages where the energy of the crowd and the band was through the roof. Their album Elephant Shell comes out tomorrow but most of the crowd already knew it.

Smoosh opened. They were cute. You don't see many female drummers, and you especially don't see many teenage female drummers so props to her. Sticking with the premise of the opening band should not be older than the headliner, maybe when Smoosh headlines the Bowery Ballroom they can get Tiny Masters of Today to open for them.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the show because my camera was dead but if some surface I may update the post.

Posted by 3xWes at 12:19 PM | Permalink

I saw Kate Nash at Bowery Ballroom yesterday. It was a great show to start 2008. I liked Joe's Pub better though because people were quiet and the sound was crystal clear. A "loyal reader" sent this encouraging me to review the Bowery show because of the lack of recent posts on this blog. Honestly, this is better than my review at Product Shop.

Just say she is good pop, catchy, more intelligent lyrically than say ashlee simpson. . . and everyone enjoys a good pop album, even bloggers, admit it. Sometimes you just want a catchy tune that isn't too synthesized and about trying to get guys/girls. and we all know the blogs will come out soon to denounce her after she blows up in the US, because now, she is no longer indie enough. everyone knows about her. her second album is way too pop, not enough emo, and they started featuring her on mtv but, her album will still be good and mtv will still probably suck.
You should also praise Chris Brown's [dancing] abilities.

Posted by 3xWes at 04:25 PM | Permalink

These are the best videos that capture this year's CMJ Music Marathon, granted this is just a slice of all the stuff that went on that week and really only a slice of what would be the ultimate highlight reel. But still these are worth watching. Also check out New York Noise's coverage of the KEXP live sessions below.

Dan Deacon and The Deathset played an DIY all-star lineup at Silent Barn. There is no better way to start these videos that with Dan's own introduction to his set. Next, the Fader Sideshow was a sweet spot to relax and catch a band or two. White Williams, Health, and Santogold were all there. Then there is a double scoop of "Ice Cream" for the Modular party at Studio B and on to Art Goblins (Art Brut) playing acoustic in the foyer of the Music Hall of Williamsburg. I have yet to go to Terminal 5 but these two videos MIA and Justice capture the space and the crowd. The place looks huge. Then next there are clips from the late night Peter & Bjorn show, Jay Reatard, and Arizona. I also threw in the two-part Stereogum video where Andrew W.K. interviews some muscians and random people on the street about CMJ. Finally, there is a video of Bon Iver playing "Skinny Love," I regret missing their show at Bowery.



KEXP LIVE SESSIONS
Also, KEXP took over Gibson Studios for their live sessions during CMJ. New York Noise recorded a bunch of them I only wish they had all the bands. The sound quality of these videos is great but unfortunately the Brightcove can be embedded so click on the links.

Yeasayer - 2080: The single that started the buzz
Yeasayer - Final Path: A strong tune not on the album

The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy!: A song about horses and relationships, not cookies
The Hold Steady - Your Little Hoodrat Friend: Minnesota!

Le Loup - (Le Loup) Fear Not: Banjos + drum machine
Le Loup - I Had a Dream I Died: Banjos + drum machine + harmonies

Posted by 3xWes at 11:58 AM | Permalink

Nebraska's Eagle Seagull is one of those bands I have been meaning to see forever. The band was overflowing on to the floor at the Gothamist house. One keyboardist was pushed to the wall and standing on bench, hunched over his instrument. Their songs are so upbeat I think the crowd felt a little awkward sitting down. However, this was near the end of CMJ and lots of folks looked like they were in a daze. I want to see these guys in a different setting but I liked their big restless sound.

You should check out this band, start with their first album—recommended if you like Wolf Parade + some strings.





This post also appeared on Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:58 AM | Permalink

Don't you find it funny that the only band I took pictures of at the Sub Pop CMJ showcase is Foals, who are not even on the label. Foals is a UK post-punk band with angular guitars and funky drums. They could be a younger leaner Gang of Four but that is probably not a fair comparison since Foals has only released a few singles. The lead singer stands sideways to the crowd but maybe he really wants to emphasize the angles.

Le Loup on Hardly Art (an arm of Sub Pop) and Band of Horses were solid for their sets too.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:47 AM | Permalink

The title of this post pretty much says it all. I saw Yeasayer at the Vice party at Cake Shop. They were very good although their live sound is not quite as dense as their record. You could still cut it with a knife. I am still a big fan after digesting the album and seeing them live. I drank too much disgusting Sparks but that powered me Band of Horses at Blender Theater. I like their new album too. I also saw them the next day at Bowery at the Sub Pop showcase but took no pictures. That show was better. Sorry I have reduced to cave man speak but I'm trying to cover a lot of ground here.

YEASAYER


BAND OF HORSES

Posted by 3xWes at 11:32 AM | Permalink

Ghostland Observatory brought the moves at Webster Hall. These guys never disappoint and seem capable of rocking any size crowd. The place was very smoky and lasers were blasting along with the music. And still, Aaron wears his sunglasses. Maybe lasers can shoot from his eyes and maybe Thomas has special powers with his cape. These things seem possible when they are on stage. Bring on a new album.





This post also appeared at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:25 AM | Permalink

Islands were amazing at BrooklynVegan's day party. The band played a bunch of new songs and threw in some old favorites. Subtitle killed it on his verse for "Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone." The band was climbing stuff, grabbing props from the audience, and making interesting percussive use of the stripper poles on stage. And Nick said that they just finished putting the finishing touches on a new album. Islands go on.

Thanks BrooklynVegan for putting together some awesome day parties this year.







This post also appeared at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Black Kids were probably one of the most hyped bands of CMJ this year and when they only played a song or two at their Annex showcase due to technical problems, lots of people were ready to write them off. I caught them the next day at BrooklynVegan's day party and they actually delivered on the five or six songs that they have. Reggie Youngblood, the singer, also mentioned that some of the criticism in this cloud of hype was about "how physically attractive we are." If the band is really concerned about their weight, maybe they should consider dressing a little differently. Regardless, these kids' strength is that they conjure so many bands at once from The Cure to The Go Team! to Love is All.

They still have four tracks you can download on their myspace.





This post also appeared at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:16 AM | Permalink

Deerhunter does whatever they want but the band maintains the ambient hum of Bradford's drifting voice and a wash of guitars throughout most of their songs. The drums and bass switching up kept the show interesting, going from a dance beat with a bass riff to something grunge with rough deep chords. It all swirls together. Bradford is pretty animated too—he misses his family—although the band is not quite my cup tea.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:11 AM | Permalink

Dan Deacon had a slow and awkward start at Bowery Wednesday night with 20 "Ethan Hawk!" + 5 "Gattaca!" cheers, the second was a retry of the first but both were poor cheers. Since this may be his last tour on the floor, he knew this wasn't good enough to start, so he had the crowd make sea sounds and shushing noises. After he got going, people danced and went crazy. The room went from pitch dark to full lights for people to make a "Price-Is-Right" hi-five lap around the room. Safety first. Also, there were more cameras dancing on stage than people. Oh CMJ.





This post also appear at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:04 AM | Permalink

The two-man act No Age have some explosive songs, which sometimes start with a tranquil static lull but later erupt into feedback, distortion, and crashes. The crowd upfront got pretty rowdy too. No Age is a DIY guitar and drums punk band that really explores the breadth of noise. The band was a bit chatty at first but then started introducing songs with just expletives, which seems more fitting. At the end of the show Randy stepped on his pedal to cycle some sounds, then gave his guitar to a kid dancing on stage and hoisted him on his shoulders to finish the song. It was a cool move.





This post also appeared at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:00 AM | Permalink

I am glad White Williams has a band because he could have gotten up there and pushed a bunch of buttons by himself but that would not convey all of the layers of instrumentation in his music. Although he might want to go one more step and get a drummer, even with just synth pads. His album reminds me of Paul Simon at times but I did not get that at the show. The whole band lacked stage presence but behind them there was a mesmerizing projection of moving patterns using things like dancing moneybags and cent characters.



I also saw them later in the week at the Fader Sideshow and their set their packed more of punch. Maybe it was the early crowd who was unenergetic at Bowery.

White Williams plays again for FRICTION on Halloween at the Annex with Telepathe. Get your costume and tickets together now. Click the flyer for a bigger image.

This post also appeared at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:49 AM | Permalink

High Places played the last set of the day at the Fader Sideshow on Wednesday. This is a band that sounds better with just the right amount of fuzz from crappy equipment: think chugging synth drums and a girl's soft voice paired with thudding bass and some synth steel drums. They would have fit right in with the bill at Bowery that night.

This post also appeared at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 10:23 AM | Permalink

So a month has passed and the homepage actually went blank. Yikes! Now that I / the proverbial we are back on the wagon here are a few pics from shows in past month.

The Black Lips at Music Hall of Williamsburg was epic. While the fellas in the band were rather well behaved - there was no puking, fireworks, or peeing - the crowd was out of control. Beer was thrown everywhere, people were stage diving, and some of them just fell flat on their face. And there was a parade from their earlier show at SoundFix.

All this other stuff is old news so I will just post the pics. Stay tuned for lots of CMJ coverage.

BLACK LIPS AT MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG






LES SAVY FAV AT MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG


A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS AT MERCURY LOUNGE


DAN DEACON AT WEBSTER HALL

Posted by 3xWes at 11:26 AM | Permalink

The Veils played Bowery Ballroom Monday. I am glad they came to New York twice on their extended tour of the States. Review at Product Shop.

Don't forget tickets for the Sup Pop CMJ Showcase at Bowery with Band of Horses, The Brunettes, Le Loup, and Foals, go on sale at noon. Link.

Posted by 3xWes at 11:38 AM | Permalink

Herman Düne played Union Hall last night. To see such a great band in a tiny room was very reinvigorating, regardless of their popularity in the United States. There were so many people on stage too: David-Ivar Herman Düne (vocals/guitar), Neman Herman Düne (drums), their new bassist, Crystal Madrilejos and Angela Carlucci from The Baby Skins (backup vocals), Jon Natchez of Beirut (baritone sax/trumpet/flute), Kelly Pratt (trumpet/horn/flute), and another girl on the horn whose name escapes me (trumpet/flute). The show was a lot of fun. There is more at Product Shop.

Another show has been scheduled at Goodbye Blue Monday on Saturday September 1st! It is not listed yet. And David will be playing with a three-piece band at Cake Shop on September 7th!

Posted by 3xWes at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wolf Parade is full of fantastic musicians, so much so they could have full careers off their side projects. Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug seem to have a knack for turning their stage banter into fragments of song lyrics. When Spencer's monitors were not working at the start of the show he played a few notes on his keyboard and croaked, "Will you wait for me?” Later, when Dan was tired of waiting on Spencer to start a song he said, "Make the machine go." Spencer agreed saying, "Follow the plan."

They started the show with an old song and promptly said the rest of the songs would be new. Not true. But there have been multiple occasions when Wolf Parade had said, "We are tired of that song and don't want to play it." With only one released album that sometimes comes off as a little ridiculous but now with some new material to fire they were more willing to share all their old gems. The new tunes were melodic, jarring, hand clappable, and very impressive overall.

Also, Dante took a pee half way through the set; Spencer sweated it out over keyboard – as usual. And Warsaw has found a way to distinguish themselves as the only midsize venue with a crappy sign on the stage.

Posted by 3xWes at 12:16 PM | Permalink

Ghostland Observatory undeniably puts one of the most enigmatic and sexually charged performances out there. You have the singer Aaron Behrens whose dancing I would describe as "silky-smooth" while rocking mirror aviators, pigtail braids, and tight pants. He has some gender ambiguity going on, which he definitely works to his advantage. Then Thomas Ross Turner is alternating between banging on the drums and menacingly twisting knobs on his sampler while wearing a blue and purple cape. On stage, he looks half mad scientist and half Phantom of the Opera. Plus their music is fun to dance to, just don't try to steal any of Aaron's moves.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading "Ghostland Observatory at McCarren Park Pool" »

Posted by 3xWes at 12:07 PM | 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

I went to Siren for The Black Lips, Matt & Kim, and Voxtrot. I was too late for The Black Lips and missed the chicken feather spectacle because the F train was all messed up at 14th street. I got there just in time for Matt & Kim. Last Saturday was hot and jumping around in the sun while they played was exhausting. I was sure somebody was going to bust their head on the concrete while crowd surfing. A few people came really close. After their set, I was almost to tired and thirsty to really enjoy Voxtrot. Oh well.



I also saw Band of Horses at McCarren Park Pool the following day. Check out Ben's beard. Now that's commitment. More at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 05:36 PM | Permalink

Jamie T played a short set on Tuesday at Union Pool. He still thinks American light beers sucks but acknowledges the potential of a whiskey chaser. He did a Rancid cover and a Billy Bragg cover. Arch from Illinois (the band) opened. Jamie will be back with a string of US dates in September. Full review at Product Shop. Jamie also came into Sirius to chat on Blog Radio. That was fun.

JAMIE T US TOUR DATES
Saturday, September 8 – Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Festival
Sunday, September 9 – Toronto, Ontario – V Festival
Wednesday, September 12 – Boston, MA – Great Scott
Thursday, September 13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Saturday, September 15 – Philadelphia, PA – North Star
Tuesday, September 18 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
Wednesday, September 19 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
Saturday, September 22 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile Café
Sunday, September 23 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
Tuesday, September 25 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
Wednesday, September 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour

Posted by 3xWes at 03:53 PM | Permalink

The Pool Parties at McCarren Park Pool have been blessed with lovely weather thus far. There really is no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Dan Deacon, being a beacon for all things DIY, has of course yet to perform on a stage. The stage at McCarren is probably 10 feet of the ground and yet he still played in the crowd. He is one with the people. I hope he can keep this up forever, including at the push-button battle royal at Webster Hall with Girl Talk and at the huge V-Fest in Baltimore. Erase Errata and Octopus Project also performed. Next up at the pool is Band of Horses. Also check the pics over at Stereogum.

Posted by 3xWes at 02:25 PM | Permalink

Plenty of people seem salty that they had to wait for three and a half hours to find out that they could not get into the Boredom’s 77BOADRUM on 07/07/07 with 77 drum kits. I arrived around 3:15 and waited that long and did not get in either. I am not bitter but I was a bit surprised that 17,000 other people wanted to go to a show fit for 3,000. Luckily, there is some cool video floating around on the web. Other artists really should be taking more advantage of these numerical date alignments. There are only four left for this century!

[photo credit]

Posted by 3xWes at 02:13 PM | Permalink

Owen Ashworth or Casiotone for the Painfully Alone is a burly man who stands alone on stage mashing keys, tweaking knobs, and crooning in monotone into a dry mic. His songs tell stories about sobering regrets, missed connections, and sometimes the beginning of a rebound but the lyrics ride over booming funky beats. Sometimes you don’t know whether to stare off into distance or start dancing. People did their own thing at his show at Mercury Lounge last Thursday. Toward the end of the show, The Donkeys joined him on stage as a backup band and suddenly we are watching an enlivened Owen perform as the front man for a morbid bar band a la Hold Steady minus the party. This was a cool thing to do for show if you know his albums but for his solitary music, I think we all prefer painfully alone auteur.

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

Posted by 3xWes at 02:02 PM | Permalink

After waiting for four hours to buy these tickets many months ago, the show finally came around on June 26th. I thought that since a lot people were willing to show up eight hours early to buy tickets, they were probably going to be there right at the 7:00 doors too. That was not the case. Wilco did not go on till 9:30 and played for a total of two hours and forty minutes. That Tuesday was a long night of standing. However once Wilco left the stage we cheered them on for three encores. The only other time I have seen them – at The Vic in Chicago circa 2003 – they only did two encores.

Some accused their new album of summoning The Eagles and all that is sour in Dad Rock but their sound is actually still experimental albeit there is less noise and some new songs could pass for light rock. At the show, Nels Cline – the oldest dude – was rogue figure in a black shirt and red pants, while the rest of the guys were decked out in metro-western wear. He shredded freely on the guitar, doing crazy stuff with octaves and holding chords forever. Their music has the same sophistication but of other Americana bands like The National but it lacks the sexiness, so people are quick to call it Dad Rock.

Maybe they are starting to show their age in their music, but Wilco still has some fire running through their blood. Tweedy said they could play as long as they wanted that night: “Every show this tour we have had a curfew. Curfews are for sucks.” Full of tour angst, he sounds like a kid or a dad mocking a kid, but either way the crowd – most of whom were younger than the band – could not get enough that night.

More photos after the jump.

Continue reading "Wilco at Warsaw" »

Posted by 3xWes at 01:33 PM | Permalink

The last ever Television performance promised to be a great show until one of their guitarist Richard Lloyd got sick and had to be hospitalized a few days before their show at Summerstage. There is a lot of guitar wanking in their music and some of the songs jam on forever. Having the rival dueling guitar of Richard Lloyd would have been nice but the other guy filling in did a pretty good job. Some of the notes the other guitarist – and the singer – Tom Verlaine would hit sounded more like a string instrument than a guitar. Their last song, "Marquee Moon" was the best song they played and they played the entire ten minutes of it even though the stage manager was started making the cut sign across his neck about half way through. Apples in Stereo played with a bit more energy in their songs – granted it is power pop and they sing a lot about the sunshine. Too bad it was raining during most of their set.





APPLES IN STEREO

Posted by 3xWes at 12:55 PM | Permalink

So I went to Sasquatch this year at the Gorge in George, Washington. What stoner thought that pairing up? The main stage sits right on the edge of a cliff and has the backdrop of a river cutting through a canyon. The view is almost enough but all the music entices you to stay there for 12 hours straight for two days. However, being out in the middle of nowhere sometimes means you have to stop the show for three hours to wait for heavy winds to pass or that you have to freeze your ass off in order to see the bands at night. I am not going to write much more but everything about Bad Brains is true. Also read Yeti's other summary at BV.

THE BLOW AT THE YETI STAGE




THE ARCADE FIRE AT THE SASQUATCH MAIN STAGE


PS – SEATTLE IS COOL


BACK TO NEW YORK
Animal Collective was a good way to start the South Street Seaport concert series. The show was one big jam. After that show I went to The National at Bowery—grown man music. They will also be playing the Seaport on August 17th. Every year that festival seems to be booking bigger bands.

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE AT SOUTH STREET SEAPORT




THE NATIONAL AT BOWERY BALLROOM

Posted by 3xWes at 11:28 AM | Permalink

Franz Ferdinand sold out almost instantly if you don't count the ticketweb system not being able to handle the surge in traffic. Considering that, I was surprised at the number of bloggers that came out of the woodwork to be at that show. Full review at the 'Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 05:39 PM | Permalink

The Veils Nux Vomica is probably one of my favorite releases for the year. Their shows Thursday and Friday at Mercury Lounge and Union Hall were intense but were missing the clarity and precision of their album. The band sounded a little better at Union Hall. Regardless, The Veils made an impressive showing for their first time performing these songs in the States. In person, Finn has a fantastically warm but wretched voice. There is a full review and more pictures at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 04:50 PM | Permalink

I always though that pointless graphics or statistics about indie rock shows would be a good idea. I had no idea the blog emo + beer = busted career even existed. Bravo. The New York Times sent Andrew Kuo aka Earl Boykins to all seven Bright Eyes shows at Town Hall to gather "data" about Conner's residency there. They explain the graphics as:

On the blog earlboykins.blogspot.com Mr. Kuo meticulously dissects indie rock and hip-hop records and shows and then transforms the data into complicated, brightly colored charts and diagrams. The joke is, the more banal the information or sweeping the generalization, the more complex the graphics.

I went to see the Noisettes and the Maccabees at The Knitting Factory last Wednesday. Neither band floored me but the show was worthwhile. The Maccabees are very together as a band and seem to have a bit more buzz surrounding them at the show since it was their first US performance. They sing too much about childhood romance for my taste though. The Noisettes headlined and had their own set of anglophile fans but the Maccabees are actually bigger in the UK. Full review at Product Shop.

MACCABEES


NOISETTES

Posted by 3xWes at 04:19 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

If you were at the FRICTION party with Dan Deacon on Saturday at the Mercury Lounge, there may have been a moment where you forgot that you did not walk 15 blocks from a subway stop, catch a bus, or ride a bike to get there. You may have forgotten this was not a party in Brooklyn. While I know Manhattan and Brooklyn show comparisons can become a tired analogy because everything about them is different, this show spliced those two worlds. Full review at Product Shop.

Posted by 3xWes at 02:10 PM | Permalink

I saw Patrick Wolf at Bowery yesterday. The boy likes to change clothes. Review over at Product Shop.

[photo credit: thatgreenplant]

Posted by 3xWes at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)