Today Only: Get White Rabbits’ “It’s Frightening” for only $1.99
Despite being rock solid top to bottom, and being produced by Spoon's Britt Daniel, White Rabbit's sophomore record has not taken off quite like you'd expect. It's Frightening doesn't have the infectious pop immediacy of their debut, Fort Nightly, but instead offers a rather dark side of the band, one that takes time to grow on a listener but is filled with rewards.
Today only, Amazon offers a download of It's Frightening for only $1.99. I highly recommend taking advantage of this rather incredible deal.
Free Album Download: Grub Animal Sings About Love, Zombies, and Arctic Expeditions
GRUB ANIMAL's self-titled debut contains the certain rawness that their name would imply, and that's exactly what makes it unique experience. While Brooklyn's most talked about scene these days is still the lo-fi scene that prides itself on their DIY aesthetic, many of the bands have needed to soak their songs in ridiculous amounts of reverb to hide the songwriting or lackthereof. Many of those bands also seem to be drawing from the same influences. Grub Animal, on the other hand comes out of left field with a sound that would imply that this is a band has listened to far more Dead Kennedys, Pere Ubu and Husker Dü than The Jesus & Mary Chain.
Front man Ted Strauss says the record "is a little about exploring different personas from rock 'n roll's recent past. It's about channeling great stories through those personas, stories that are sometimes way old. The album features 3 songs using lyrics from (loosely translated) Inuit songs, documented during an arctic expedition in 1915. There is also a kind of zombie narrative running through, giving glimpses of terror, madness, and death. And for the sentimental listener, there's at least one love song, depending on how you classify such a thing. It's all about living the joy and labyrinth of each moment to an extreme unattainable in normal life. It's about celebrating what's nearly forgotten for its charm and authenticity. It's about good music, hopefully."
While much of the record is packed with in-your-face energy, it's the more subtle tunes that leave the most lasting impression. Characterized by a bouncy bass line, love song"Day Brings New Love" is an early highlight. "Think of Nothing Else" shifts from soft spoken word verses to Native American sounding chants, and quite possibly the best moment of the record comes with album's lovely instrumental halfway point, "Tetrodotoxin."
You can download the full album for free from the link below:
Grub Animal - "Grub Animal"
You can catch Grub Animal for free on October 3rd at the "Good For You's Good For Me" 1 Year Anniversary party at Bell House in Brooklyn.
Video: Music Tapes - “For The Planet Pluto”
The Music Tapes - For the Planet Pluto from Merge Records on Vimeo.
Islands Aren’t Always Tropical Fun
Islands, Das Racist
Bell House, 8.19.09
When you see a lot of concerts, you can expect the occasional disappointment. Just as bands have nights when it all seems to click, they also can have terrible off nights. There are bands that will shock you with a great performance, and there are bands who are so hit and miss, you almost expect to catch an off night (I'm looking at you Fiery Furnaces). On Monday night, I caught Ambulance at Union Hall and couldn't help but be disappointed as their new songs just did not measure up to the few excellent songs they played from their debut, which I believe to be one of the music highlights of the last decade. Maybe the songs just need time to grow, and the band is still working out the kinks live, so I wouldn't be surprised if the next record actually ends up being really good.
After that disappointment, knowing that I would be seeing Islands on Wednesday has me excited. All three times that I had seen them in the past, the concerts were unique and memorable. Islands debut is one of the most fun records of recent years, and although "Arm's Way" was a darker vision, it held up really well when played live. Wednesday's show at Bell House was their debut as a more electronic-based quartet, and nearly the entire set was made up of new songs from their upcoming record. Aside from the lack of string section, there was something else missing. The songs weren't bad at all, but it feels that Islands have stripped away the energy and fun that made "Return to the Sea" a great album. The strings were the dynamic element that often carried "Arm's Way" and without them, those songs felt flat live. The highlights of the set came with "Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone" and "Swans," which mostly acted as references to how good a song Nick Thorburn can write.
Opening was the much talked about hip hop act Das Racist. If you've ever heard good hip hop, then avoid this shit like the plague. I think it's supposed to be funny, like that SNL shit that Andy Sandberg does, but I felt like the joke was on me for wasting my time watching three fools dance around the stage looking at their cell phones and spilling beers and never spitting out an interesting rhyme. The ipod-programmed backing tracks were totally uninteresting, and the whole performance felt like a big long extended hipster youtube video.
I don't like to hate on bands publicly, because they're often just poor musicians having fun, and I'd hate to ruin that fun, but last night Das Racist joined the ranks of Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and Dark Meat as musical acts that need to do us all a favor and never step onto another stage in their life. Have fun at your loft parties, but for the love of god, please don't step onto another stage in my presence ever again.
Photo: Islands at Continental Army Plaza, Brooklyn, CMJ 2007. © Jonny Leather
MP3: Hopewell - “Stranger
NYC locals Hopewell have released a second single from their new record Good Good Desperation and it's a good one. Opening with a repetitive bassline, "Stranger" quickly builds up into the type of powerful rock song Hopewell has become known for. Nearly a minute in comes the first verse and the entrance of Jason Russo's soft voice. Then comes the proggy synth at a minute and half. Before long the song just explodes like classic Spacemen 3, which is interesting because the album's next song "Seen the Light" reminds me a long of Spiritualized.
Les Savy Fav to Play First Concert at New Knitting Factory
The Knitting Factory, a leader in the New York arts scene for over two decades, is proud to announce that our new venue at 361 Metropolitan Avenue in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY will be opening September 2009. Brooklyn-based favorites, Les Savy Fav, will perform and host the opening night on Wednesday September 9th. Upcoming shows will feature performances by: Boss Hog, Rasputina, Mayer Hawthorne, Titus Andronicus, The Raincoats, The Spits, Mucca Pazza, Melissa Auf der Maur, cEvin Key, A Wilhelm Scream, Helado Negro, Maps and Atlases, No Neck Blues Band, Dub Trio, Smokey’s Secret Family and much more to be announced. Upcoming special events include this year’s Williamsburg Fashion Week’s Fashion and Arts Premiere, the Miss LEZ Pageant and the Royal Flush Film Festival.
It's about time. Knitting Factory will finally open their new Brooklyn location on September 9th with Les Savy Fav. I can't think of a better local band to turn this into a party. With Brooklyn Bowl also new to the Williamsburg area, it seems that Williamsburg is now a battlezone for music venues with Music Hall of Williamsburg, Knitting Factory, Brooklyn Bowl, Cameo, Bruar Falls, Death By Audio, Market Hotel, Europa, Trash, Spike Hill, and The Shank all now competing with each other.
Let's see if Knitting Factory can survive existing in the same building where Luna Lounge bit the dust.
MP3: Hooray For Earth - “Surrounded By Your Friends (Miádis Remix)”
Hooray For Earth - Surrounded By Your Friends (Miádis Remix)
And yes, that is a keytar solo!
nyctaper: My Teenage Stride: July 22, 2009 Bell House - Flac and MP3 Downloads
nyctaper also recorded My Teenage Stride at my recent Benefit Concert for Empty Cages at Bell House on July 22nd.
Setlist:
[Total Time 29:56]
01 That Should Stand For Something
02 Creep Academy
03 They Are Alone In Their Principles
04 Ears Like Golden Bats
05 [banter - band introductions]
06 Heart Shackles
07 Red Nurse
08 Reversal
09 XO Freedom Rider
10 Cast Your Own Shadow
11 Live And Die in the Airport Lounge
Video: Hooray For Earth (w/ Paul Holmes & Zambri) - “Be My Baby”
Last time I saw Hooray for Earth, they were joined on stage by Paul Holmes and Zambri for a really fun rendition of "Be My Baby"
