Was Animal Collective Worthy of Guggenheim Prestige?
Animal Collective and Danny Perez debut Transverse Temporal Gyrus at The Guggenheim
Thursday night, popular psychedelic indie band Animal Collective and visual artist Danny Perez engulfed The Guggenheim's rotunda with the debut of their site-specific performance piece Transverse Temporal Gyrus.
Weeks ago when the concert was announced, the band's rabid young fan base rapidly bought up all of the tickets, forcing the Museum to add an early second performance due to the demand. For the Guggenheim and their initiative towards appealing to a younger crowd, Animal Collective offered them the perfect opportunity. Unlike past concerts that have taken place within the rotunda, this Animal Collective performance provides a more solidified link between the worlds of fine art and popular music. But also unlike when a band like The Walkmen played inside Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral palace, Animal Collective's performance was very much a work of art. So with its display inside such a prestigious institution where artists such as Matthew Barney, Daniel Buren and Cai Guo-Qiang have transformed the space in recent years, has the Guggenheim given Transverse Temporal Gyrus more prestige than it's worth?
With last year's critically acclaimed record, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal Collective rose into an elite class of bands with both extensive commercial and critical appeal. Musically, they had managed to marry an experimental electronic psychedelia with Beach Boys '60s pop production and hooks. With their concerts, over the course the the last few years, they have become more and more prone to stretch their songs out into more lengthy soundscapes. The lights and stage design of their concerts have also gradually developed into something more elaborate over time. For anyone following these developments with Animal Collective, Transverse Temporal Gyrus seems like a natural progression.
Visually, Transverse Temporal Gyrus consisted of the trio existing almost motionless on the bottom floor, outfitted in strange costumes and white masks resembling the rabbit from Donnie Darko. Each member, standing about 5-10 feet from each other, was stationed behind an amorphous sculpture containing a round glowing screen with imagery that resembled the magma of a lava lamp. In front of them all was a row of clear, brightly lit stalagmites standing a few feet tall, and behind them glowed an amorphous white glacier sculpture with fragmented colors projected upon it. The entire space of the Guggenheim was lit up with bright shades of magenta, blue, and green.
Sonically, the pre-recorded music perfectly encompassed the space, often times circulating around the rotunda in a spiral through the speakers, fully utlizing the space. The soundscape flowed constantly throughout the entirity of the lengthy 3-hour performance, often building towards the more expected Animal Collective freak-out fans expect, but never quite breaking out of its moody psychedelia structure.
The members of Animal Collective have always displayed the strong influence of legendary avant-garde musicians The Residents in their songs, and while I experienced Transverse Temporal Gyrus last night, it was impossible to overlook the strong resemblance of the performance to The Residents' revolutionary 1979 record Eskimo. It was as though Eskimo has been brought into a more futuristic context with the fragmented blips and bleeps of the computer age co-mingling with the amorphous sounds of nature. Further strengthening the Residents connection, the costumes and stage design very much echoed the stage setups of past Residents tours. As major fans of the highly influential performers, I have to believe that any resemblance comes out of influence and homage to their heroes rather than anything less respectable.
Possibly best experienced on hallucinogenic drugs, Transverse Temporal Gyrus could act as a fine first step for Animal Collective to progress as something far more interesting than a simple rock band. It may also help influence the worlds of art and music to exist in a more unified place where performers like Laurie Anderson and David Byrne have always worked towards. No matter what the end result is, Animal Collective has now been given the torche to carry as the main link between fine art and popular music—a position Sonic Youth may have once held. Unlike Sonic Youth, Animal Collective has a younger fan base less interested in experimentation, so events like this could work against Animal Collective leaving fans disenchanted (as many seemed on Thursday).
Welcome Motel Motel to New York’s Music Elite
mp3: Motel Motel - "Forest" (Daytrotter Session)
I've been pretty vocal over the last couple years about my feelings towards the music of Brooklyn's Motel Motel. They're debut LP presented a very young band combining an overwhelming variety of styles to create an extremely ambitious folk rock record. Clocking in at well over an hour with 3 songs over the 7 minute mark, New Denver is only a hint at what Motel Motel is capable of.
In mid 2008, the band recruited multi-instrumentalist Erik Gundel to join the band. This brought an extra special something to the band that already meshed beautiful. Gundel's own EP that he released in 2009 is a treasure in itself, but nothing has people prepared for what's to come.
Over the course of 2009, Motel Motel played many shows, seemingly introducing a new song into each set they played, always hinted at something genius. After spending months away from the stage while writing and recording their follow-up to New Denver, they made their first live appearance since October at Union Pool last night. They songwriting and musicianship that was put on display during their set was of a level that very few ever see in such a small room. Spoon may have been playing Mercury Lounge on the same night, but I say now confidently that there's no way Spoon's performance was quite as incredible. Motel Motel's new songs have reached the fully-realized state from their earlier performances in 2009. Each song is an epic concoction of more musical styles than imaginable with multiple movements that flow seamlessly building from quiet and heartfelt to lush, harmonized finales.
The first time I listened to Motel Motel I knew I was listening to something special and that the band would grow into something, but I could have never imagined the level of growth that would come within only a couple of years and one record. This is a band that, once they release their sophomore effort, should raise to the top of New York's music seen to join the indie elite of bands like Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, The Antlers, TV on the Radio, Battles and The Walkmen. Ironically enough, while watching Motel Motel perform last night, the spine chilling set felt like a culmination of all of the best qualities of New York's best bands—from the harmonies of Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear to the prog of Battles to the Americana qualities of The Walkmen. I like to think of Motel Motel as prog-americana, but that would probably be a disservice to what they're doing.
Amazingly, they haven't been signed. I'd trade my soul to release their record, but don't feel worthy. It belongs with someone like Merge or Sub Pop, who can spread their music to the rest of the world. And to anyone who passes on the chance to sign Motel Motel for the release of their sophomore record, start kicking yourself now, because you're gonna miss the opportunity of a lifetime.
Jonny Leather’s 25 Favorite Live Performances of 2009
I spend about 75% of my nights at concerts, watching bands I already love but also catching bands I've never heard before. A million things can go wrong with a performance, but when everything clicks a live performance can be a spiritually transcendent experience. A lot of factors beyond the performers control play into the experience. If you're in a crappy mood, tired, or in the mood for something different, in all likeliness you'll hate what you're seeing. When a band can somehow overcome all of these elements fighting against them, something magical happens, and that's why I spend so much time watching live performances. I'm not claiming that the following 25 performances were the best of the year, but they definitely were my favorite thanks to a mix of underlying circumstances, emotional states, and mostly great bands.
25. Paul Holmes (solo) @ Bell House
Opening band, Fugitive Souls were forced to cancel an hour before they were supposed to play after arriving to Bell House to find out that all of their gear had been stolen from their truck earlier in the day. Paul Holmes was at the venue to see friends Hooray For Earth and play a couple songs with them, but I was somehow able to convince him to play a solo set. With no time to prepare and no real plan when he took stage, Holmes played an incredible stripped down set that let his powerful voice shine.
24. Animal Collective @ Prospect Park
The combination of Animal Collective's bizarre electronic psychedelia and laying on a grassy hill staring at the stars with my biggest crush made for an unforgettable experience. I couldn't tell you what songs were played, or much about their actual performance, but I can tell you that I loved every second.
23. My Bloody Valentine @ All Points West
To watch a bunch of angry Tool fans cry for mercy during the earthshaking "You Made Me Realise," made it worth sludging through a day's worth of mud which led me me throwing away a pair of sneakers.
22. Grandchildren/Rad Racket @ Death By Audio
I was ready to leave but decided to wait to see if Grandchildren was an good. As soon as they played a song, I knew I wasn't going anywhere. And then they switched instruments and a member or two and played another set as Rad Racket. I was blown away.
21. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ Bowery Ballroom
I had no idea what I was in store for, but was instantly convinced Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros will be stars in no time.
Read my full review for NY Press here.
20. Phoenix @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Best pop rock band of our time.
19. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers @ Bell House
Raw, energetic, and talented, Shilpa Ray is the frontwoman this city has been lacking.
18. Pete & The Pirates @ Bell House
About a half hour after this performance my life totally fell apart, but while the Pete & The Pirates played I was still on cloud nine.
17. Hooray For Earth @ Bell House
There's probably not a band I've seen more than Hooray For Earth this year, so picking one performance is hard, but with Paul Holmes joining them for this one, I think it was my favorite.
16. Harlem Shakes @ Southpaw
A triumphant return after a long hiatus.
15. The Walkmen @ Central Park
Best band in NY. Hamilton Leitheuser sang with an extra level of intensity that day.
14. Motel Motel @ Bell House
A perfect birthday isn't complete without a live set by my favorite unknown local band.
13. Echo & The Bunnymen @ All Points West
Playing most of the best songs they ever wrote, McCulloch and the Bunnymen informed the Coldplay fans what great British rock is all about.
12. Tallest Man on Earth @ Bowery Ballroom
How can one man with an acoustic guitar have such an incredible stage presence?
11. Thee Oh Sees @ Bell House
The perfect garage rock band, Thee Oh Sees' John Dwyer displays a connection with his guitar like no other I've ever seen.
10. The Dears @ Bell House and Bowery Ballroom
Two nights in a row, I got to be present for the religious experience that was The Dears' opening number, "Saviours." Singer Murray Lightburn emerged in the crowd singing with soul-moving emotional depth, connecting with every person in the crowd.
9. The Drums @ The Annex
This performance singlehandedly got me out of a nasty funk, and put a smile on my face ten miles long.
8. Deleted Scenes @ Cake Shop
Grizzly Bear and Beach House might've played outside to a giant crowd earlier in the day, but Deleted Scenes played the best set of the day hours later in front of a very very small crowd.
7. Bling Kong @ Bell House
I somehow convinced this band to reunite just because it was my birthday, and although one member came down with swine flu hours before the set they pulled it off.
6. Unicycle Loves You @ Union Hall
After being struck by terrible misfortune in my life less than a day earlier, I nearly broke down when Unicycle Loves You dedicated future hit "Justine" to me.
5. HOLAS @ Bell House
How did I get an Indiana-based duo to drive across country to make their live debut? Well, the drummer just happened to be my older brother and it was my birthday.
4. Paul & The Patients @ The Studio
I still don't know what it was about that made performance so much better than other PATP shows but there was just an extra intensity in every guitar riff, every drum beat, and especially Paul Holmes' emotionally driven vocals.
3. Music Tapes @ Bell House
Julian Koster makes his concerts into something much more than a live music experience. They are imaginative events that are incredibly hard to describe. Amre Klimchak wrote a perfect description of the night here.
2. Your Vegas & Fugitive Souls @ Ronald McDonald House
It's not often you get to see a bunch of rockers play "Old MacDonald" while little kids climb up onto their laps and sing along. This was completely unforgettable.
1. Zambri @ 88 Palace
After dragging myself through a long day where I battled severe depression and a menacing hangover, I went home and took a nap, waking up just in time to run to 88 Palace (a performance space inside the Chinatown Mall). It's amazing I even made it to the venue, but was totally worth it when a quarter way through their set, Zambri dedicated their set to me. It's not every day I have a set dedicated to me. It was incredibly heartwarming, and the actual music performance was also amazing.
Live Review: Evangelicals @ Union Hall
mp3: Evangelicals - "Skeleton Man"
There are plenty of worse problems to have than lofty ambitions. On Wednesday night at Brooklyn's Union Hall, it became clearer than ever that the biggest problem at the hands of Oklahoma quartet Evangelicals is that their skills can't always reach as high as their ambitions.
Released in 2008, sophomore record Evening Descends was a brilliantly trippy musical experience that combined the more theatrical aspects of glam with elements of Queen, prog and modern indie rock. It sounded like very little else, and its 11 songs flowed seamlessly. Every minute of Evening Descends seemed to ride a fine line of brilliance and complete mess, and singer Josh Jones pushed his desperate falsetto beyond its' limitations.
Within the opening seconds of their set, presenting a new song, I felt like I was in store for a disaster. The elements weren't coming together correctly, and with all of the crazy lighting and fog, it was recipe for musical tragedy. Then out of nowhere the band blended the opener into "Party Crashing" and restored my faith. For the entirety of their performance, the band was hit and miss. For every moment of cringing where Jone's voice failed to hit a note in "Midnight Vignette" there was something epic like the haunting "Bellawood."
This is a place I believe Flaming Lips once existed—a band with limited technical skills going for something grand that seems to be just beyond their grasp. If they continue to challenge and push themselves forward, Evangelicals really have the potential to be something really special, and on record they're already pretty much there.
Your New Favorite Band: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
From: Los Angeles, CA
RIYL: Polyphonic Spree, Peter Bjorn & John, Arcade Fire
mp3: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - "Janglin"
Not all hippies start jam bands, only the evil ones do.
Every day a new star is born. Charismatic, charming, talented—singer Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros has the qualities that make a star, and after seeing the band's performance at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night, it shouldn't take long before that happens.
The former front man of Ima Robot found his musical calling after some rough times, and embraced his inner hippie creating the fictional character of Edward Sharpe, a messianic figure that according to Ebert, Sharpe "was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love."
Shortly after the large ensemble band was formed under the name Edwarde Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. With that name, Ebert will have to get used to being referred to as Edward Sharpe, but like Bowie's Ziggy Stardust before him, it should be a character he can embrace as alter-ego.
On stage, with long hair, a beard and wearing white pants and an open white sports jacket (revealing his bare chest), Ebert had the presence of the messianic figure that he created for himself. Energetic and uplifting, the songs shed an overwhelming joy over the sold out Bowery Ballroom. The normally motionless New York City crowd fell into a frenzy of dancing. Even my normally arms-crossed-and-head-bopping-self got sucked into the whirlwind of fun for the entirety of the set, arriving with very little previous knowledge of the band.
I had discovered the band a couple months ago via their Daytrotter session, and although the happy, southern gospel-influenced tunes (think of a more folksy Polyphonic Spree without the choir) were pleasant, I wasn't totally won over upon first listen, but with my interest perked I decided to catch them live.
It's safe to say that the recordings are good, but they do no justice for the band. Their whistling-heavy set finale "Home"—a song now popping up everywhere—was the highlight of the night, with Ebert and Jade Castrinos sharing a perfect vocal exchange, while Ebert spent much of the song from within the worshiping crowd. My other highlight from the night came midway through the set was the darker, mood-changing "Black Water" which revealed a different side of the band and really emphasized the vocal strength of Ebert.
At times reminding me of Joe Cocker, Ebert is an incredible front man gifted in the art of commanding a crowd. It's a power the best front men have and a gift that makes for a star.
Fellow LA bands Local Natives and Fools Gold both played exceptional sets in their roles as openers. Local Natives sounded a bit like a more rock-infused Fleet Foxes, while Fools Gold felt like a Latin-heavy !!! (Chk-Chk-Chk). Expect to hear a lot more about them soon.
The three bands will continue their tour tonight at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg
The Best Jookabox in Indiana
Jookabox
Cake Shop, 11.10.09
Two nights after witnessing a heroic 3 hour performance by Bruce Springsteen at a full capacity Madison Square Garden—which included his 1980 classic The River in full—I found myself in a nearly empty Cake Shop for Indianapolis band Jookabox. Springsteen is a legend and his age-defyingly passionate performance did nothing but further clarify how he can command a crowd of 20,000 two nights in a row, only a month after selling out 5 nights in a row at the even larger Giants Stadium.
There's a huge difference between the two experiences, and sometimes the disparity between fan bases can be disheartening. As Greg Burgett recently noted in his recent review of the Peter, Bjorn & John concert, Boston's Passion Pit is scheduled for 3 sold out nights at the massive Terminal 5 thanks to their growing blog hype, even though they've only released one full length record and an ep.
Jookabox is just a single example of hundreds of great bands who have gone relatively unnoticed by the movers & shakers of the music industry. The biggest obstacle for a band like Jookabox is in their originality and general weirdness. Hard to describe and failing to fall into a popular niche like shoegaze, lo-fi, or straight forward indie rock, bloggers don't know what to say about them, so they say nothing at all.
Playing for myself, a friend a few other people at Cake Shop on Tuesday night, I was just as thrilled to be watching them as I was for Springsteen 2 nights prior. There's no comparing them to Springsteen, but there's a lot to be said for the feeling of intimacy in a concert experience, as well as the role of expectations.
Now three albums into their history with Dead Zone Boys and after shedding Grampall from their name, Jookabox played a set loaded with their strange new genre-hopping tunes about zombie love or something like that. Frontman David "Moose" Adamson likes to explore the realm of the paranormal in his songs, and the result is a sound that is paranormal in itself. The first bands that comes to mind when I hear them are Butthole Surfers and Ween, mostly due to all of the warped vocals, but Jookabox really have their own sound.
They ended their set with the hyperactive, should be hit "You Cried Me." Exchanging the rapid fire guitar strumming for a bizarre keyboard rhythm, it was the highlight of the night. Too strange to ever develop a really large fan base, Jookabox still deserve far greater attention for making one of the more interesting albums of 2009.
CMJ 2009: …And Then We All Got Swine Flu
Everyone has a different take on, and different approach to CMJ. The NYC-based music festival can be a smorgasbord for passionate and adventurous music fans with enough energy and curiosity to stay up to all hours of the night seeing band after band, many of which they’ve never seen before. It can be an incredible game of Russian roulette. For every great band to be discovered, there’s five mediocre ones there to drain the showgoing life out of you. Six chambers, 5 bullets—is that a chance you’re willing to take? That’s a testament to the power of music.
Since moving to the city in 2000, I’ve experienced CMJ from multiple angles, starting with that of a fan. There was the year where Saddle Creek put on the most mind-blowing showcase—one that hasn’t been rivaled since. It included sets by Desaparecidos, The Good Life, Azure Ray, Now It’s Overhead, Rilo Kiley, Cursive and Bright Eyes. It was a true test of endurance, but one full of reward.
A few years later (2003) I was interning for CMJ’s art department, creating much of the promotional art and badges for the festival. It was the first time with a badge and the opportunity to see any of the shows I desired. Performances by Pretty Girls Make Graves, Broken Social Scene, Mars Volta, The Rapture, Killing Joke, The Fever and VHS or Beta highlighted my experience that year, and from that point on CMJ was an annual adventure, with me covering the festival as both a photographer and writer.
With each year, the festival lineup has gotten a bit less impressive, but has always had its’ fair share of discoveries to be made. Crystal Antlers, Ruby Suns, A Place to Bury Strangers, Dr Dog, O’Death, Apes & Androids, Foreign Born, Cut Off Your Hands, Death Vessel, Music Tapes, Foals, Asa Ransom, Wye Oak and Bad Veins have all been great finds in the past few years.
While in the past few years, I managed to devote a large amount of energy to CMJ (and believe me it’s necessary to have a lot of it), 2009 required a much different approach from me, and once again I got the chance to experience the festival from a totally different perspective. Having already experienced CMJ as a simple college music fan, an intern graphic designer, photographer, and writer, this year I managed to curate my first ever showcase. It was an inside view of the internal structure of CMJ and boy is it a mess.
With a clear view of the exact lineup I wanted to put together, I got to work contacting some of my absolute favorite undiscovered bands—Deleted Scenes, Loxsly, Unicycle Loves You, ArpLine and Army Navy. Each of these bands was planning/hoping to play CMJ, but not all of them had yet been officially accepted. We waited and waited, while the CMJ organizers waited till the last possible minute to send out acceptance letters to Army Navy and Loxsly. Another band I’m friends with only heard of their acceptance thanks to a Google alert, never receiving an actual letter.
Luckily, all of the bands of my perspective showcase were accepted, and my ideal lineup fell perfectly in place, with the pleasantly unexpected addition of Leeds trio Sky Larkin coming only a couple weeks prior to show date.
By the time CMJ arrived on Tuesday, October 20, my personal life had become filled with misfortune, and so I was completely unprepared and unmotivated to take chances on new bands, and had done no research into any of the hundreds of bands playing the festival.
On day 1, I stuck to Williamsburg. Taking no chances, I caught Pitchfork favorites Deleted Scenes at the Popgun showcase at Cameo Gallery. Their passionate 7 pm set was an ideal start to the night. A short walk to Glasslands followed, with an electrifying set by local trio Right on Dynamite. Having followed the band for years, their progress is truly astounding. With each member now fully in tune with their mates, they’ve managed to add dynamic musicianship to their more straightforward poppy rock. Laura Marling’s beautiful folk sounds at Music Hall of Williamsburg were great, but in the mood for something a bit more accelerating, I headed to Spike Hill for Chicago’s Unicycle Loves You. With an excellent new sound system, Spike Hill provided a solid opportunity to catch one of Spin’s “25 Bands to Hear” and they didn’t disappoint, playing a set filled with new material.
Day 2 started with a P and the P’s band and ended with a different P and the P’s band hours later. At 8:30, Paul & The Patients took the stage at Southpaw and singer Paul Holmes blew our heads off with his larger than life voice that at times brings to mind a more passionate classic Billy Idol. Moving along to Bell House, I took my first real gamble of CMJ with sets by 3 much-talked about new bands that I knew very little about. First was Merge’s newest signing The Love Language, who filled the stage with musicians playing a set that showed why Merge has made them part of their roster thanks to well-crafted rock songs that recall a poppier Broken Social Scene. English youngsters Let’s Wrestle followed with a sometimes sloppy, but still inspiring set, with fellow Englishmen Pete & The Pirates closing the night with a bang. In many ways they sound like you would expect an English band to sound, full of those Jam and The Clash influences, but somehow Pete & The Pirates managed to find an extra special something that made their songs unique enough to stand out and make them my favorite discovery of CMJ.
Arriving home very late and a bit intoxicated, I came home to the news of the death of one of my closest friends. With very little sleep, I tried to pick myself and gain composure as Thursday was the one night of CMJ that really mattered to me, with my first ever showcase happening at Union Hall. Carrying on in a state of shock and disorientation, I arrived at the venue early, awaiting the bands to load in. From 7 pm – 1:30 am, I was reminded of the true power of music. In a complicated emotional state, the sets by Loxsly, Unicycle Loves You, ArpLine, Deleted Scenes, Army Navy and Sky Larkin provided a truly uplifting force. Music is one of the most powerful things in the world, providing a soundtrack to our lives that can pick us up when we’re down and inspire us to do great things. When Unicycle Loves You dedicated surefire future indie hit “Justine” to me to close the set, it sent shivers down my spine.
We all have our struggles and our own ways to carry us through them, for me I’ve always been able to depend on music, and on a very tragic Thursday, having 6 of the best bands in the world play a show I curated was about as important a moment in my life as any. It’s amazing what music can do.
Hungover, tired, and broken down on Friday, I went home after work and fell asleep, nearly missing an entire night of music. A phone call from a friend woke me up from my nap, and with the hangover abandoned during the hour-long slumber, I picked my tired self up and dragged myself to 88 East—a mini mall in Chinatown, where Zambri would be performing on the 2nd floor. Arriving just in time for their dystopian dance music, my heart skipped a beat when sisters Cristy Jo and Jessica Zambri dedicated their set to me.
My CMJ ended a little later that night with my 2nd set of the week by my current favorite local act Paul & The Patients. Though performing at the douchey Arlene’s Grocery, Holmes and his bandmates were even more exhilarating than two nights prior.
Everyone who managed through the 5-day music festival will have their own story filled the tales of drunken adventure, new band discoveries, friends made, and first time only-in-NY experiences. For me this CMJ was a deep emotional roller coaster having very little to do with alcohol, freshly hyped bands, and testing physical endurance. This was about exactly why I’ve devoted my life to music and my own personal give-and-take relationship with it. For every douchey pretentious rock & roller who ruins the image of rock and roll, there are heartfelt musicians who bleed their souls for their work with little to gain, and beyond anything they are not just musicians but people with deep hearts.
...and then we all got swine flu.
Pete & The Pirates - "Mr. Understanding"
Paul & The Patients - "Tiny Red Light"
Unicycle Loves You - "Justine"
Twilight Sad, BrakesBrakesBrakes, and We Were Promised Jetpacks at Bowery Ballroom
Back in the old days when there was money in the music industry, crazy shit was happening backstage and girls were having sex with bands a lot. Groupies stirred around backstage waiting to give blow jobs to singers and guitar players, and to a less extent drummers and bassists. Not so much the keyboard player.
Tuesday night, We Were Promised Jetpacks were opening for Twilight Sad at Bowery Ballroom, and in front of me an insanely intoxicated young girl was trying to find a way to get backstage to have her chance to get her, hands, lips and and whatever else onto the drummer, who apparently was friends with someone she knew. She attempted to get his attention while he pounded away at the skins, and managed to draw attention from nearly the entire crowd at times, as she and her friend sang loudly and off key, and continuously yelled things like "Scotland!" between songs. All this for a drummer in a band that hardly anyone has ever heard.
I don't know if she ever got her chance at pleasuring him, but Darren Lackie and the rest of his band sure as hell pleased the entire crowd with an intense set justifying the recent heavy dosage of attention the band has been receiving. Like much of their Scottish brothers, there is a major early U2 influence evident in their songs. It's straight forward rock 'n' roll, without the quirky bullshit that a lot of new indie bands rely upon. Theirs is the sound of a working class band, and this is no haircut band. The four members of We Were Promised Jetpacks look working class. Every minute of their set, it felt as though they were headlining, playing every as though it were their last, especially crowd favorite "Quiet Little Voices." And when they finally played their last note, the venue cleared out a bit, despite a pair of very solid bands following them.
First to follow was Fat Cat labelmates BrakesBrakesBrakes. Equipped with a sense of humor and very short songs, they failed to make the same level of impact as We Were Promised Jetpacks. Their songs were varied from country to punk to power pop, often times hinting at Teenage Fanclub's under-appreciated sounds. If only every song was as good as "Don't Take Me to Space (Man)" their set would have been brilliant.
Headlining the night was Twilight Sad who are touring in support of their new record "Forget the Night Ahead." Sophomore records are tough. Like like The Strokes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and even The Clash have suffered at trying to follow up a remarkable debut, and I feel that Twilight Sad's debut can definitely be called remarkable. The odd cryptic storytelling and driving noise made for a chilling effect, as the band combined the sounds of My Bloody Valentine, U2, and former tourmates Frightened Rabbit. Unfortunately the band's sophomore record doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor. It's darker, it's heavier, and at times owes a bit to Mogwai, but fails to be as interesting. I hoped my feelings about the record would change when hearing it performed live, but their performance seemed to lag when performing the new songs. That said, older songs like "Talking with Fireworks/Here, It Never Snowed" sounded just as brilliant live as on record, performed with an extra passion. The highlight of the performance came when singer James Graham decided to sing "Cold Days From the Birdhouse" from within the crowd. It's moments like that that can be the turning point between a good show and an unforgettable one.
Grizzly Bear & Beach House @ Williamsburg Waterfront
"Did you see Jay Z and Beyonce?"
This was what everyone was talking about at the summer's last Pool Party on Sunday at the Williamsburg Waterfront. With thousands in attendance on one of the most perfect days of the year, the sets by Grizzly Bear and Beach House barely sparked interest in comparison to the celebrity sighting of two of the biggest stars in music. Did they perform, or do anything interesting? No, not really. They came and enjoyed the show just like every other person there, and then they left. But a spectacle they were. Concert photographers and every other person with a camera of any kind tried their hand as paparazzi, snapping away photos as if they were aspiring for a photo featured in Star, Us Weekly or OK! magazines.
What does this say about Grizzly Bear's performance? Very little. With the sun setting on the Manhattan skyline behind them and seaplanes flying low above our heads, Grizzly Bear played about as good a set as they could—one that fit along beautifully with the warm, sunny, peaceful weather. About as talented a band as there is in Brooklyn, it still amazes me that a soft rock band with very few hooks and a tendency towards growing a little boring in the live setting, especially when they get a little too jammy, has been able to generate such a large following. And following Beach House's beautifully dreamy, but also sleepy set, my overly caffeinated bloodstream could have used a little more rock yesterday.
The final two weeks of JellyNYC's Pool Parties were probably the two biggest ones in their four years of existence along with last year's MGMT concert. Girl Talk was a party. The equivalent of staying up all night, getting plastered and having a one-night stand. Girl Talk is sex without attachment. Girl Talk is music to fuck to—the more meaningless the better. While Girl Talk concerts ooze sexuality, ironically, this Sunday's Pool Party featured two bands create music containing a high level of sensuality, especially Beach House.
The weather, the bands and the location made for the great close of the free summer music series, which for many marks the end of summer. And based on the support from guest speaker Senator Chuck Schumer, next summer should be loaded with more fun times. If there's one thing I'd love to see change, it'd be for JellyNYC to let some of our better local bands take more of the opening slots next year as they did in past years, so that a wider would experience some of our homegrown talent.
Following the Pool Party, I found myself at Cake Shop questioning how 7,000 people will go see Beach House and Grizzly Bear, but only 50 people bothered to show up for Deleted Scenes and Pretty & Nice. As good as Beach House and Grizzly Bear were earlier in the day, the sets by these two bands in the sweaty basement of the LES venue were equally enjoyable, if not moreso, thanks to the refreshing energy of both bands. Deleted Scenes and Pretty & Nice may very well be the next wave, just as long as the major blogs ever place their stamp of approval on them to notify the masses.
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
All Points West: Day 3 Photos
By the time they reached what is known as the Holy Trinity of "The Back of Love," "Killing Moon," and "The Cutter," Echo & The Bunnymen has already unquestionably played the best set of the 3 day festival. Unfamiliar with the British legends, the legion of young Coldplay fans were growing restless until the opening notes of "Killing Moon" sent a shockwave of familiarity throughout the huge crowd. Immediately, the entire crowd is riding a massive high.
It has never made any sense to me why Echo & The Bunnymen weren't bigger in the states. "Ocean Rain" and "Porcupine" are 2 of the most perfect albums ever written, and their influence over modern bands like Arcade Fire and The Editors has never gotten proper respect. "Killing Moon" might get all the attention thanks to "Donnie Darko" but "Thorn of Crowns" and covers of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" and Lou Reed's "Walk On the Wild Side" were the brightest moments during a weekend characterized by mud.
And mud there was. After the rain came pouring down on Liberty State Park on Friday, the ground was never the came. What was once beautiful fields of grass, slowly transformed into brown, smelly pits. And by the time the second storm of the weekend hit on Sunday, the entire place was sludge. Showgoers had to just accept it and let the mud become part of them, because there was no other option. Some embraced it fully, dancing as a large group while Silversun Pickups played their hit "Lazy Eye" early Sunday evening. It was a really fun moment. Others went a little too far, spending the entire day sliding through the mud, wrestling, and taunting other festival-goers, by throwing mud covered beach balls at their heads. And yet there were even still a few tip toeing through hopelessly. I destroyed a pair of shoes in the trenches, but it was well worth it for the quality of performances I was lucky enough to see.
While Akron/Family, Black Keys, Silversun Pickups, and Mogwai all put on great shows on Sunday, Elbow once again proved that they're possibly the most underrated band in the world. Opening beautifully with the triumphant chorus and horns of "Starlings," Manchester natives Elbow brought in the sunshine on an otherwise dreary day.
I later on began to think about how many of the finest performances during APW came from bands from the UK, and I'm not even a Coldplay fan. English bands My Bloody Valentine, Echo & The Bunnymen, and Elbow were the 3 best sets I was able to catch at All Points West.
Black Keys
Echo & The Bunnymen
Mogwai
Elbow
Silversun Pickups
Akron/Family
Mud People
All Points West: Day 2 Recap & Photos
A sea of raised middle fingers filled the crowd as Tool fans showed their lack of appreciation for My Bloody Valentine's towering wall of noise. And the further they got into the explosive finale, the more merciless the noise became, eventually shaking the Earth and bringing tough guy Tool fans to their knees, begging for mercy. When Kevin Shields and company play, it more of a sonic assault and test of endurance than a concert. That's not to say they weren't amazing. After watching My Bloody Valentine play, everything I saw prior was forgotten, and Tool seemed puny in comparison. Sure, the vocals were too low and the band stands still throughout the entire performance, but My Bloody Valentine's shows are still legendary thanks to that unmatchable hurricane of sound.
Strong sets by Neko Case, Arctic Monkeys, Kool Keith, St Vincent and the highly entertaining Gogol Bordello made for a really good day of music.
Despite following the day's best act, headliners Tool also put on a hell of a show.
Tool
My Bloody Valentine
Neko Case
Gogol Bordello
St Vincent
Arctic Monkeys
Postelles
Kool Keith
Cool Kids
Pool Party No.3, July 26, 2009: The Black Lips, Health, crowdsurfing and rain
When I was a teenager, I used to go to VFW halls with my rowdy friends to see insane punk shows. It was nothing like what I usually see now in New York. The bands all pretty much sucked, but there was a special youthful energy to everyone in the room. Everyone was far less self-conscious than the typcial NYC showgower, and because of that they let loose.
The Black Lips performance at this Sunday's Pool Party at Williamsburg Waterfront was a lot like those shows. It only took a few minutes into their set before the young crowd was bursting through the barrier into the photo pit, onto the stage and then through the air (malt liquor bottles in hand). The historically raucous Black Lips were eating up every minute of it, while playing their blend of simple energetic rock & roll. The further the set rolled on, the crazier the kids got, and the better the Black Lips sounded. By the time they were playing the set highlight "Bad Kids," security was lining the stage, and members of the band were riding atop the heads of the crowd.
For as wonderful and fun as the Black Lips set was, it wasn't supposed to be the last performance of the day. And You Know The Trail of Dead was set follow Black Lips and Health to continue the path towards the most chaotic Pool Party ever, but the lightening cracking in the sky, and the looming storm forced the concert cut short before they ever took the stage.
Siren Music Festival 2009 Recap
Have you ever gone to a concert and were too busy drinking and talking to remember a single minute of the concert?
Was getting wasted and being seen really your only intent for going in the first place?
Hidden behind the main stage at Siren Music Festival, a large contingent of hipper-than-thou music industry insiders managed to spend much of their day avoiding great performances by Built to Spill, Thee Oh Sees, A Place to Bury Strangers, and Frightened Rabbit.
While I hopped back and forth between the 2 stages for the long long day, I couldn't help but take notice of the always crowded VIP section. Even when indie music icon Frank Black took the stage with Grand Duchy, the free alcohol remained too important to leave behind. VIP's and press had access to a special area right in front of the stage—"the best seats in the house"— and though that area was usually cluttered, it wasn't ever too congested and it always seemed to be the same bunch of us.
The music industry is a social network, and as most of my friends are members of the industry, it must be noted that some of those people I criticize here are my own friends. In their defense, I know some of the fools are really large music fans, but how do you go and let alcohol take priority over an epic performance by Built to Spill or Thee Oh Sees guitar-biting, spit-catching return to true rock and roll?
This all is nothing new. A lot of the time when you're at a show, the people talking in the back, or the guy text-messaging all night are members of the music industry, too cool to actually get themselves wrapped up in what's happening on stage. Sure, they may have seen a bunch of these bands before, but so have I, and still that Built to Spill performance had me completely stunned.
If you've lost that ability to enjoy live music anymore, then I feel sorry for you, because no matter how many shows I see every year, I never tire of it, and when the stars align for a great band the resulting performance is breathtaking.
Tiny Masters of Today: The youngest band I've ever seen. These three really shouldn't already be sharing a stage with people like Frank Black and Built To Spill, but they also don't deserve to be trashed like they were on Pitchfork. Give them a couple more years, and these kids could be garage rock stars.
Blue Van: Pretty generic anthemic cock rock that made me miss Diamond Nights.
Micachu & The Shapes: The first really good performance of the day. Poppy female-fronted British band with a unique electronic sound behind folk guitar and Mica's interesting voice.
Bear Hands: A Brooklyn band that prefers pounding out a good rock song in the vein of Jawbox.
Japandroids: Energetic guitar and drums duo played a strong set, but nothing comparing to the hype that surrounds them.
Thee Oh Sees: Set of the day. John Dwyer and co. played a very very short set, but every minute of it was as inspired as anything I've ever seen.
Frightened Rabbit: Another heart-stopping performance by this Scottish band
Future of the Left: Most heavy-hitting performance of the day
Grand Duchy: Pretty disappointing for a Frank Black project, yet still good
A Place to Bury Strangers: As good as I've seen them musically. The sonic assault was turned all the way up.
The Raveonettes: The Jesus & Mary Chain-influenced Danish rockers weren't at their best, but were still pretty amazing
Built to Spill: Those guitars snaked through each other creating an epic whirlwind that engulfed us all, peaking on "Carry the Zero."
Pool Party # 2, July 19, 2009: The Dirty Projectors, Magnolia Electric Co, and Crystal Antlers
Seeing The Dirty Projectors play small rooms only a few years back, I could have never guessed that come 2009, they'd be headlining a massive free concert at Williamsburg Waterfront. But last Sunday, they did just that, and the suddenly popular band had the new outdoor venue much more packed than a week earlier, with a very very long line forming outside the entrance.
Bitte Orca may very well be the best album of the year, but it's still a bit surprising to see just how big of a leap in popularity The Dirty Projectors have made.
Opening their performance with "Two Doves," a stunning Nico-esque tune sung by the equally beautiful Angel Deradoorian, The Dirty Projectors lived up to all of the hype. The set, which was a mix of cuts from Bitte Orca and Rise Above, was the best I've ever seen them play. Each member was on their mark, and the triple threat of female vocalists created a whirlwind of backing harmonies behind Longstreth's very unique voice and cutting guitar playing. The highlight of the set came with "Useful Chamber," a shape-shifting song that really displays the range of The Dirty Projectors talents.
If a mindblowing performance by Dirty Projectors wasn't enough, those who arrived early enough caught an unbelievable performance by California psych-rockers Crystal Antlers. The band was one of the most talked about bands during 2008's CMJ Marathon, and they've gotten bigger and better. Knowing a good opportunity when they see one, they played a ferociously energetic set for the large crowd.
Sandwiched inbetween the 2 energetic sets was the somewhat sleepy Magnolia Electric Co.. Jason Molina and company just weren't exciting enough to make an impact on the crowd who was waiting for The Dirty Projectors to take the stage.
Today's Pool Party promises to be a raucus one with Health, Black Lips and And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead all set to perform. And the looming rain storms may only add to the expected insanity.
A New Breed of Pool Party
When I went to the first ever JellyNYC Pool Party at McCarren Pool, I immediately wanted to spend every Sunday there for the rest of the summer of 06 as well as all summers that would follow, and I pretty much did just that. There was something really special about the space as a summer concert venue, despite the lack of grass. Those 3 summers at the graffiti-covered McCarren Pool were just as much about the atmosphere as the music, maybe even more so, and organizers JellyNYC knew that. The first couple weeks, there were people trying to get others to play dodgeball, and by the end of the year there were lines of people wanting to play, and some even dressed for it. The slip n slide was a hit also, but the main activity was simply people-watching. The music lineups were always solid with the hottest indie rock acts, reaching its peak in 2008 with a performance by MGMT that left the pool more packed than ever. And then, just as fast as it became the hottest summer hangout in Brooklyn, the city decided to finally return the pool to its' original role as a water-filled oasis for the neighborhood, and JellyNYC and the indie music fans of Brooklyn were left to find a new place to spend their summer Sundays.
Finding a space that big is hard, but JellyNYC was able to convince the city to allow them to use the Williamsburg Waterfront, located on North 8th, and a new era was born. Just about the only stretch of land over near the water there that hasn't been overtaken by the construction of luxury condos, the Williamsburg Waterfront a much larger space than McCarren Pool, which is a huge plus after having many of last year's Pool Parties reach capacity last year, having hundreds of people turned away.
The view: It'd be close to impossible to find a more perfect view than the view of the Manhattan Skyline that acts as the backdrop to the stage.
Grass: It's not like Central Park's Rumsey Playfield or the Prospect Park Bandshell, but there is some grass to relax on, which didn't exist as all at McCarren Pool.
Breeze: When it gets hot in New York City, standing on hot concrete all day can be brutal, and McCarren Pool definitely got really hot. The Waterfront will undoubtedly get hot on those sweltering days in August, so the breeze coming off the river will act as a nice relief to the heat.
Beer: The complaints have begun about the fenced off section for drinking. It definitely sucks not being able sit on the grass and relax with a drink, but those are the rules of our city parks.
Capacity: If yesterday was any indication, then people shouldn't have to worry as much about getting in as they had to last year. The space is huge. The Girl Talk show will be the first true test of just how many people can get in, and how comfortable it'll be when at capacity.
Sports and other activities: Dodgeball is still alive and well, though the viewing area around the dodgeball court is nowhere near as large or comfortable as it was at McCarren Pool. There's a basketball court, which is a new addition to the pool parties, which I can't imagine ever becoming anywhere near as popular as dodgeball. The slip'n'slide is gone and will be sorely missed, while the less-enticing wading pools have seemingly replaced them.
Music: Though they're not nearly as eclectic as the lineups at other NYC summer outdoor music havens, there are plenty of acts worth seeing, including Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead and Del tha Funky Homosapien.
The sun: The main complaint I've heard is that with the light of the sun coming from behind the stage, it was at its most blinding when headliner Mission of Burma was on stage, making it hard for many to watch the band. This is definitely a problem that needs a solution. While the Pool Parties are seen by many as a place to hang out on a summer Sunday afternoon, most of the people are still there to see the bands.
The people: There seemed to be far less random neighborhood people soaking in the sun this past Sunday than at the McCarren Pool shows, but that could be credited to the location being more off the beaten path, the newness of the events, and most likely the growing gentrification of the area. That said, there was still plenty of great people-watching to be done. Young, attractive women were all over the place, wearing short shorts, and often very little else. Much of the space was filled with the typical irony-loving, too hip for anyone type of Williamsburg crowd that has all too often turned the neighborhood I call home into a sad sad joke.
Jemina Pearl: Backed by 3 dudes, the former frontwoman of Be Your Own Pet had the right amount of energy to attempt to take command of the large crowd, but their set just seemed totally uninspired.
Ponytail: People either love or hate this band, but it's hard to argue that their live performances aren't fun. Watching Ponytail play is like sucking down 20 pixie sticks—a total sugar rush of musical hyperactivity. They seemed a perfect fit for a bright sunny day.
Fucked Up: How this hardcore band has gained such attention and success from the indie world baffles me. Labeled as an arty breed of hardcore, they are really just a pretty solid hardcore band—nothing really arty about their sound. Maybe the attention comes from having a heavily-obese-and-in-your-face vocalist, but he's nowhere near as cleverly entertaining as Brooklyn's own Tim Harrington.
Mission of Burma: A great choice to open the first ever Williamsburg Waterfront Pool Party, Mission of Burma is no flavor-of-the-month hip indie band, they are legends who made for a real treat for true music fans. Their heavily influential, angular rock was a reminder that rock music can be both intelligent as well as have balls. Classic cuts such as "This is not a Photograph" and "That's When I Reach for my Revolver" may have gotten the strongest reactions from the crowd, but as with the rest of their post-reunion material, the new songs they played was just as good as anything they've ever done. Mission of Burma is the rare reunited band whose post reunion live performances and recordings are even close to comparable to the work of their heyday. Thank you JellyNYC for making them the first headliner of the 2009 season.
No space is perfect, and as everyone has begun to assess the pros and cons of the new space, there are two things no one can deny—it's good to see JellyNYC continuing on with their Pool Parties after losing McCarren Pool, and free summer concerts are one of the biggest perks of living in New York City.
I'll continue to spend my Sundays at the Waterfront, along with a few thousand other music lovers, because JellyNYC still throws the best parties of the summer.
Phoenix: Best Pop Band Alive
Phoenix
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 6.18.09
Mid-set, Phoenix singer Thomas Mars laid down down on the carpeted floor of the stage at Music Hall of Williamsburg, with his head resting on the monitor. Meanwhile, his bandmates began crafting the opening sounds of "Love Like a Sunset"—the mostly instrumental centerpiece of the band's new record Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Mars continued to lay, as the song built up further and further, until finally Mars took to his feet for the second movement. As the instrumentation calmed, in came his voice, and just like it is on record, the moment felt like a truly glorious event. The song relies on a certain listener patience that few other Phoenix songs require, but the reward is bigger than anything else they've ever created.
From the moment the took the stage and ripped through the infectious trio of "Listztomania," "Long Distance Call" and "Consolation Prizes," it was already one of the best shows of the year, and then the band continued through its set, playing the best songs in its catalog, even the oddball older track "Funky Squaredance."
The band left fans with little time to rest their dancing feet, as it sped through fantastic pop song after pop song, pacing itself well, and making that excellent choice of allowing "Love Like a Sunset" to act as the centerpiece of the set, just as it is on the record.
Phoenix had me hooked with the 2000 debut United—which contains the undeniably great "Too Young"—but only now with a fourth record is the French band finally getting the type of attention they deserve.
After finally seeing the band live, after all these years, I have no problem declaring that Phoenix is the best pop band currently making rock music. Like a dancier version of The Strokes with a silken-voiced singer, Phoenix's last two records are completely loaded with potential smash hits, and there's plenty enough depth to the songs for them to retain their value after repeated listens.
Tonight, Phoenix plays the much larger Terminal 5, and as much as I dislike the place, it's going to be another conquest for Phoenix, on the road to larger success. Then on Sept. 25, the band headlines a much larger concert at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield—proof that Phoenix are no longer the most underrated band in the world.
Northside Festival: There to Fill the Gaps in My Otherwise Uneventful Weekend
I'm a loner, a loser, a music geek, and a lonely soul. I often go to concerts to fill up the gaps between work and sleep, so not to be alone with my overactive psychological mind that has the tendency of breaking me down to pieces and attempting to bury me in a combined state of boredom and melancholy.
Music, live and recorded, has been consistently been my refuge from the more somber elements of existence, and festivals can provide the type of overloaded assault that fills every open space of free time over an entire weekend.
If not for my rather unappealing personality traits, I'd probably have had something more to do on a rather beautiful weekend than see a bunch of bands no one's heard of. But that's not who I am, so whenever boredom /psychological meltdown started to run its course over my brain, I left my apartment to find the most appealing collection of bands playing a small space where I could show up with my little badge and enter without charge. In this process, I saw Ivana XL, Tune Yards, Motel Motel, Laura Gibson, The Dodos, Dinosaur Feathers, Wild Yaks, Murder Mystery and a few other bands, acting more as a social medicine than pleasure provider.
I began my career in music publishing as an intern for CMJ back in 2003. With the CMJ Music Marathon about the sweep through NYC, it was a hectic time, during which I got a close glimpse at exactly what it takes to put on such a large-scale event.
This year, L Magazine decided to take a stab at the festival circuit, though on a smaller scale than something like CMJ or SXSW. It still not an easy thing to pull off, and so the people who put in the surely endless hours in making it happen should be proud. For their first year at it, it was incredibly smooth from my exterior perspective.
Taking over the venues of Brooklyn's core scene in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, there was indie music being played on seemingly every block of Williamsburg, and even on the street at Bedford Avenue. Blogs and promoters curated concerts containing a bunch of their favorite unknown bands, while a few major acts provided a couple big names to act as headliners at larger venues Music Hall of Williamsburg and Studio B.
And though I feel that the Northside Festival organizers should be very pleased with their first attempt, I do have some criticisms/suggestions.
Brooklyn is easily the most loaded music scene in the country—home of TV on the Radio, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, MIA, The Walkmen, Stellastarr, St. Vincent and loads of other bands—and yet Northside festival was really lacking in established local acts. The Hold Steady provided the only big local name. It's not that I expect them to have the elite local bands for the first year of their festival, but even a lot of second-tier names were lacking form the festival. Holly Miranda, White Rabbits, Harlem Shakes, Vivian Girls, The Forms, Right on Dynamite, So So Glos, Parts & Labor—none of these bands were represented either.
Sunset Rubdown, Tallest Man on Earth, Bill Callahan, The Dodos and Ponytail are all bands I have nothing but love for, but I really like the idea of turning Northside Festival into a full on celebration of the local music scene. Even many of the small bands on the lineup were from out of town.
Maybe this is an idealistic notion, and having a bunch of bands you can see pretty regularly at a local club isn't going to generate much excitement, but Northside Festival hardly excited me enough to pry me away from better shows that weren't affiliated with the festival. On Thursday I saw Robyn Hitchcock at Bell House, Friday I saw School of Seven Bells at Bowery, Saturday I was back to Bowery for Tallest Man on Earth and John Vanderslice. This goes to show that Northside Festival lacked that ability to generate the type of excitement needed to compete with Manhattan and the other parts of Brooklyn. Even powerful show promoter Todd P opted to put on a huge show on Sunday, pulling a huge chunk of potential showgoers from Saturday's Northside festivities.
A friend made an incredibly good point about the festival late Sunday night: What Northside Festival lacked more than anything was Buzz Bands—the type of bands that are still playing small shows, but the blogs have begun to hype. These are the type of bands that generate excitement, because fans want to see the next big thing before everyone else cacthed on. Bands like Crystal Antlers, Women and Marnie Stern were what drove fans to CMJ in October. Northside Festival had current buzz band Cymbals Eat Guitars, but aside from them, it seemed to be either unknown bands and a couple well known headliners from play quite frequently.
Over the course of Northside Festival, I really didn't see much, but I was really impressed with Dinosaur Feathers' set last night at Public Assembly. With tight poppy songwriting, along with the type of light tropical vibes that make Ruby Suns and High Places so pleasant, Dinosaur Feathers look like they'll be one of Brooklyn's best bands in no time.
Ps. Why wasn't Warsaw involved with Northside Festival? Their homemade pierogis would have been an excellent addition to the festival.
The Tallest Man on Earth is Getting Even Bigger
The Tallest Man on Earth/John Vanderslice
Bowery Ballroom, 6.13.09
A man standing alone on stage, armed only with his acoustic guitar and his words, has to be good, or the crowd will quickly turn against him. Each additional musician filling the stage is an extra level of protection for a man about to lay his soul on the line. They help divide the focus of the crowd. Place an attractive female on that stage and all of a sudden eyes are just as locked onto her as the man with the microphone.
Kristian Matsson, a relatively short Swedish folk singer goes by the name The Tallest Man on Earth, and when he took the stage at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night, he might as well have been. He seemed to feed off of the undivided attention laid upon him. He exerted a commanding presence that is hard to accomplish, especially when still building a following. But there was something about the way Matsson engaged his crowd with an intense eye contact, and more importantly, masterfully written songs.
When I was walking along Delancey following the show, I overheard someone joke "I really like that song. You know the one he played over and over." I guess this is a common assessment of lyrical songwriters—I've even heard this complaint about Bob Dylan. There will probably never be another songwriter quite as brilliant as Bob Dylan, and while every year another singer-songwriter is given the unfair title of "the next Dylan," The Tallest Man on Earth is definitely the closest thing I've seen in a long time. Like Dylan, Mattson knows how to tell an engaging story through well crafted prose, all while never losing his musical focus.
With songs loaded with substance, and his ability to command a large crowd, while standing alone on a dark stage, The Tallest Man on Earth has a bright future ahead of him.
Dividing tour headline duties with The Tallest Man on Earth, John Vanderslice opened Saturday night's Bowery Ballroom concert, after headlining Music Hall of Williamsburg the previous night. Vanderslice has always been been one of the most underrated indie musicians since since crafting his debut "Mass Suicide Occult Figurines" in 2000. Despite the critical acclaim his received over the years, he's never quite become a household name. "Romanian Names," his new record and first on the Dead Oceans label (which I consider the best label in music currently), is his best to date. The songs are consistently great from start to finish, and during his set at Bowery Ballroom, they were definitely the highlights, especially The Shins-like "Fetal Horses."
The Next Song Was Written Before Youtube
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Bell House, 6.11.09
Anytime you're in the presence of a legend, a special feeling takes hold of you.
The first music icon I ever saw perform was Paul Westerberg. Performing solo acoustic at Virgin Megastore, the former Replacements frontman could do no wrong, even if he forgot the words to a few of his own songs. The man wrote "Unsatisfied" for God's sake.
On Thursday night at Bell House, I stood only inches from a stage upon which stood Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows), and Bill Rieflin (Ministry), as they performed as Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3. Everyone in America knows Peter Buck from his work as guitarist for REM, but the night was about Hitchcock, who has not gotten enough respect for his influence as a songwriter both solo and with the Soft Boys.
That said, Bell House was packed full of true fans, who seemed totally in tune with his entire prolific catalog from "Black Snake Diamond Role" to the brand new "Goodnight Oslo." On Wednesday, the band played the far larger Radio City Music Hall as opener for The Decemberists, so the much more intimate setting of Bell House, along with the role as headliner gave longtime fans a much better setting to experience the legendary songwriter.
The long set, full of classics including a 1-2 punch of "Vibrating" and "Flesh Number 1" resulted in 2 encores for which Robyn Hitchcock were joined by Ken Stringfellow (Posies). Fans were given a really special treat with covers of The Kinks' "Waterloo Sunset" and The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues."
Throughout the set Hitchcock told us humorously abstract stories as lead ins into his songs. And despite their experience and technical skills, the band even showed a little flawed humanity when Peter Buck accidentally began playing the intro for the wrong song. Even the best of us make mistakes.
If you failed to make it, you also missed such gems as "Adventure Rocket Ship," "Television," "Brenda's Iron Sledge," and "Up To Our Nex."
The Next Big Thing
The Drums
The Annex, 6.3.09
Sometimes you forget that music can be happy.
Stricken with manic depression and lost in a haze of allergy drowse, for a week and a half, I've been a drag, in a serious rut. As with many people, the music I listen to reflects my moods, and most of my recent hours have been spent drifting off to the sounds of Red House Painters. Mark Kozelek's slow, dreary acoustic tunes may or may enhance the feeling of melancholy, but they are also there to connect with and accompany me down the hole, providing a dim light to an otherwise black abyss.
As the allergies began to settle a day or two ago, so did the frequency of my listening to Red House Painters. John Vanderslice's amazing new record Romanian Names began taking over my listening time, but I still had a ways to go.
Wednesday had the makings of another somber night—dark and rainy, and preceded by another drab day at the office. Sitting at home, drinking a beer, and watching Singles, I somehow found the motivation to leave my apartment, venture out into the rain, and catch my friends The Stationary Set play a show at The Annex. Their great, but all too brief set was a solid first step towards a good night, but I still had a decent trip ahead of me.
Following The Stationary Set's performance, I ran over to Pianos to catch the tail end of Twi The Humble Feather's set and mainly to see this month's residency artist, Julianna Barwick. Knowing little about Barwick aside from a breif sampling on myspace, I had no idea what to expect. Standing alone on stage behind a table of sequencers and vocal effects, while video projected behind her, Barwick built beautiful atmospheric songs out of layer upon layer of vocal loops. Clearly influenced by Björk, Barwick's performance and songs may not have the energy of Iceland's greatest musician, but her music is definitely something really special.
Leaving Pianos, I felt pretty satisfied about my decision to get out of my apartment for the night, and I drifted back over to The Annex to catch The Drums. Upon my return, the small L.E.S. venue was packed with Gossip Girl fans and friends who were there for Pretty Reckless—a band containing Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen. I don't watch Gossip Girl, nor would I see a band just because an actor is a member, so I didn't mind catching only the tail end of their final song.
Minutes later, The Drums took the stage. From start to finish, they play a totally refreshing set that shed a bright joyful light over the entire room. It's not that they have an original sound—they don't at all—but what they do have is that indescribable special something. There's no question at all that former Elkland singer Jonathan Pierce's new band is going to be immensely popular before the summer is over. Their simple, yet infectiously catchy songs about things like surfing marry the fun of '50s surf rock with the energy of 80s synth pop. Comparisons to The Killers first record and New Zealand's Cut Off Your Hands will definitely dominate reviews of The Drums, and that's not a bad thing. Further enhancing their set was Pierce's performance. Dancing throughout the entire set, Pierce's vocals and presence exude a feeling of bliss that envelopes a crowd.
This is exactly what I needed. When the backlash happens, critics will come down on The Drums for not being original, and for playing songs that lack the literal prowess of other indie bands, but sometimes after watching 9 or 10 existential foreign indie films, it's really great to watch Kindergarten Cop.
The Drums will be joined by locals Zambri when they return to The Annex to continue their residency next Wednesday, June 10. I highly recommend catching them now, before everyone catches on and they begin headlining larger capacity venues.
I Was A King Made NYC Debut
I Was a King
Union Hall, 5.31.09
By the time, singer Frode Strømstads introduced "Norman Bleik" as the next song, it was more than clear that Norway's I Was a King is heavily influenced by Teenage Fanclub. And how could you blame them really? Norman Blake and co. have written some of the best songs of the last two decades. As I Was A King's homage to Teenage Fanclub "Norman Bleik" was a good one. They seemed to get the sound just right, and it was possibly the best song of their set on Sunday night at Union Hall.
At first glance,the set list looked pretty long, but that was put in perspective by the brevity of the songs. Short songs were one of the defining qualities of another of the band's greatest influences, Guided By Voices.
I Was a King wears their influences on their sleeves, and Guided by Voices and Teenage Fanclub are a good foundation for any new band. The Norwegian's don't quite have that special something of either of those 90s rock icons, but with the foundation built, they have the potential for really good things in the future.
Magnetic Fields + Voxtrot + NIN + Nirvana + Joy Division + Guided By Voices = Hooray For Earth?
Hooray For Earth
Public Assembly, 5.27.09
Reading some of the other things the press has said about Hooray For Earth, it could be really hard to pin down what the Boston/NYC quartet sounds like.
NPR describes them by saying "With an ear for both '80s-inspired synth pop and contemporary indie rock sensibilities, Hooray For Earth falls somewhere between The Magnetic Fields and Voxtrot."
Bostonist says "With their self-titled debut, the members of Hooray For Earth sought a middle ground between Nine Inch Nail’s industrial thrash and the grunge force of Nirvana."
And RCRD LBL says "Think Joy Division + Guided By Voices + a lot of narcoleptic visions."
These are three pretty different descriptions of the same band. Which of these views is correct? Well, I don't really get the Magnetic Fields reference, but all three publications seem to catch a piece of what Hooray For Earth is all about. With their guitars tuned down to the bottom-most levels, Hooray For Earth takes well-crafted pop songs and turns them into something unique. I can't help but think of Torche when I hear Hooray For Earth. Not that these bands really sound alike, but at times their low tuning and songwriting philosophies cross similar paths. Torche has drawn attention for their heavy focus on melody and pop hooks, despite being a powerful metal band along the lined of The Melvins.
It's that same understanding of melody that shows through in Hooray For Earth's songwriting. Songs like "How Are You Here" and "Carefree" are instantly catchy, despite containing an onslaught of crunchy guitars and pounding drums. This is exactly one of the things that made Kurt Cobain and Nirvana so special. No matter how heavy or in your face the music is, Hooray For Earth never loses the ability to hook you with a catchy melody.
Along with the combo of bass, guitar and drums, synths play a major role in giving HFE their signature sound, filling space with an atmospheric touch, and at times providing a layered effect not dissimilar to backing vocals, as with the excellent "Take Care."
Live, Hooray For Earth is just as refreshing as they are on record. On Wednesday night at Public Assembly, they proved it once again. Unlike a majority of New York's local bands, HFE plays with an infectious energy, like a band truly having their way with their instruments, rather than just standing still and fiddling with them. It's sort of like Hooray For Earth is an experienced man having sex in the heat of passion—not overthinking, but knowing exactly what their doing—while many other bands may can convey the image of lacking the passion, despite possessing the experience and knowledge of the female anatomy.
With a full length and EP to their credit, Hooray For Earth has begun to work on their sophomore full length, and if their previous releases are any indication, it'll be something to really look forward to.
For Wednesday's gig, Hooray For Earth was joined by a trio of strong local acts—Appomattox, Radical Dads, and Zambri—all of which are most definitely worth checking out.
While You Were Busy Seeing Some Overhyped Band, You Missed Loxsly
Paramount Styles/Loxsly/Ivana XL
Union Hall, 5.26.09
Austin quintet Loxsly quietly came into town, played a pair of shows and continued their merry way on the road to play other cities where no one is yet familiar with them. This happens to bands every day, but few of them are as good as Loxsly.
On the day that their new record "Tomorrow's Fossils" was officially released into the wild, the band made the first of their two NY stops with a gig at Brooklyn's Union Hall, which seemed all too fitting given the complimentary visual aesthetics of the band and venue.
Combining the folk influence and voice of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy with the playful electronic pop of Grandaddy, Loxsly performed an incredible set, while oddball scientific video projected onto them. Pedal steel was their greatest asset during the set, adding a special touch to a few songs. The addition of a Neil Young cover made it even more delightful. Loxsly put on an equally awesome performance at Pianos on Thursday.
Headlining the Union Hall show was Paramount Styles. Mystery remains as to how they've been unable to get much of any attention here, despite it being the new project of former Girls Against Boys singer/guitarist Scott McCloud, and featuring other accomplished musicians in the band. This was my third time seeing them play, and once again riding the strength of Scott McCloud's unique vocal delivery and excellent lyrics, they were nothing less than impressive. When will the rest of NYC finally realize?
The young and beautiful Ivana XL opened the night alone on the stage with her acoustic guitar. Not just another singer-songwriter, Ivana XL possesses an incredible voice that contains a fantastic dream-like quality, not unlike Mazzy star. With those hazy vocals about boys and American Idol layered over nicely structured songs, the results were breathtaking. Her name is just beginning to pop up these days, but expect to hear it a lot more—especially after she plays a show with the much ballyhooed Ólöf Arnalds on June 11 at Union Pool.
