A Mechanical Orchestra, Singing Saws & a Sweat-Soaked T-Shirt
6 a.m. Daylight has emerged, and yet a small group of us remained at least partially awake with our minds trying to grasp what had just occurred in front of us in a small apartment in Bed-Stuy. Half of us had never met. The others had arrived at shortly before 4 a.m. with a pair of musicians scheduled to play at both of our apartments separately hours earlier. Julian Koster AKA Music Tapes had ambitiously scheduled a multi-stop late night lullaby tour of New York City starting on Long Island. Falling far beyond schedule, our 1:30 a.m. stop had gone two hours late with yet another stop down the street following us.
At this point the room, which had earlier been quite filled, was occupied by a few tired souls drifting in and out of consciousness. My own anticipation, which had been growing for weeks leading up to the night, had dwindled. In this performance by Music Tapes I had built up the expectation that it might be capable of saving me from a rut during which I was struggling to feel music at a pure emotional level.
I had made preparations leading up to this momentous occasion. My heart was poured out to Koster to convince him to play at a close friend's apartment. My friend, who tends to get carried away with excitement about these things, was bound to try to make this an over the top top event, so I emphasized keeping it intimate and pure of distractions. The intake of music should be the focus. Drinking should be minimal. Anyone with their minds on finding someone with whom to intertwine genitalia needed to go elsewhere. Keep the cameras at moment. Put the cell phones away. Tear down the walls.
At the standard concert, fans tend to set up walls between themselves and the performers they've paid good money to see. Devices such as cameras and smart phones, via which fans seek to capture these moments, hinder the brain from the full attention necessary to construct a resonant experience and vivid memory. We want so bad to tell the world about the cool things we're doing that we can't even engage with exactly what we're bragging about.
I've spent my fair share of time behind these walls, not just consumed by my camera but also behind the judgmental filter of being a writer and critic. It's a disgusting environment, that of the media. Look into any VIP section an you'll find a load of vapid human beings supposed to act as your gateway into new and enticing worlds, but instead they'll be blocked off from any music, consumed by the social aspects of being in a scene. Free booze. Mingling. Judging. As long as they're the first ones to publish photos and a few words lacking substance, they'll get the hits anyway. This is not to say that these people don't love music. All of the people I criticize are totally consumed by passion for music but become lost within all the other bullshit.
Before the arrival of Music Tapes, Saturday night that wall was torn down at least for a few hours. Friends gathered in this apartment living room watching three sirens take turns wowing the room with a variety of songwriting talents, but it wasn't until Christopher Paul Stelling performed that the final emotional wall came crashing down. As though Stelling was reliving every emotional moment that went into the creation of each of his songs, he dug deeper than I've seen just about anyone, and everyone in the room was channeled into every second. It was heartbreaking. It was draining. It was revitalizing. It was genuine. Rare gems like "Poor Leviathan" and "Like Little Broken Birds" set a mellow, somber mood. And a cover of "Amazing Grace" accompanied with female voices from the crowd spoke with the same amount of soul as it's meant to have.
When he finished, a sweat-drenched Christopher Paul Stelling looked drained, not just physically but emotionally. Words could not be exchanged because words couldn't do anything justice.
(Stream him album here):
We then waited for the arrival of Music Tapes. We waited. And the we waited some more. Following Stelling's performance, I felt complete. He had restored my ability to feel music the way I had anticipated Music Tapes doing. A phone call alerted us that we were finally minutes away from a very intimate Music Tapes performance. Only a few of us remained, joined by strangers from another place close by. Accompanied by another multi-instrumentalist and a friendly dog named Rudolf, Julian set up a collection of props/additional band members including a robotic orchestra, snowman, and a choir of little plastic Christmas decorations. Switching between saw, a bowed banjo and plastic organ (can't recall proper name), even at 4 a.m. the music hit deep. Members of the small crowd sat politely, occasionally drifting to sleep. What I've always admired about Julian is that his approach to music feels genuine and adventurous, and when they played "The Minister Of Longitude" I had to pinch myself to remind myself that this was really happening.
For one night, there was no seen or need to be seen. No pictures. No walls. Just music in its purest form inhabiting a small space occupied by a number of friends willing and wanting to share in a magical experience that will never be forgotten.
Yes, there's something special about having a pivotal member of Neutral Milk Hotel/Elephant Six play for us, and that little fact will be the one thing that grabs the attention of scenesters, but who cares about affiliations. In the moment that didn't matter. Anyone this talented deserves being championed no matter what.
Live Review: Neil Halstead Played Union Hall //5.18.10
If there was any justice in the music world, Slowdive would be regarded as highly as My Bloody Valentine and Neil Halstead wouldn't have a difficult time selling out a venue as small as Union Hall. Unfortunately for the Slowdive and Mojave 3 singer/songwriter the Brooklyn venue wasn't at capacity for his performance on Tuesday night. Maybe it was the rainy weather or that everyone was busy seeing a "flavor of the month" band, but either way it's somewhat depressing. While much of my experience of the intimate solo performance was marred by a crowd member in need of a gag ball and a blow to the head, the moments during which Halstead's soundwaves were not interrupted were immensely rewarding. The former shoegaze pioneer has built himself quite a catalog of brilliant songs. Stripped down to the bare presentation of an acoustic guitar and vocals, Halstead has proven to be the most gifted songwriter to come out of the shoegaze movement. Where My Bloody Valentine's songs most deeply depended on Kevin Shield's sonic brilliance, Slowdive were always more about the songwriting.
Well into the set, Halstead began taking requests, and to my pleasant surprise he played classic Slowdive tune "Allison." Hearing the stripped down version gave it an extra level of depth—the words becoming more meaningful. It was one of those golden moments when everyone in a room seems to be feeling a special kind of magic. It's not often that a live performance can be so touching.
Throughout his lengthy performance Halstead displayed a humble, approachable character. He cracked jokes and even handed out a couple beers to the crowd. He was the epitome of what we want our idols to be like.
Live Review: Zs @ Knitting Factory // 5.11.10
Only inches away from the seated Zs at their record release party at Knitting Factory, I couldn't help but think of John Zorn's legendary band Naked City. Along with Bill Frisell (guitar), Fred Frith (bass), Wayne Horvitz (synth/piano), and Joey Baron (drums), the avant-garde sax player created some of the most original and unpredictable compositions of our time. Nothing ever fit within any confines of a genre classification, and that's the sign of something original.
While Zs aren't quite as all-over-the-map as Naked City, the dynamic nature in which their songs slowly build through textures and then erupt with fury is where I heard a connection between the two bands.
Seated in a circle facing one another, the pair of guitarists and drummer provided an immensely precise platform for the more free form bursts and squeals of Sam Hillmer's tenor. Each member displayed an immense level of skill on their instrument to a level of jaw-dropping proportion.
Zs performance was yet another reminder that Brooklyn's music scene is far bigger than the crop of indie pop and shitgaze that gets all the attention from the indie blogs. We're currently witnessing a movement of adventurous musicians exploring a more diverse terrain of music along the lines of experimental jazz, metal, folk and other genre-less domains. Since the days of birthing Jazz and punk, NYC has always been a place for discovering some of the most audacious sounds, and musicians like Zs, Extra Life, Larkin Grimm, Mick Barr, and Stars Like Fleas are continuing that legacy.
For many bloggers, seeing a band like Zs play 45 minutes of instrumental compositions would be like an 10 year old watching 8 1/2, which is why their incredible new album New Slaves will likely go overlooked by a majority of the industry.
Bear In Heaven Played Music Hall of Williamsburg // 4.9.10
Bear in Heaven - "Wholehearted Mess"
Success and fame, even at the indie level, comes with a price. People will find the most ridiculous illogical ways to criticize you.
"just watched this public service announcement thing by adam from bear in heaven. interviewed this guy a few months ago for the blog i used to run, but it was over email so i never put a name to a face. glad i didn’t. based on beast rest forth mouth i kinda always pictured the bears in heaven as like dr. manhattan from watchmen, blue, probably from outer space, totally transcendent of fashion, culture, and “coolness,” but now that i see this adam guy is another pea coat-wearing mustachioed hipster i’m kinda disappointed. my mental image of bear in heaven is dead."—carltonbanks.net
Luckily, my enjoyment of a band's music is solely based on the music itself. If the wardrobe choices of Bear in Heaven is of concern, I'll note that they took the stage dressed in 2 mustaches and a mountain-man beard as they made their triumphant return to Brooklyn on Friday night with a show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Even if this band were to dress in stereotypical hipster garb like neon, American Apparel onesies and fannypacks—thankfully they don't—it wouldn't take away the fact that they are one of Brooklyn's best bands.
Following a sudden rise to popularity after years of toiling under the radar, Bear in Heaven has seen all of the hard work coming to fruition. Their recent long tour with Cymbals Eat Guitars seems to be only the beginning with an upcoming European tour coming in a few days, only to be followed with US tour dates opening for Metric.
Back in December, fellow NY Press writer wrote of Bear in Heaven's performance at Webster Hall opening for Mew:
"as a live band, Bear has a ways to go: a lot of sonic nuance is lost in Webster Hall’s sound system, but BiH’s dependence on reverb and synth lines that seemed to drown out everything else hardly did the band any favors on Friday night."
I was at the same show. Bear In Heaven sounded massive, but weren't mixed to greatest compliment their sound. Rare is the case that Bear in Heaven has had the chance to play NYC venues with a sound big enough to handle them. With that changing, the band has made adjustments and after the extensive touring, the performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg proved just how incredible Bear in Heaven can sound in the live setting. Unlike past concerts, Jon Philpot's distorted vocals were mixed high enough to avoid being buried by Joe Stickney's ferocious drummer, and the doomsday drone of Adam Willis' guitar and Philpot's keyboards. Bear in Heaven sound wholly original during a time period of complete oversaturation. And what make Bear in Heaven stand out is not the effects used, but rather the songs themselves with contain an incredible level of melody and technical skill. Unlike the current chillwave bands who've become the big movement, you can strip down songs like "Lovesick Teenagers" and "Wholehearted Mess" to their barest elements and they'll remain solid songs. It would be very interesting to see Bear in Heaven play an acoustic set.
During their outstanding homecoming performance, Jessica and Cristi Jo Zambri joined Bear In Heaven on stage with complimentary backing vocals on "Lovesick Teenagers" and set closer "Casual Goodbye."
Following them, as they have for the entire tour, Cymbals Eat Guitars sounded like the lesser band, despite the headline position. Opening with the caterwaul of "And The Hazy Sea," they sounded promising, like on record, but something felt lacking. Cymbals Eat Guitars show incredible strength in the return to the guitar heavy sounds of 90s indie, but unlike their most obvious influence Built to Spill, their sounds seem to lack the level of melody necessary to make them memorable. The powerful guitars continue to make me want to like this band far more than I actually do like them, and following Bear In Heaven's highly melodic songs, Cymbals' biggest flaw just became too clear to disregard. They're a young band who could potentially release an epic record, but they'll need to recognize their weaknesses and rather than hide them behind great riffs, they'll need to develop their songwriting.
Megafaun Played Mercury Lounge // 4.2.10
Megafaun - "Kaufman's Ballad"
"I'm really glad I didn't pay for the tickets to that shit," she said walking out of Mercury Lounge on friday night, only minutes after an apparent gunshot rang out a block away.
Amazing how we perceive events so differently. Though my feelings towards Megafaun's 2009 record Gather, Form & Fly are positive, my expectations for their concert were unreasonable. I expected to see a young band playing a solid set, but nothing totally mindblowing, especially after War On Drugs' somewhat disappointing set. Growing more and more jaded by the day, and having seen one of the greatest live performances I've ever witnessed a day earlier (The Walkmen at The Bell House), it takes a lot to impress me. From start to finish, Megafaun's set on friday night was a refreshing reminder of that feeling that engulfs you when your expectations are shattered and an artist grabs hold of your heart and injects it full of a beautiful passion. The bearded North Carolina trio played sun soaked American folk music often loaded with harmonies and jazz-inspired instrumentation. Their approach was fearless, taking chances with long instrumental buildups, as with set highlight "Impressions of the Past." Humbled by the warm reception of the crowded room, they thanked the crowd repeatedly with an admirably genuine tone. Their first headline tour as a band, they clearly couldn't be more grateful for even the slightest sense of success they've had. In a day in age where bands often find success rather rapidly thanks to a few friends and a sudden blog post before they've really hard to work at all, it's too often that bands give off an air of entitlement while more talented bands who've worked their asses off go unacknowledged.
During their performance, Megafaun adventured outside the comfort of more direct folk with expansive funkified jams but never lost focus. Songs like the Bon Iver-sounding "Guns" show an immensely promising future for Megafaun. [Bon Iver's Justin Vernon was once a bandmate of the 3 Megafaun members in DeYarmond Edison].
Clearly, what I saw on friday night was a different performance than what the girl I had overheard had seen. Both of us in the same room watching the same thing with a completely different set of eyes, ears, tastes and emotional characteristics to effect our experience.
Megafaun will be playing at Brooklyn's Union Pool tonight with the wonderfully talented Sharon Van Etten. I strongly recommend checking them out before they leave town.
Wye Oak & Shearwater Join Forces at Bowery Ballroom
Prior to their closing number, Baltimore duo Wye Oak had played an impressive set on Saturday night at Bowery Ballroom. Jenn Wasner's guitar riffs seemed to have grown even larger since the time I had seen them in December, and their presence in general had become that of a first rate indie headliner. Then they brought Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg to the stage to play a cover. The combination of Wye Oak and Shearwater covering just about any song would have worked for me at that point, but their choice of The Kinks' "Strangers" really reached into my chest and worked itself into a special place in my heart. Of all the songs in the world, "Strangers" sits very high among my favorites, and Wye Oak executed the cover exceptionally well with Meiburg providing additional guitar and backing vocals too Jenn Wasner's lead.
With 2 albums and a new ep to their credit, Wye Oak is quickly becoming one of the most exciting bands to come around in a while and one of Merge's greatest treasures. Even with Shearwater in the headline position, Wye Oak's performance was that of a band in a headline role, focused and ready for the spotlight. On most songs Andy Stack pulled double duty playing drums with his right hand and keyboard with his left. An impressive feat no matter how you look at it, even with one hand devoted to keyboards Stack's drumming is much more interesting than a majority of drummers I've seen. The band's biggest growth has come with Wasner's guitar playing. Wye Oak's 2009 sophomore record, The Knot saw them breaking out into a more guitar heavy band, and on stage at the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday night Wasner's displayed a furious command of her guitar on songs like "For Prayer" and "Take It In." The highlight of their set came with new song "I Hope You Die" thanks to Wasner's lovely vocals.
Speaking of lovely vocals, Shearwater headlined. Following an act like Wye Oak isn't easy but with a voice like Jonathan Meiburg's greatness is pretty much inescapable. At one point the sideman to Okkervil River's Will Sheff, Meiburg's voice is too overwhelmingly powerful to sit in the background. Like the voice of God commanding a room of music geeks, his voice sent chills down my spine throughout the entirety of the set. It's the type of voice so mesmerizing you can feel you eyes tear up and can find it hard to focus on anything else. But to only focus on his voice would be a shame, because Shearwater's songs are such exceptional compositions in themselves, and the performance of the entire band was incredible especially long-haired percussionist Thor Harris, who was treated as the star of the night by the devoted fans. The heavier rock songs like "Castaways" and "Black Eyes" were the biggest hits of the night.
It's rare that you get to see two bands as good as Shearwater and Wye Oak on the same non-festival bill. Both bands continue to get better and better with every record, so the future looks very bright for both of them.
Shitkicking at Le Poisson Rouge with Malachai
Malachai - "Shitkicker"
With eyes bulging like a crazed madman, Malachai singer Gee looked liked a reproduction of the cover art for the duo's debut LP Ugly Side of Love. With most of the music being produced from electronic equipment and turntables manned by his hooded sidekick set aside in the background hidden in the darkness, Gee would need to be fully engaging. And engaging he was, at one point jumping off stage and into to the crowd to circle around a fan who was videotaping the performance. At times their set may have sounded a little too close to a reproduction of their record, but thankfully the mad-hatted Gee added enough flare to the performance with his gritty-yet-soulful vocals over the eclectic trip hop-meets-'60s psychedelia sounds (think DJ Shadow collaborating with The Zombies). Though the late night set seemed short, Malachai managed to fit in all the best songs from their debut including the amazing 1-2 punch of "Another Sun" and "Fading World." They saved the best for last closing with the energetic spaghetti-western-dance song "Shitkicker."
Performing for the first time in NYC, Le Poisson Rouge wasn't all that full for the Bristol natives. With Ugly Side of Love having been released by the red hot Domino Records and worked by the same publicists as Animal Collective and Yeasayer, it's kind of shocking that a record this good and original has gone so overlooked by critics in the U.S..
The Clientele and Field Music @ Bowery Ballroom // 3.23.10
Throughout the entirety of their performance at Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday, The Clientele reminded me of the late great Alex Chilton. It was the first time I ever made the rather obvious connection—more than likely due to Chilton's recent passing. I began to feel a desire for a Big Star cover imagining that singer Alasdair MacLean could definitely pull off those vocals. Sure enough, when the band returned for their encore, a dedication to Chilton with a cover of "Nightime" followed. I think Chilton would have been proud of just how beautifully they pulled off the incredible ballad which Paul Westerberg recently called his favorite Chilton tune.
Their Big Star cover wasn't the only highlight of the set. The Clientele's own shimmering 60s-sounding pop songs shined just as brightly mostly due to MacLean's lovely breathy vocals. The bouncy "I Wonder Who We Are" from last year's Bonfires on the Heath was a standout from a set that included special guests from Veviter and Ladybug Transistor.
As good as The Clientele were, they had to be because following Field Music (as they have all tour) was not an easy feat. From start to finish the fellow English quartet flawlessly performed one of the finest sets I've ever witnessed. A fan of their records but never quite blown away by them, Field Music is best experienced live, where the harmonies are bigger and the sound is a big less clean. Crafting proggy stop-on-a-dime rhythms, the members of Field Music traded off unbelievably executed harmonies while one of 2 Brewis brothers (David and Peter) commanded lead vocals. It was the type of musicianship that makes jaws drop, particularly the bass playing. Moments like "Give It, Lose it, Take It" and "All You'd Ever Need To Say" were at a level few bands will ever reach, Radiohead territory.
While You’ve Been at SXSW: Jonny Leather’s Non-SXSW Wrap Up
I was jaded, ready to throw in the towel. That's what this industry can do to you. A rat race with very little prize to be had, the joy of being a piece of the music industry pie had become less and less bearable. Following industry insiders, critics, photogs on twitter was like an up to the second reminder that much of my beliefs and tastes clash with theirs. Namedropping, the hype cycle, the never-ending circle jerk and the overall bore that is much of the industry was beating the life out of me, and yet I remained part of it.
Off to SXSW they went, but with the magic of twitter, I could live their every moment. Through the horror that is 4-square (the farmville of twitter), I was constantly updated of their whereabouts. Bands that blogs have already hyped to the brink of irritability played sets all over Austin, as bloggers/critics fought for claim of discovery of the "next big thing."
While my peers drank loads of beer, saw too many bands to remember, and ate loads of Tex Mex in preparation of a week full of post SXSW wrapups, I also did stuff.
Since you've been busy live tweeting from Austin informing me about your every move, and have plans to overload me with plenty more info about your past week's exploits, please allow me to give you a run down of what I've been up to while you've been at SXSW...
- My cat puked in my bathroom. I cleaned it up.
- It was really nice out on Tuesday, so I went to the Highline, then got a few drinks and eventually ended up at Sweet Revenge
- After reading a constant barrage of your 4SQ whereabouts at SXSW, I decided to quit Twitter.
- Then Flavorwire named me one of the 10 most followable music critics on Twitter
- Went to The Delancey on Wednesday night to see Grub Animal, and ended up seeing a terrible frat band cover Vanilla Ice
- Was published on Artinfo.com
- Saw Jon Natchez and Soft Landings at Zebulon. Shared a Jim Beam Milkshake with a great girl at Relish in between bands
- Randomly became obsessed with Supertramp
- Listened to Big Star's "Thirteen" 200 times
- Earned a considerable paycheck from a company whose office feels like a morgue
- Slept in a comfortable bed
- Put on a show at The Bell House that rivals anything that happened at SXSW. Ghastly City Sleep and Lagoon were particularly mesmerizing.
- Beat everyone except Mike Tyson in Punchou
- Saw Alice in Wondland 3D. There was a 3D Friskies commercial before it. I love Burton, but the movie was blaspheme, taking far too many liberties with Lewis Carrol's classic novel
- Hung out with cool people less concerned with being hip than being themselves
- Didn't have to travel to see a load of bands I've already seen a million times before in NYC just so I could hype them as next big thing.
- Enjoyed a peaceful weekend in the perfect weather in Brooklyn rather than risking my safety at MtyMx to see every band that ever plays at Market Hotel
- Randomly became obsessed with Eddie Grant
- Went to the Bronx Zoo on one of the most perfect days of the year and made friends with sea lions, lemurs, giraffes and other furry creature
- Drank Sangria on the roof of Alma, while my peers were stuck waiting for a bus to Mexico thanks to some terrible planning.
- Befriended incredible Brooklyn band, Sad Red
Sad Red - "Just Like An Orange"
- Revived my passion for music thanks to a bunch of great bands that may still exist far under the radar but need to be heard
To all my friends in amazing bands who played at SXSW (The Silent League, Royal Forest, Bear in Heaven, ARMS, Drink Up Buttercup...etc), you're still awesome. Don't mind my rant.
Despite Not Going, I know that all of these bands ruled at SXSW
- Bear in Heaven
- Royal Forest
- The Silent League
- Oh No Ono
- Drink Up Buttercup
- Deleted Scenes
- ARMS
- Spoon
- Besnard Lakes
- Broken Social Scene
- Liars
- Capybara
- Big Star
Dear Delancey, Suck My Balls
Grub Animal - "Day Brings New Love"
Last night I think my friends Grub Animal played a show at Delancey. I would have pictures and possibly even some kind words to say, but the booking agent at the Delancey is more concerned with making money than promoting bands, so they overbooked and what was original a 10pm set kept finding itself being pushed back. When I arrived to the venue at 9:30, a band I failed to catch the name of was on stage playing what is probably best categorized as frat rock. I left the downstairs performance area for the more-peaceful-than-usual upstairs bar where a friend and I were treated to one of my guilty pleasure favorites, The Ting Tings' "That's Not My Name." Meanwhile while sitting back on a comfy seat, the reflection of a burlesque dancer projected itself onto the mirror behind the bartender. After a half hour of relaxing and being offered free shots, we headed back downstairs to see if any progress had been made. Unfortunately, the same damn frat band remained on stage treating themselves as rock stars in front of their drunken buddies. Wondering if my friends would be playing anytime soon, I asked the singer when he expected to go on. Irritated with the situation, he pointed out that the band on stage had been playing for over an hour, and he had been told there were still 2 more bands scheduled to play before Grub Animal. Doing the math in my head, it was easy to compute that there was no way Grub Animal would even take the stage before midnight, and with it being a weeknight I knew there'd be know way to hold out long enough to catch them. He told me that at that point even he was considering leaving, and just at that moment a cover of Robert Van Winkle's 1990 mega hit "Ice Ice Baby" came blasting from the stage like shotgun to my head telling me to get the fuck out before I lose my mind.
So, on a night where I went to see a friend's good band, The Delancey's terrible booking and management ruined my night. As someone who regularly books concerts at very well respected venues (Union Hall and Bell House) I know what it takes to book a show and run things on schedule. The Delancey like quite a few other New York venues once again proved that they have a greater concern for their own pockets than for the bands that make them money. Booking 5 or 6 bands on a bill where doors don't open till 8pm on a weeknight is recipe for disaster. They do this in order to get as many paying customers as possible, and to keep people drinking at their bar for as long as possible. The booking has little concern for having a bill with bands that fit together musically. Bands struggle to drag their friends out, only to find out that the set time they give everyone is completely bogus, and their friends will need to survive through 3 of the shittiest bands they've ever heard in order to see them. To kill the time, these friends unload their wallets at the bar because it's far easier to handle a terrible Vanilla Ice cover when plastered.
When you book a concert, you have a certain responsibility to the bands and their fans to try to keep on schedule, and make the night enjoyable so they'll to more prone to return or recommend the place to others.
Last night reminded me why I always hated The Annex, and guaranteed that I'll write these negative words about its douchey lower east side cousin The Delancey.
Check out Grub Animal though. They're a cool band that will soon spend a bunch of time in Canada performing their new special musical/play.
The National: Better Recorded, But Why?
Why Do I Love The National's Records So Much More Than Their Concerts?
When the National released Alligator in 2005, the album slowly built them a solid fan base. Pitchfork gave them a borderline "Best New Music" score of 7.9, ending their review with "Alligator is satisfying and engaging, it's not quite as bracing as their stellar sophomore outing, 2003's Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers." Alligator was a grower—over time fans and critics fell in love with the record and by the time they released 2007's acclaimed Boxer, they were indie darlings and a legitimate headliner, able to fill larger sized venues.
The National's records are the prototypical "grower." With each listen, there seems to be another element to uncover. Most fans didn't love Alligator or Boxer the first time they heard it the way they do now. This may be due to the deliberate pacing or the unwinding poetics of Matt Beringer's baritone, but whatever the cause, few songs by The National have an instantaneous nature to them.
On Thursday night, The National played one of two nights at The Bell House in Brooklyn. Much smaller than Radio City, which they'll be playing on their upcoming tour, the band was given the opportunity to play their new songs from the upcoming release High Violet for the first time before hitting the road.
I've seen The National a few times in the past—always in a larger venue, where it's hard not to feel removed—and I've always felt that something was missing. They always manage to play the songs that I love on record flawlessly with an additional layer of instrumentation, and yet it feels underwhelming. I approached Thursday night's concert expecting that the intimacy of the smaller venue would change this, but once again no matter how perfectly executed the songs were played and how much I love the recordings, the concert never quite felt as amazing as the records.
I guess much of this has to do with them playing mostly new songs, which although sounding great are like their older material in the quality of being growers. And since I've never heard them before, they've never had a chance to grow on me. Past hits like "Mr. November," "Abel" and "Fake Empire" were the highlights of the night.
It's hard to criticize a band for not being great live when they flawlessly play songs I love, but sadly this is the case with The National. I may never totally understand how I can enjoy their records so much more than their concerts, but that's just how it is.
[and this is not to say they are bad live by any means, just not quite amazing as the records I've spent countless hours with]
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.
