Video: Christopher Stelling @ Union Hall // 2.3.10
Last Wednesday, I had the extreme pleasure of having Christopher Stelling perform at Union Hall as part of my February edition of my "You New Favorite Bands" showcase series. Cait Davis filmed his whole performance, which you can watch below.
Concert: Your New Favorite Bands @ Union Hall // 2.3.10
Jonny Leather Presents:
The Royal Chains
Paul & The Patients
The Waylons
Linfinity (Dylan solo set)
Christopher Paul Stelling
2.3.10 @ Union Hall
702 Union St. Brooklyn, NY
Doors at 7pm
21+
$7 (proceeds will be donated to a Haiti relief fund tbd)
The Royal Chains
Paul & The Patients
"just damn addictive... psychedelic-based songs, the tracks consistently hook in your head" –rcrdlbl.com
"I am exploding with the need to talk about a band I am fucking obsessed with right now: Paul and The Patients" –ultragrrrl.blogspot.com
"Holmes’ knack for writing catchy songs. His vocals loom large over the music on the tracks—it’s mostly smooth, but at points is pushed to a perfect, raspy howl." –New York Press
mp3: Paul & The Patients - "Shooting Star"
mp3: Paul & The Patients - "Complaint 15"
The Waylons
"Their self-titled debut is a solid slab of rock that begs comparisons to other no-frills acts like the Replacements, Buffalo Tom, and even Sloan and the Shins." –popmatters.com
mp3: The Waylons - "Endless Supplies"
Linfinity (Dylan solo set)
"With an eclectic mix of influences brewing in its pot, Linfinity has developed a huge sound most easily comparable to Arcade Fire, Echo & The Bunnymen and DeVotchka." — New York Press
mp3: Linfinity - "Molly Mar of Rome"
Christopher Paul Stelling
Christopher Paul Stelling's rapid finger-picked acoustic tales evoke the genius of Tallest Man on Earth. And much like Tallest Man on Earth, Stelling knows how to engage a crowd.—NY Press
mp3: Christopher Paul Stelling - "Flawless Executioner"
Live Pick: Tuesday, 4.21
Tuesday, 4.21 - Drink Up Buttercup @ Bruar Falls - 8:00 PM - 21+ - $tba
Live Pick: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New York Howl, Americans, Libel, Grub Animal
Benefit For Ella Awesomeness Fund
@ Union Hall
7:30PM
21+
$8
Guilt By Association
When I was younger and the boring 3-chord simplicity of 90s punk still excited me, many of my favorite bands recorded covers of classic cheesy pop songs. This was my first taste of irony. It was funny to hear Screeching Weasel play "I think we're alone now" or Down By Law cover the Proclaimers.
A few years ago, Ted Leo covered "Since You Been Gone" and it was a reminder of how fun these songs can be. Indie rockers tend to take them more seriously, but Guilt By Association vol. 2 challenges that notion. And unlike when punk bands cover pop songs, the bands on GBA v.2 don't just play the songs faster, they recreate them and give them new life. Nothing you'll find here is as brilliant as some of these bands' normal material, but it's all worth hearing, especially Robbers on High Street's "Cool It Now", Matt Pond PA's lullaby version of My Chemical Romance's "I'm Not Okay", and The Forms' total restructuring of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire."
To celebrate the record release, Takka Takka, Robbers on High Street, Lowry, and some special secret special guests will be performing tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg. And then on February 5th at Bowery Ballroom Francis & the Lights and Savoir Adore will keep the celebration going.
Frightened Rabbit: "Set You Free"
Jonny Leather Attempts to Break Record for Riding Subway System. Fails Miserably.
The New York City subway system is an anomaly, the true eighth wonder of the world. When it seems that everything in the world follows some sort of pattern, no matter how obvious, the MTA has managed to create a structure that is even inconsistent in its inconsistencies. It is thoroughly unpredictable. There is no explanation as to why the G train is so short—unable to fill the length of the platform. But that’s just a small except of the many oddities that surround the MTA’s greatest accomplishment in incomprehensible train lines. The smells, the late night work trains, the unhelpful station attendants, the 2nd Avenue line—they’re all part of a surreal universe that we as New Yorkers must interact with on a daily basis.
It can be severely frustrating. There are nights when an easy 1-line train ride turns into a full-on adventure that involves multiple train lines, buses, transfers, backtracking, and misdirection.
Only a few days two men successfully broke the record for riding the subway system, managing to hit all 468 stations in 22 hours and 52 minutes. They actually trained for it with four six-hour practice runs, as well as spending time researching combinations for routes, so there’s no questions these guys had far too much time on their hands, and a whole lot of patience.
Last night, I got a little taste of what their record run might have been like, when a simple ride on the G from Gowanus to Williamsburg turned into a two-hour adventure that involved five trains and a bus. With that trip, I couldn’t help but wonder how on earth they managed to do what they did. It seems like an impossible feat, not that it’s a very meaningful accomplishment but damn is it challenging.
Strangely enough, in an odd way I actually find these sort of unpredictable adventures to be pretty enjoyable. These sort of events break repetition, predictability, and can often ignite social interactions that would never happen in the normal cold subway settings.
When you always follow the same easy path, you’ll get to where you’re going, but sometimes your path becomes broken, and when forced to take another route, the series of coincidences occasionally leads you to something totally worth the adventure—in my case the cute girl who I shared the adventure with. It won’t happen every time, but when it does you’ll learn to appreciate it.
And with the MTA cutting lines and worsening service, this sort of unpredictable subway adventure will occur at even more regular rates. I’m not saying cutting service and increasing commute times is a good thing, I’m just shedding a very dimly lit positive light on the subject.
Jonny Leather + Masonic Temple + Dan Deacon pt.2
Dan Deacon/ The Dirty Projectors
Brooklyn Masonic Temple
12/11/08
Prior to Thursday night, the last time I set foot in a Masonic Temple was a very memorable experience. That time was at the Ridgewood Masonic Temple, and resulted in me being burned alive on BrooklynVegan.com.
Never the one to miss out on an interesting adventure, I jumped at the opportunity to once again see Dan Deacon at a Masonic Temple. The fact that The Dirty Projectors were also on the bill didn't exactly hurt either.
I had no idea what to expect after my last misadventure. Dan Deacon's performance back in April was one of the more fun experiences I had at a show this year, despite the other events that occurred. The man knows how to command a crowd, and his absurdist electronic compositions are a pretty original addition to modern music. With his ever-growing popularity, Deacon has grown fully aware that his live show will need to continue to evolve, as he plays larger venues. A couple months ago, he brought us his Baltimore Round Robin series. On Thursday night, he changed his act once again, playing his first show with a huge backing band, loaded with percussionists. Obviously in it's infant stage, the full band didn't always sound as grandiose as they set out to be, but there were times where they really clicked together, and took Deacon's live sound to a much higher level than he's ever reached. If he can sustain touring with such a large collection of musicians, Dan Deacon will still be worth seeing when popularity takes him out of the smaller DIY venues and into the large spaces. As usual, "The Crystal Cat" was the highlight of the set, creating a frenzy in the packed crowd.
As entertaining as Dan Deacon and his new band was, The Dirty Projectors were really what made this show worth the price of admission. With every show they play, they get better, tighter and those female harmonies become more and more enchanting. As interesting as Dave Longstreth's vocals and compositions have become, The Dirty Projectors wouldn't be anywhere near as good as they are without the backing vocals of Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian. Not unlike visionaries Deerhoof, Longstreth's arrangements are more and more removed from 3-chord rock convention, picking apart the traditional structure of rock and turning it into something unique without sacrificing listenability. Word is that The Dirty Projectors have a pair of records due in 2009, but until then "Rise Against" is their finest accomplishment, and they played that strength on Thursday, loading the setlist with that record's finest songs. "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie" proved to be the strongest of the bunch, with it's mix of crashing percussion, airy vocals and infectious chorus.
The Dirty Projectors next play NYC on New Year's Eve at Knitting Factory as party of one of the best non-festival lineups ever assembled (Deerhoof, Deer Tick, Akron/Family, Megafun are all scheduled to perform). Not only is it New Year's Eve, but it'll also be the final show at Knitting Factory's current location, so, it promises to be a pretty exciting night.
Live Picks 11/16/08 - 11/22/08
Greatest Album Cover Ever?!
As a music geek, I've seen a lot of album covers, own multiple books collecting the best of them, and even went to college with the intentions of one day being a great album package designer. I've worked in record stores, and receive loads of cds every day, and this could quite possibly be the greatest of them all...
