Editors finish "Finger In The Factories" and Madonna explodes out with "Hung Up." Same choreography as the last ten times I saw it, but I love it.
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Sunday, April 30, 2006
Left and Right
Waiting on Madge...
.....Listening to Editors. Shit could be worse.
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"Y Control"
A perfect finish to a wire tight set.
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More from Yeah Yeah Yeahs....
"Gold Lion," "Phenomena" several songs in. I am hanging out more than listening (or watching per se). It all sounds a little more polished. Top thinks they cater a little more to a club-type venue. I don't think I disagree. Six songs in and they are only doing heavier songs. "Turn Into" now, and it is the perfect track for a dissolving sunrise. Their setlist is really tight (a better word might be focused). This band continues to intrigue me. Karen O. Is putting a clinic on. "Maps" now. Still introduced as "the love song," but now, "I want to dedicate this to the biggest fucking audience we have ever played for..."
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YYYs
Sticking to the new stuff to open up and we are contemplating possibilities to roll to Madge in Sahara Dance Tent.
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I'm sure that Gnarls....
....Is slaying right now. Nothing I can do. I wish I wasn't, but I am dying for "Y Control." JQ remains the funniest man at Coachella.
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Build up
The build up is what kills me. We know Tool is going to be here, do we set up now or just roll out to check out the rest of this craziness. I love that this is the only debatable aspect of the weekend. I love a challenge.
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Bloc Party to Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This shit is a fucking pilgrimage. Sleater-Kinney is rocking right now. We had to stop at the $7 Beer Garden, naturally. Because, we simply can't help ourselves.
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Killing
"Uniform" into "This Modern Love" into "Like Breaking Glass." I'm fucking shattered.
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New track
"Uniform," patient, softer, but a building good one. Fuck. On fire.
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Back On The Bloc
....A few songs in, "Positive Tension," "Banquet," into "Blue Light."
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Wolf to Bloc
Had to leave Wolf Parade early for Bloc Party. WP was sounding great. Fuck! Wolf hit "Shine A Light" and it was hot. Hated to leave. Bloc is getting momentum right now.....
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Wolf Parade getting started
Today is much sweatier than yesterday. But we created a little volunteer grind pit to get it going. As in, increase the sweatiness. Increase the grossity. Today is much more packed. And much earlier. I love it. Smashland.
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Metric
Fucking kills. Hard riffs. Female vocal. Killing the Mojave tent. Killing. This band will get a hard second look. Awesome.
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Matisyahu
Killing right now. I'm not a huge fan, but everything sounds tight. He opened with "King Without A Crown." Getting amped for Wolf P. and Bloc Party.
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Ted Leo
Sound doesn't translate as big on the big stage as we hope. But, I still love those lyrics and look forward to an intimate setting, perhaps. We are off our neck, smashelled, oh by the way.
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Storytime
JQ is a little sick but pushing through. Here is how last night ended. Paul was lost by 6. We caught (in seperate elements) She Wants Revenge (not bad, not great), Daft Punk (not hot to me, but Frat and Top caught the whole thing and thought it was insane. To each his own. Tent City was great, we woke up early hit some Jack In The Box, then realized that Denny's was a better option and killed some diner food like life ended tonight and we headed back to Ranger School today. This place is very well run. Complaints, perhaps, are the port-a-poties, but that is a very hard system to get right and an easy one to bitch about. In reality, parking has been great in terms of traffic and ease. For those that think that tailgating, sleeping in your car or bringing booze in could possibly stop you, you are sorely mistaken. See you at Ted Leo.
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Round 2
Suntan lotion applied. Rules being broken. Parking lot ops are at a max. Just fired up some Bloc Party, a little No No Nos right now. Meeting some cool people, getting ready for Ted Leo. Knowing what we know now we are bring in mad supplies tonight to make sure the scene is set. I apologize if every post ends in something along the lines of "this is sick" or "life is so good" but we are having a blast. Today will be wild, partly because of what we are packing and partly because of how ill this bill be today. Talk to you soon.
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Found JQ
No idea where anyone else is. We watched Daft Punk for 13 repeats of the same hook before we decided to quit that noise. There is a pilgrimage headed their way, though. They had the Sahara Dance Tent packed. I am currently lying on my back listening to Tosca.
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Smoked
Last I wrote we were catching Sigur Ros. That show got violent and chaotic at the end. Guitars and cellos getting tossed after a momentous finish by the band. I missed the end because I was embracing the toilet facilities. I will leave it at this: 6'6" dudes don't come remotely close to fitting in the stalls here. At any rate, I caught Damien Marley do "War" and another Bob song. Coming back we were in good position for Franz who were unreal, again. Caught 4 Depeche Mode songs before we moved over and caught Living Things, who rocked through a heavy set that lasted a half hour or so. Totally lost from the rest of the crew right now, but we will catch up. I am going to go check out She Wants Revenge at the Outdoor Tent...I think that is where we were headed. Sick. I am running on fumes right now. Love it.
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Saturday, April 29, 2006
My Morning Jacket
JQ reports that MMJ was good as well. Setlist was mostly off of Z. We are sprawled out in front of the main stage getting treated to some Sigur Ros. Awesome. This place is crazy. Diverse isn't even the word. Waiting on Franz Ferdinand drinking some frozen lemonade mixed with vodka. Delish!
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TV On The Radio
Nothing short of spectacular. That band is a spiritual experience live. Brilliant. The new stuff sounds great. One newbie began with a simple vocal loop and evolved into an epic layering of sounds and vocal harmonies. Out-fucking-standing. We had goosebumps walking out. The final track they played was just a lush, warm movement that had the Mojave tent mesmerized. This on top of "Staring At The Sun," "Young Liars," and "Dreams." Unreal.
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Update
JQ off to catch My Morning Jacket, PB is at Common. I caught "Testify" and it sounded great. Myself, Top, and Frat are headed to TV On The Radio. Looking back, Nine Black Alps has been the weakest. Wolfmother and White Rose Movement were great. Wolfmother is the clearcut frontrunner. One song in and My Morning Jacket sounds great. We will check in with JQ and see how it goes. This is fucking awesome right now!
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Wolfmother
Dimension, Pyramid, Apple Tree, White Unicorn, Woman (extended solo at the end), Joker And The Thief, Mind's Eye. They blew it out. Danny Masterson watching from the VIP. This is the team to beat. JQ caught Walkmen and said they were decent. Wolfmom had the tent packed and overflowing.
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Wolfballs
5 Wolfmother balloons the size of beanie chairs were just set loose on the crowd. Lots of excitement.
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Ladytron, P Farrel
Top bumped into Perry going into the wrong tent and then caught the last three Ladytron tracks. Tons of fans deep in the tent everyone singing the words. Word has it that the set was ill.
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Wolfmudda next...
...NBA closed strong. Don't know where JQ is at, but I am sure it is an adventure.
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NBA
Sounding good. Guitars getting tossed on stage. "My beer is warm and flat. What kind of country is this?" lead singer asks. The best, man. The best. This guys voice reminds of Cobain. Not lyrically, but in the delivery.
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Nine Black Alps
"Cosmopolitan" three songs in. Machine gun drums. Decent number singing along. Thank god for ear plugs on this one. Lead guitarist brought out his drumstick against the strings trick on the second songs. We already have strings breaking on guitars. "Cheers!"
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Dancers
The best so far is an older balding man wearing capris who.had calves the size of tree trunks...hilarious. During WRM. NBA on now!
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WRM
Chatted quick with the boys, bassist in particular and told them how much heavier the live sound is. "Thanks, chaps, it's hard fucking work!" Last song was frantic beat with killer riff. Need to look into these guys more. I remember reading posts on NME last year and a lot of people were saying this would be a big year for WRM.
Nine Black Alps is setting up and we can't help but notice the Orange Crush...a la Rye Coalition, WAS, and The Mars Volta. I don't know the exact details, but I think they are pretty hard to find.
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WRM
"Love Is A Number" sounding so heavy and full. Far exceeds album sound.
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White Rose Movement
Fired up. Monster synth sound. "Does anyone know who the fuck we are? Crystal Method? Go share a mango and have some fun in the sun," frontman says before heavy, heavy "Girls In The Back." Sweet bridge. This tent is fucking bouncing.
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Mojave tent
....Waiting for White Rose Movement. Pretty excited for this band. Standby...
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New Amsterdams
Are three songs in. Some catchy pop, but nowhere near some of these other bands. Decent, good vocal.
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SQ done
Wrapped up with QOTSA and Tool covers. Very nice.
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More from the SQ set...
Covers of Muse "Stockholm Syndrome" and an ethereal "Paranoid Android" (Radiohead). They are all strings, no vocal and pretty tight.
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More SQ
Covers of Franz "Take Me Out" and Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Y Control"...
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Section Quartet...
...Opening their set with a cover of Muse's "Hysteria." Awesome. We're in the Beer Garden killing $7 Green Guys. Gross.
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In there...
...Like swimwear. Too easy. Security was pretty lax, ie. they didn't even notice the flasks and other assorted magic. It's still early, first stop is to get the ID bracelet so we can get some libations. After that it will probably be White Rose Movement on the Mojave Stage in about an hour. Stay tuned...
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In the house...
Getting it on! Got the cars in the lot, got the parking passes, just working on getting the goodies past security. Weather is gorgeous, it should hit 100 on the RealFeel but we ain't skeered. We're throwing the tents and shit down and then rolling to the show. All of last night has worn off for the most part. The mountains overlooking the festival are gorgeous. Things couldn't be better...
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No Sleep 'Til Indio
We are definitely in various stages of consciousness in the Casino 29 parking lot. 6 miles from Coachella. JQ took home$200 in poker, Top took home $300 in blackjack. We have a few hours to burn here, but I think we will be pushing out soon.
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Dear God...
A tent almost got set up in the parking lot of Casino 29. Fellas are throwing down on poker/blackjack/roulette. The sleep factor has not even been considered. Coachella, baby, Coachella.
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Still kicking
Certain members of Metro D met Jesse Hughes of EODM. Certain members made some connections with folks that want to get more of their bands playing the 9:30 Club. All in all it is all all good.
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Good. Night.
The rumors were true. The booze is free. The beats are sick. And JQ is the best dancer in the land. Filter Party is perfect. Long drive. Long flights. Free booze. Great DJing. Plan right now is to roll here until the wheels fall off and then party @ the 29 Casino that they picked us up at. Nights end. Casinos live forever. LCD Soundsystem bringing it. Life is beautiful.
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Filter Party
....En route....too easy....many stories to tell already....
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Friday, April 28, 2006
Rock N Roll
PB has a ticket as soon as we find aprinter. We are blazing down I-10E right now, about 25 miles from our link up for the Filter Party. If the shit is packed, at least we are already at a casino. More sooner than later...
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All Systems Go
Picked up the two missing pieces and we are on the way to the Filter Party. I can't tell you how good it is to be surrounded by these clowns. Life does not get better than this, but, in a day, it might be....traffic is retahded....keep you posted.
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Band of note....
....But it has been a while since they put an album out, but this shit is Metro D approved...Neutral Milk Hotel. F*cking sweet. If we look like assholes for posting about an album like this, I don't care...my goal is to deliver to the people, regardless of how out of date this shit is.....We are rocking Bloc Party now ("Positive Tension") getting excited for this thing to kick into full gear.
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I'm Your Villain
All of the talk about who we will see has motivated me to think about straying from the pack and reporting on the group's non-selects. I don't know, we will be good, I just want to get the most out of everything. Taillgate is still kicking at the Chiliburger...Frat and PB will be here in the hour. We have Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocking and we are discussing the importance of "Y Control" in their setlist. We are also excited to see them with the majority of their tour under their belt. I think it will surpass what they brought at the 9:30 Club. 1 hour until this party turns into a massacre.
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The Debate
TV on the Radio v. My Morning Jacket come tomorrow. I might lean towards TVOTR because I will catch MMJ before Pearl Jam. We will see. Two solid bands.
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Tailgate
....At the Ontario Chiliburger....bad news from Frat, but its not that bad. PB never got his Camping Ticket. We will fight this fight when we have to, but we ain't skeered. They are currently in Salt Lake City boarding. JQ is giving us the rundown of his roadtrip...unreal. Kid was living in Int'l hostels in Cali. Every place he went they were like, "this is for foreigners, what country are you from..." "Brooklyn, babe, gimme a room..." It can only go up from here....
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Ontario, CA
3 out of 5 on location. Beautiful ride over the San Bernardino Mountains. Clouds nestled in draws of snow-capped peaks. As we began descent Wolfmother "Mind's Eye" comes on and I realize it is only the beginning.
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Vegas, baby, Vegas
6 inch sub, Fritos, 20 oz Pepsi comes to$11.02. Awesome. Exorbitant prices are already hitting me. F*ck it. All this came after my conversation in the head with the janitor about Ken Shamrock, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the Octagon. Somehow these people find me. Somehow. Some girl in line is talking about going to Coachella just for Madonna in the Dance tent. Nothing else. Interesting. Just talked to Top and he is setting up our Ontario Int'l Airport Tailgate. This is a terrible idea, which, I guess, is why we are doing it. I get in at 2:30 and Frat and PB don't get in until 6:00. JQ will arrive in his car around the same time I get there and we will take it from there. The first casualty of the weekend has been Top's iPod which died mysteriously over the Rockies. Farewell, friend. More to come...
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Pearl Jam Album Stream on AOL
Head over to AOL Music to hear the Pearl Jam s/t album before it's released next Tuesday. This is definitely on my list of to-dos for the afternoon.
Indy
Currently conducting a stopover in Indianapolis.. This was pretty clutch because I was able to work my way up to the Exit Row. My legs are thanking me. At any rate we are getting ready for more passengers and I have nothing major to report. I passed out to some shuffling Kasabian, Interpol, Wolf Parade, Gnarls, Bloc Party, and The Mars Volta. Top just send me a text informing me that he was leaving Houston, so he should be at Ontario Int'l soon. I will write more when there is more. My next obstacle will be to get a boarding pass to my flight out of Vegas without going through security again. I printed my Vegas flight at home but wasn't in the time window for the flipping Vegas flight...whatever, it'll be all good. Lates.
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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Headed Into the Studio
Super 2005 buzz band, CYHSY, are headed into the studio to record their sophomore LP. The band is aiming for a late fall/winter release. If you're not going to be out at Coachella (me!), NYC'ers can catch them once again, this time at Central Park's Summerstage on 9/28. Pre-sale has sold out but general admin tix go on sale tomorrow at 12:00 pm EST for the steep price of $32.50. ouch.
CYHSY - In This Home On Ice (from s/t debut)
Village Indian (thx) has tracked down a UK band that sounds strikingly familiar. I can definitely hear the CYHSY influences.
MP3: Polytechnic - Running Out of Ideas
More Sufjan
Pitchfork has an exclusive download and review of a track from the upcoming LP, The Avalanche.
MP3: Sufjan Stevens - Dear Mr Supercomputer
Putting the Metro in Metro Distortion
I didn't even hear Top come in last night. His crazy ass made a most impressive epic out of his Thursday night. I, on the other hand, finalized our coordinations and packed up. I made contact with JQ, not to be confused with JK, and it turns out they he caught a monster set from the Robinson brothers (Black Crowes) two nights ago at the Roxy. He will get to the Ontario Airport around the same time Top gets in. They will most likely be a few frosties in once I arrive at 2. Frat and PB roll in around 6, and there will most likely be a few more frosties defeated, by the time we are all together. On the MARC train right now and I just watched some crackhead stumble out of the bathroom right by the conductor, who was collecting tickets. Crackhead didn't have a ticket, crackhead thought he was safe inside the john. Crackhead was wrong. Crackhead got off at the next stop. Well this is the first update...hopefully thius shit works. My love to the First Lady for the BlackBerry loan. It has officially become a SmashBerry.
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Extra Blue Kind @ Velvet Lounge
Sorry guys, I will give you better, later. Brain is fried. You guys were great. I've been waiting forever, literally, for somebody to play - let alone completely nail - a cover of the Pixie's 'Where is my mind?' Will look forward to a return to DC.
JK: highly suggest you see this show @ Knitting Factory if you have time, they will be playing again w/ The Timeout Drawer.
Official
Myspace
The Timeout Drawer @ Velvet Lounge
After my recovery from Coachella is complete, I really am going to get back into the gym. No, really. And when I do, I'm going to be listening to The Timeout Drawer on my IPOD. Although I only caught the last 3 songs of their set, having come straight from the Cope show down the street, 3 songs was all I needed. Picked up their CD Nowonmai, and new EP Alone, and will dig into them on today's flights. Talked to a couple of the guys in the band after the show (unfortunatley I was only 1 of 6 fans, only to find out 4 were the following act), and the down to earth Chi-Town vibe was definitely present. They will hit up The 5 Spot in Philly and the Knitting Factory in NYC before heading back home and going back to work. Thanks to Chicago Innerview Magazine for giving me the heads up on this great band. You can check out some songs, videos, and downloads, on their Official and Myspace homepages.
Couple quick notes on the Velvet Lounge, a new local venue to add to the list. It's incredibly like Fletcher's in Baltimore, except max capacity upstairs is probably 40-50 max. Don't mess with the bouncer downstairs, he is very large and apparantly has an anger management problem.
Citizen Cope Solo @ 9:30 Club
I'm not afraid to roll to a show by myself. Shit happens, the show goes on. Had I not attended some previous concerts Han-Solo, I would not have the stories - or the pics to prove it - of me hanging out with Chuck Brown, watching a P-Funk show from backstage, or passing a lit bowl (I did not participate, trust me) to George Clinton in his green room. With that aside, I show up at the Citizen Cope Solo Acoustic show right on time, and after a delicious dinner at Ben's as you already know. Knowing the show is sold out, and knowing it is showtime, I do a double-take, as there are long lines outside the doors, and more comotion than what we experienced outside of the Wu-Tang rip-off tribute show. Apparantly, violence was not the culprit tonight - but underage girls getting their smash on sure was. The 9:30 club was not playing around tonight, and the paddywagon was outside to prove it.
Once inside, things are normal. I worm my way up to our Spot B (front right, in front of bar), since Spot A (front right, first row) was not an option. Not bad real estate at all...good view, arms reach for refills, far enough to enjoy the superb acoustics the evening provided, and right next to a very sweet and attractive Hokie Alumni. My only complaint at this point is that Cope is about 15 minutes late, most likey because of the lines outside, and that my Jeep probably has a boot on it or has already been broken into again.
I'm not going to write much about the actual show. It's 3am and I leave for Coachella in about 2 hours. But let me say this: Citizen Cope, with our without his band, will hands down sell out every show in the Philly/MD/DC/NOVA area. Citizen Cope, if playing at a Starbucks anywhere else in the country not mentioned, will not be able to charge a soul. Nothing against the guy; he clearly has established himself within his niche, he sticks to that niche, and he provides to that niche - and his fans love him for it. They knew every word to every one of his older songs, including a nice Marley cover, yet when he tried out some of his newer material, poor concert etiquette broke out like the plague. Was it worth 30 bones, after seeing some of the best shows of my life for 10-15 this year? At this point in the game, sure. Cope plays Apr 28 in Philly and Apr 29 in NYC.
Official Homepage
Myspace Homepage
TOP @ Ben's Chili Bowl
You just can't go out to two shows in one night on an empty stomach. You really can't. Thinking I'd be able to treat myself to a nice steak dinner at the bar at Capital Grille was like Patrick Batemen thinking he could get a same-day reservation at Dorsia. So I decided to go for someplace closer to the venues, someplace with more character, someplace I had not been since I blacked out after a Black47 concert, ate 3 chili-dawg platters, and apparantly had all my money taken from me from the locals. Ben's, recognized as one of the most famous hot dawg eateries in the country, is a great place to grab a bite before a show, and is walking distance to Black Cat, 9:30 Club, and Velvet Lounge.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
The Bronx
I'm not having the best of days. While there is a lot to look forward to, there is a lot bogging me down. And then I catch a breath of fresh air. Some kick ass punk with outrageous lyrics, ridiculous delivery and monster riffs. All is well. These two little beasts will be on my iPod and played every morning in California that I wake up hungover.
MP3: The Bronx - Shitty Future
MP3: The Bronx - History's Stranglers
Just taking a friendly gander at this tracklisting, and you know these gents mean business and have some colorful tales to tell:
1. Senor Hombre De Tamale
2. Small Stone
3. Shitty Future
4. History's Stranglers
5. Oceans Of Class
6. Dirty Leaves
7. Transsexual Blackout (The Movement)
8. Mouth Money
9. Rape Zombie
10. Around The Horn
11. Three Dead Sisters
12. Safe Passage
13. White Guilt
It will look like this:
It will happen July 18th. There is one more download at their MySpace.
A Message from MJK for Tool Fans
From Toolband.com
THE FOLLOWING IS A MESSAGE FROM MJK
"Many people are complaining about the sold out shows. Relax. We're doing a full on tour at the end of the summer which goes almost everywhere. And in the new year, we'll go almost everywhere else. These are just a handful of warm-up dates. There's nothing much we can do to out wit the scalpers. If you have patience, just don't buy the tickets from them. just wait until August. Screw them. Believe me, if I could design a virus that would leave scalpers totally impotent, mute, and penniless, I would. Same goes for lawyers. (I have a whole different virus in mind for mini vans. More on that later.)"
I have yet to see a ticket for the NYC show go for less than $300 on Craigslist. I've been hoping that the price would drop once the album is released (don't get me started) but this is music to my ears.
On Pitchfork today...
Recent news from the P-Fork All Stars:
Film School | Okkervil River | Lemonheads
Tapes 'N Tapes | Jesus & Mary Chain | Yo La Tengo
The Little Ones: Sing Song EP
You may recall that I posted about The Little Ones a couple weeks ago. Well, I came across, what I believe, is the first review of their new EP from Trip Wire. Read it here. Buy the EP here. Currently unsigned, Sub Pop should be listening. With the Shins and Rogue Wave already in tow, The Little Ones would make this one hell of a pure-pop troika.
MP3: Lovers Who Uncover
MP3: Cha Cha Cha
MP3: High On A Hill
Baltimore Options: We Are Wolves & Tapes 'N Tapes
Snoop Arrested In UK
Rolling Stone reports:
"Rap superstar SNOOP DOGG and five associates were arrested at London's Heathrow Airport yesterday after disorderly conduct that left seven police officers with minor injuries. The British media reported that members of Snoop's posse allegedly tossed bottles of whiskey in a duty-free shop and pushed officers after an argument in a business lounge. Six men -- Snoop reportedly among them -- were arrested and held overnight on charges of violent disorder. The rapper, 34, was scheduled to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa, today."
Late Night Tonight
ABC
12:05 a.m. Jimmy Kimmel Live: RIHANNA
CBS
11:35 p.m. The Late Show With David Letterman: EMMYLOU HARRIS, MARK KNOPFLER
NBC
11:37 p.m. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT
1:37 a.m. Last Call With Carson Daly: PANIC! AT THE DISCO
Just Announced @ 9:30 Club
Just Announced Shows at 9:30 Club
W 5/17 Charlatans UK
Th 6/1 Prefuse 73 w/ Edan with guest Dagha
F 6/2 The Twilight Singers feat. Greg Dulli w/ Afterhours & Jeff Klein
Sa 6/3 The Stills
Tu 6/6 Jagermeister Music Tour feat. Staind w/ 3 Days Grace & Hurt
On sale but not advertised yet:
M 6/12 Joe Jackson w/ Raul Midon
W 6/14 Cat Power and the Memphis Rhythm Band
Meet Bands @ Coachella; Coachella Goodies
The Virgin Megastore is hosting band Autograph signings at the festival this year. See schedule below:
Saturday, April 29th
2:00 PM - The Like
2:30 PM - She Wants Revenge
3:00 PM - Eagles of Death Metal
3:30 PM - Atmosphere
5:00 PM - Franz Ferdinand
5:30 PM - Wolfmother
6:30 PM - Common
7:00 PM - Living Things
Sunday, April 30th
2:00 PM - Imogen Heap
2:30 PM - Nine Black Alps
3:00 PM - Matisyahu
3:30 PM - Mates of State
4:30 PM - Editors
5:00 PM - Magic Numbers
5:30 PM - Tosca
6:00 PM - Seu Jorge
Does the following mean that bedtime is 12:00? Of course not...
GOODIES THIS YEAR (2006)
* Introducing the CALIBER CYBER CAFE powered by Dodge!
Located in the heart of onsite camping we bring you the Caliber Cyber Cafe powered by Dodge, equiped with 24 hour wireless internet (Bring your laptops) or internet kiosks to surf the net/check your email, in comfy surroundings. Laptop check in provided for those in need during the festival. Also leave messages for other campers you cant find on the onsite camper message board, turn in or search for lost and found items or check if any of you early birds wo n and claim your prize.
* The Clubhouse (located inside the campgrounds)
Open for Breakfast (all ages welcome)
Saturday 4/29/06 7:00am - 12 noon
Sunday 4/30/06 7:00am - 12 noon
Cocktails served (21+ Over only)
Friday 4/28/06, Noon - 12:00 midnight + Live DJ (tba)
Saturday 4/29/06 6pm - 12:00 midnight + Karaoke
Sunday 4/30/06, 6pm - 12:00 midnight + Karaoke
* Cantina (21+ Over only)
Located outside of onsite camping (open to everyone 21 +), across the field from the Clubhouse. Saturday & Sunday 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon: Mexican Breakfast and Bloody Mary Buffet (You order the vodka and ice from the bartender, then take it to a buffet to garnish and add mixer).
All courtesy of Coachella.com
Two If By Sea passes this along...
DC Residency FINAL Night - Tonight! (plz repost)
Body: The FINAL night of our DC NINE Residency... Tonight!
It's our last area appearance until June. Don't miss the party...
TWO IF BY SEA
We'll be giving out FREE promo CD's featuring 3 demo tracks from our forthcoming LP on SilverThree - which will be recorded in May with J ROBBINS. Did we say Free? we did.
Joining us:
NEUTRAL MUTE (NYC)
Neutral Mute started as a studio-driven exploration of mechanized sound rooted in punk, rock and dance. When brought to stage (with a live three piece), however, Neutral Mute takes great aims to re-imagine the work - often consciously tearing down what has been carefully crafted in the studio, to re-build the music as a more massive and lurking live edifice. Polished production antics trumpeted in the studio are relinquished on stage in exchange for the driving thrusts of live drums and a louder sound-scape more apt to thump and thrill in dark dizzy environs.
TELOGRAPH (DC locals)
Influences from modern brit-pop and new wave, are evident in Telographs music. Melodically triumphant choruses, lush instrumentals, and hooky rhythms are commonplace. Telograph is constantly refining their sound; searching for new ideas and inspiration.
GRUBSPOON (DC locals)
Formed in Washington, DC in 2002, grubspoon's brand of indie rock swerves between dark, fervent, yet epic hooks, and straightforward driving melodies that twist and morph into a frenzy of hectic vigor. The band has established a strong regional following (and a reputation to go with it) through its staggering live performances and extensive airplay on local and Internet radio.
DC NINE is at 1940 9th st, NW. show starts at 9:30 sharp! DC Locals open, out-of-town act follows. Two if by Sea Set-time at 11:15 $8 / 21+
Another Insound offer....
Anything you find here is $2.00 off. Includes The Walkmen, The Raconteurs, Grandaddy, and Gnarls Barkley.
Don't Throw Away Your Radio. Yet.
This from RHCP:
Can’t get enough of “Dani California” and dying to hear more off Stadium Arcadium before its May 9th release? Make sure to tune in to any of the stations listed below this coming Monday, May 1st at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to hear the WORLD PREMIERE of Stadium Arcadium! This will be a live broadcast from NYC with the full band. They will be playing up to 10 new songs from this amazing double CD! Here is a list of cities where you can catch the broadcast live in addition to a few that will be running it a little later!There are more stations than this. If you live somewhere crazy shoot us an email and we will try to get back to you before Monday's broadcast.
WAXQ New York
WMMR Philadelphia
WWDC Wash DC
WNNX Atlanta
WBCN Boston
WAAF Boston
WRNR Baltimore
WRRV Newburgh
WRXS Salisbury, MD
WZXR Williamsport, PA
WZBH Ocean City/Salisbury, MD
WCLG Morgantown, WV
WPDH Poughkeepsie
WEHM Long Island
Meat Puppets re-unite
Spurring me to play some Nirvana, UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK. This is truely great news. Curt Kirkwood played a solo set at IOTA in Arlington a couple of months ago and I wanted to get to it, but I think we were at 9:30 Club catching some other naughtiness that night. At any rate, it is good to hear that Cris is clean and they are fired up for a new album. The drummer from Primus getting added to the mix should make this a pretty exciting venture.
MeatSpace
Official Meat
MeatP3s
MP3: Meat Puppets - "Oh Me (Live @ The Fillmore)"
Clap Your Hands Say Ticket Pre-sale
....for Summerfest. This comes via the MD MySpace page:
Hey Everyone!
We've finally fixed up our website a bit and we've got our email working too, so if you're already on our list you probably just got an email from us. If you're not signed up yet, you can do it over at our site www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com.
What we were writing to tell you all is that pre-sale begins at 10 AM Eastern Time today, April 27 for the September 28 Central Park Summerstage show in New York City. Go here to participate.
I think about 400 tickets will be available at this time. If you miss out on the presale, never fear, the rest of the tickets will go up soon after. We'll let you know when that happens too.
And we haven't posted the dates yet, but we will be going to Australia for a few shows before playing Fuji Rock in Japan this July. All those dates will be posted soon.
xo~cyhsy
More Strokes...
This is courtesy of their MySpizzle and is the demo of "You Only Live Once," b-side to "Heart In A Cage."
MP3: The Strokes - "I'll Try Anything Once"
Warhawkin'
Controversial Justin Hawkins solo song is discussed on NME. You can listen to it at the British Whale (Hawkins' solo moniker) MySpace page.
Room on Fire: The Strokes Rock D.A.R.
I was driving into work this morning, letting the Excedrin and Bufferin seep into my bloodstream, and I threw the first track off of FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EARTH on. I forgot that my iPod was on Shuffle, but it came as a nice surprise when "Take It or Leave It" and "Reptilia" followed "You Only Live Once." All three songs played out great in a live setting last night. "Reptilia" was the strongest of all of those because Julian Casablancas was actually in the crowd for the whole thing, passing among strangers, exposed to the rest of the crowd via camera flashes, riding atop shoulders, and nailing the majority of the vocal despite his crowded and unpredictable disposition among the masses. "Reptilia" is an important song for many because it seems to be the song with the most promise on ROOM ON FIRE, their second release. People may not have liked the entire second album, many believing that it was the classic sophomore slump (to which I disagree), but for people like Top, it was the standout, and the reason to at least look into FIRST IMPRESSIONS and check out the live show. It proved to be a killer performance live, bordering on chaos, blurring the line between stage and audience, performer and crowd member. But let's start at the beginning...
Our expectations for last night were shattered. The good fortune began when we were pointed to our seats and they were box seats relatively close to the stage. We showed up after the first act was finished so we have nothing to report on Shawn Nay Nay other than his voice sounded pretty pimp on the duet he came out and nailed with Julian and the fellas ("Under Control") halfway through their set. The Strokes came out between 9:15 and 9:30 and opened with "Heart In A Cage." The energy and pace of that song carried over into nearly everything that followed. Highlights included "Ize of the World," "Someday," "Red Light" into "Soma" which moved quickly into the song that follows it on IS THIS IT?, "Barely Legal," "Alone Together," "Electricityscape," "Juicebox," "On The Other Side," "The Modern Age," "When It Started," "12:51," "The End Has No End," "What Ever Happened?" "Vision of Division" and "Last Night" which came about 3/4 of the way through the main set. "Ask Me Anything" was the only thing that tempered the frantic pace, coming around the middle of the set and featuring (as it does on the album) Nick Valensi on the keys and Julian's vocal.
Julian made his way into the crowd at the tail end of the song before "Reptilia" during some winding guitars. Initially, he was in the first aisle parallel to the stage front, most of the crowd (seemingly) expected him to get back up before the next song kicked off and found the moment and unpredictability fleeting, but "Reptilia" crept in with its building intro and we soon realized Julian was going to be in the crowd for a while, and the crowd embraced his presence. Cell phones and digital cameras reared their greedy heads and the crowd converged on the rocker everywhere he went. At times he appeared to be on top of seats, shoulders, and then other times he would disappear only to reappear somewhere else. He was sporadically illuminated by the flashes, as I mentioned earlier, and I believe the song ended with him still among the riot he had created.
He thanked the crowd several times for the noise and feedback it was providing and I couldn't help but think how different this crowd was from Franz Ferdinand's. As soon as they came out the place was on its feet, and about halfway through I looked around and there was a dance party going down in every aisle and every box. The crowd was awesome. After they finished the initial set, the crowd erupted and nearly matched the sound that the speakers had brought for the last hour and a half. I forget what they brought first in the three song encore but it closed with their first album bookends, "Take It Or Leave It" into "Is This It?" But, my head is still spinning from the performance of "Reptilia." Top's email to me says it all: "I will never listen to 'Reptilia' the same way again." I will never listen to the majority of their catalog (which they covered in a solid hour and forty-five minutes) in the same way.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
The Secret Machines: "Lightning Blue Eyes"
Another decent night of Late Night
ABC
12:05 a.m. Jimmy Kimmel Live: ATMOSPHERE, LUDACRIS
NBC
11:37 p.m. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: GODSMACK
12:37 a.m. Late Night With Conan O'Brien: EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
1:37 a.m. Last Call With Carson Daly: BUBBA SPARXXX, YING YANG TWINS
Both Atmosphere and Eagles of Death Metal are performing at Coachella. I will pass on Carson Daly tonight.
Arctic Monkeys Exclusive on iTunes now...
Its called "Who The Fuck Are The Arctic Monkeys?" and if you don't know the answer to that you might want to check it out.
Stroke it at D.A.R. tonight!
Bad views! Seats! People sitting! For a rock show! Great sound quality! Gotta take the good with the bad at D.A.R. Constitution Hall tonight. Check out The Strokes tonight,...we are hearing doors are at 8? Hopefully our parking spot directly in front is still reserved. It is sold out, but where there are bills there is a way.
Appetizers:
Professional videos & such | Not quite professional videos & such
Let your heart out of its cage and get up for the whole thing!
Jose Gonzalez appears on new Zero 7 album
MD-approved Jose Gonzalez makes a chameo on the new Zero 7 album. The album will be released on June 6 and you can pre-order here.
MP3: Zero 7 (featuring Jose Gonzalez) - Left Behind
Film School Back on the Road
Film School's s/t release continues to stand out for me as one of my favorites of 2006 (and can still be found in my iPod rotation). They've got an arena rock sound and melodies that are fit for any stage. After being robbed of their gear on their last tour, friends have kicked in with some charity gigs to get them back on their feet. The band can be heard on the following East Coast dates.
05-22 Boston, MA - Great Scott
05-23 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
05-24 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
05-25 Baltimore, MD - Fletcher's
Here are a couple of the stronger tracks from their debut.
MP3: Film School - Breet
MP3: Film School - On and On
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
After the thaw...
...and the Arctic Monkeys go home, We Are Scientists continue to roll until the wheels fall off. They recently noted their tour and support acts (Au Revoir Simone and The Double):
06/27/06 / Tue / Washington DC / Black Cat
06/28/06 / Wed / Philadelphia PA / Theatre of Living Arts
06/29/06 / Thu / Brooklyn NY / Warsaw
06/30/06 / Fri / New York NY / Irving Plaza
07/01/06 / Sat / Northampton MA / Pearl St.
07/02/06 / Sun / Boston MA / Paradise
We'll be there. Will you? Also, Keith is up for world's sexiest vegetarian at the PETA website.
Music on Late Night Tonight
Big ones tonight: Lips, Machines, and Cloud Room.
CBS
11:35 p.m. The Late Show With David Letterman: THE FLAMING LIPS
12:37 a.m. The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: BROOKS AND DUNN
NBC
11:37 p.m. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: AVANT
12:37 a.m. Late Night With Conan O'Brien: SECRET MACHINES, MANDY MOORE
1:37 a.m. Last Call With Carson Daly: THE CLOUD ROOM
Ani D: Dates & Disc
Online Exclusive from RS. No DC date.
As close as she gets:
6/17: Bridgeton, NJ, Donald Rainier Amphitheatre
7/11: Florence, MA, Pines Theatre
7/13: New York, Central Park SummerStage
Keane v. War
Everybody's changing, including Keane who have a slightly different sound and something to say about England's involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. They also received some great advice from Bono about the importance of the tracklisting and the atmosphere it creates.
My favorite Vegan
The Brooklyn Vegan delivers this morsel of trickle down macro madness via BrooklynVegan.com. Now, I am no rocket surgeon, and I sure as f*ck didn't pass Economics in school without peeping the back of the book to help me with the homework, but I like what Bud "Call Me Coolfer" Greenspan (or should that be Cool "Call Me Bud" Fer) has to say, especially that last paragraph. I guess it leads me to wonder what the long term effects of this will be. Will we see a shift from major labels to reach the accessibility levels of the smaller acts (f*ck no!)? Then what? Status Quo? Say it ain't so...or is it even a bad thing?
Breaking Coachella News
I will have a BlackBerry courtesy of the First Lady (my girlfriend) while at Coachella enabling my blogitude to blog bloggies from the outer rims of the blogosphere via email (do we call this blogmail?). If I go down, Top will pick it up and continue the mission. If Top goes down, say goodnight, things are not looking up for the continued growth and development of this smashtastic weblog. At any rate, we are going to be getting after it. I will keep everyone updated along the way: everything from beverage intake, RealFeel temperature, and the devastating effects of the combination of those two. C'mon, I am only kidding, it's all about the music. But, stay tuned, I am geared up to blow the bandwidth off this site before Tool hits the main stage.
Lady Sovereign MP3s & more...
Label
Official Site
MySpace
MP3: Mizz Beats ft. Lady Sovereign - "Adidas Hoodie Remix"
MP3: Lady Sovereign - "XXXChange Remix"
"Random Remix"
QT SM QT MED WMV MED
Lady Sovereign - "Random" (site with all formats)
QT SM QT MED WMV MED
Red Hot mtvU
I know, I know, it's MTV. Got it. But there is some potential here. I can't get it to work on my computer, but I am going to work it when I get home. Artists of note, that are featured, are RHCP, We Are Scientists, Arctic Monkeys, White Stripes, Bright Eyes, Fiona Apple, Death Cab, and more. Supposedly there is rare RHCP footage and more goodies to be had, by entering this black hole in the internet.
What is the deal with Lansing-Dreiden?
From their Web site:
Lansing-Dreiden is a multi-media company founded in Miami, FL and is currently based in New York. Its output includes artwork in the form of drawings, collages, sculpture and video, as well as the production of music recordings and Death Notice, a free newspaper containing fictional stories and images. All Lansing-Dreiden projects are fragmentary, mere stones in a path whose end lies in a space where the very definition of "path" paths.
Are these guys even a band? I've been listening to their second full length album The Dividing Island (May 9 release), think late 60s / early 70s pop full of guitars, keyboards, and psychedelia. The first song, Dividing Island, is fantastic but the remaining 9 songs have yet to really grab my attention. L-D Section II is "a five-piece live incarnation of Lansing-Dreiden's recorded output." So, is this the same band that recorded the album? I'm lost on this one.
MP3: Lansing-Dreiden - A Line You Can Cross
New Walkmen on iTunes today
"Louisiana" & "Another One Goes By" are available as downloads today on iTunes. Louisiana is the first song off the new record "A Hundred Miles Off" which is out on May 23rd.
Coachella 2006
I continue to plug away at my Coachella Resource post, but in the mean time, any of you crazy bastards that are making the pilgrimage on Friday can look at Prefix's informative post. My Coachella post would be closer to accomplishment and postdom if I didn't waste hours this morning laughing my balls off at Thighs Wide Shut. Perhaps the funniest thing I have ever seen on the net.
Wes Anderson: My Life, My Card
Apologies, this has nothing to do with music. I caught this before the previews, before I watched THE INSIDE MAN. This commercial is better than THE INSIDE MAN. Actually, there are a lot of things in the world that are better than that Spike Lee Junk. That being said, no one on this Earth delivers a line like Clive Owen. Even when there is something covering his face. Clive, you are beast. Where was I? Bottom line: Wes Anderson is a m*thaf*ckin pimp! It's his life! It's his card! Why do I hate DeNiro's add and love this one?
Scissor Sisters
I have enjoyed reading just about every rundown there is in regards to the Scissor Sisters show at Bowery this past Sunday. Here are the links:
Stereogum
Village Indian
The Modern Age
The Music Slut
Boozhy
The List: The Transition
Great transitions in music since 1980 follow. 1980 is important because it is the year I was born, and this would be too complicated if I started looking at everything before that. Some of these are marked by "interludes" like "Parabol" or "preludes" like "Son Et Lumiere." Those two tracks could actually be part of the song that follows them. Some (most) of them are marked by a drastic transition (see Pearl Jam) while others are a simple, slight tempo change (Arcade Fire, Frusciante). All of them mark some of my favorite moments in music. I like this list (in concept) because I feel like listening to an entire album is a lost art. In the age of the digital download I think many people are losing sight of the complete package. Stories are being told, there is rising action, in some cases a climax, and it is the best way to hear great songs, surrounded by what came before and what comes after. Off the top of my head at 8:00 AM:
Tool, "Parabol" > "Parabola" from LATERALUS
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Maps" > "Y Control" from FEVER TO TELL
The Mars Volta, "Son Et Lumiere" > "Inertiatic ESP" from DE-LOUSED IN THE COMATORIUM
Death From Above 1979, "Blood On Our Hands" > "Black History Month" from YOU'RE A WOMAN, I'M A MACHINE
John Frusciante, "Carvel" > "Omission" SHADOWS COLLIDE WITH PEOPLE
Arcade Fire, "Haiti" > "Rebellion (Lies)" FUNERAL
Pearl Jam, "Nothingman" > "Whipping" VITALOGY
Ben Harper, "Widow Of A Living Man" > "Glory & Consequence" THE WILL TO LIVE
Radiohead, "Airbag" > "Paranoid Android" OK COMPUTER
Maximo Park, "Apply Some Pressure" > "Graffiti" A CERTAIN TRIGGER
Cinemechanica
The difference between Cinemechanica and say, The Mars Volta, is simple. When the vocal comes in, over the angular, disjointed riffs, TMV draws you in and Cinemechanica pushes you away. Some people may like it. I am still pondering. I love the sound, I love the guitars, I love the building energy in their two donwloads, but I feel like the vocal leaves something to be desired. But, I am only one man, and I know many people that can't stand Cedric Bixler-Zavala's voice. For those people, we offer an alternative. Of course, the vocal isn't the only difference between these two bands, but I feel it was the most notable. Have a taste for yourself:
MP3: Cinemechanica - "Brain Tarp"
MP3: Cinemechanica - ""Bruckheimer
Also of note, Pitchfork is on point with the Drive Like Jehu and Q and Not U comparisons. In fact, Cinemechanica point those bands out as influences on their MySpace page, where you can download two songs in addition to the songs that are posted here.
Official Site
Live Cloud Cult
Cloud Cult recently extended their buzz (Ryspace, Daily Refill, Brooklyn Vegan) up in NYC. Here are live versions of a new song and an ADVICE FROM THE HAPPY HIPPOPOTAMUS standout:
MP3: Cloud Cult - "Chemicals Collide (Live @ Knitting Factory)"
MP3: Cloud Cult - "Washed Your Car (Live @ Knitting Factory)"
Thank you, RySpace.
Sam Roberts Band
It might be because my day is just starting. Or maybe it is the mood I am in. The Sam Roberts Band (or is it just Sam Roberts?) is the perfect backdrop to a sun rising. Commencing the road trip after a long night. Leaving something behind. Starting something new. It's the early morning and you don't want to turn on anything too intimidating. You want to ease into the music as well as the day. The coffee just started its work. So, you rub the night out of you eyes and Sam & Co. point you in the right direction.
They are another band from Canada that does it right, which is making me wonder, "what's in the water, eh?" All three songs on their MySpace page are keepers. Filter Mag, not surprisingly, gave me the hot tip and I think you will enjoy, too. It is not groundbreaking, just easily accessible, heartfelt songs with great melodies. You can listen to the entire album, CHEMICAL CITY, on their Official Site. They have three full lengths and two EPs under their belt and you can buy some of them at Insound and more of them at Amazon.
We will see them live in the Nation's Capital later rather than sooner, but the NY contingent has some opportunities to look forward to:
May 9 2006 9:00P Mercury Lounge New York, NY
May 11 2006 9:00P Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
Monday, April 24, 2006
Band Thieves; Cloud Room
This sucks. You can add Film School to that list, as well. Top and I were supposed to catch them open up for Cloud Room, but the night prior their stuff was stolen after a gig at The Fire in Philadelphia (are we noticing a trend?).
Speaking of Cloud Room, they will be on LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY tomorrow night. It is their network TV debut. Solid band.
MySpace stream four songs (one new one)
Official Site
MP3: The Cloud Room "The Sunlight Song"
The Subways @ 9:30 Club CANCELLED
This from their Official Site:
U.S. TOUR CANCELLED.9:30 Club announced the following:
4/24/06. SUMMER DATES TO BE CONFIRMED SHORTLY.
London, England: The Subways have been forced to cancel their upcoming North American Spring tour due to the fact that vocalist/guitarist Billy Lunn has developed nodules on his vocal chords. Billy is currently being treated and doctors have advised treatment and rest without singing. Doctors are optimistic and are hoping for a full recovery in about 6 weeks. The band are incredibly disappointed but promised to return to the U.S. again this summer. We hope to have new tour details ready for release shortly. In the meantime, "Oh Yeah," will be the next single from The Subways' debut album, YOUNG FOR ETERNITY, which will hit airwaves in May.
The Subways show has cancelled. Refunds available at place of purchase through 5/23/06.
Late Night Music Tonight
CBS
11:35 p.m. The Late Show With David Letterman: WILLIE NELSON
12:37 a.m. The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: THE WIGGLES
NBC
11:37 p.m. The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: DANIEL POWTER
12:37 a.m. Late Night With Conan O'Brien: NEIL YOUNG
1:37 a.m. Last Call With Carson Daly: TRAIN
Red Hot Chili Peppers @ Irving Plaza
RHCP will be at Iriving Plaza on May 8th. Here are the details from RedHotChiliPeppers.com:
04.24.06 RHCP to play promo show at Irving Plaza!
Over the years, Irving Plaza has served as Polish Army Veterans headquarters, a Yiddish theater, a burlesque house (Gypsy Rose Lee stripped here), and even a boxing arena. But for a few hours on May 8th it will be the home of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they launch Stadium Arcadium in the US.
There will be no ticket sale for this event the only way to get tickets is via Z100, Power 105 and Q 104 and and of course members can win tickets HERE (login required at RHCP.com).
Tool on eBay
I damn each and every one of these scumbags to a deserted island with a CD player and an endless supply of batteries and Joey Lawrence albums for taking tickets away from people that really wanted to go, and/or stood around in the rain and cold on Saturday (JK) trying to score these tix. You don't wait hours in line for tickets and then say, "oops! I can't go, time to sell them on eBay for 6 times the face value." These people obviously waited in line for the sole purpose of ripping off the fans. They are probably reading MAXIM or BLENDER (see below) right now watching the bids climb higher and higher. This has been going on forever, and it will continue to go on. I don't know why I am wasting my energy.
The most I ever paid for a scalped ticket was $100 to see The Mars Volta at Electric Factory in Philly ($70 or so above face). Well worth it. Tool for $500? Nah, I will settle for the Coachella gig. Anyone out there drop some outrageous coin to see a show?
Like Father, Like Son
BLENDER, the bastard child, satan spawn of MAXIM, just took a hot poop on my Mac and on my mind. The fact that SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND ranks #50 on their assanine 50 WORST THINGS TO EVER HAPPEN TO MUSIC list, justifies, explains, and confirms their relation to MAXIM magazine. The majority of the aforementioned list is hot trash. Some of it is spot on. But, come on, how hard are #42 Scott Stapp, #4 Neverland Ranch, and #12 Kevin Federline? Ducks on the pond.
Without getting into details, we need to return to SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND. The concept album is a bad thing? An emotional response to "When I'm Sixty-Four" contributes to the album's "malignant influence?" I think I just threw up in my mouth. I remember the first time I listened to this album. I was in complete awe. My dad loved the early Beatles and my mom loved the late Beatles (WHITE ALBUM, REVOLVER, SGT. PEPPER'S). I can still remember talking on end to her about the layers, the songwriting, and the overall power of that album. From the opening title track to the monumental closer, "A Day In The Life," SGT. PEPPER'S is phenomenal, not to mention ahead of its time. The influence? Positive in every way.
I need to go no further on this topic, but I will say that Maxim (and all its evil offspring) was officially dead to me when they put Pearl Jam's VITALOGY in their TOP 50 WORST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME. That's right, the album with "Corduroy," "Last Exit," "Nothingman," "Whipping," "Not For You," "Tremor Christ," "Satan's Bed," "Immortality," and "Better Man." Bullsh*t! I'm not saying it's PJ's best (see NO CODE, YIELD, VS.), but it is nowhere near being a bad album.
You may, at this point, be wondering why InMyTree found himself on Blender's website to begin with. After the scarlet haze wore off, I took a shot of Jameson's to numb the pain and I came to my senses, I wondered the same f*cking thing! I was surprised to find that a link from one of my favorite blogs of late, Largehearted Boy, sent me there. Not his fault, he was simply doing what we often do here, providing the links regardless of the band, the website, or our opinions on those things. Simply putting it out there. After all, I kind of pointed you in that direction, too. It's all good. I think I am going to go listen to SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND for a little bit. Best song on it? Easy. "A Day In The Life." Look at those lyrics.
Pearl Jam "Life Wasted"
We are a little more than a week away from putting our greedy little paws on the eighth studio release from Pearl Jam. You can watch an exclusive in studio performance of the song "Life Wasted" on Amazon now.
Neil Young: Living With War
Check out Neil Young's blog
Watch his CNN Showbiz Tonight interview clip below:
Read an article on Neil Cavuto's (Fox News) coverage of Neil Young's album and his Bush-bashing. Neil Young's album will stream here beginning April 28th, before it is on-sale to the public. I am annoyed, to say the least, at Pitchfork's coverage of all of this. I guess it rubs me the wrong way, when you insinuate someone like Neil Young is focused on a monetary aspect of the record making ("Smart planning, guys: hit the kiddies with the free music and the blog, and the old folks with the expensive concert tickets. Got your demographics covered.") I might be taking it the wrong way, but we simply don't have the luxury of a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young show at the Black Cat for $10 a pop. Back to reality. Neil Young (co founder Farm Aid, co founder Bridge School) is not a man who is looking at demographics. Just because he puts albums out on a major label doesn't mean he's any less of an artist than all of the indie bands that Pitchfork pumps. The guy's got a song called "Let's Impeach The President," he obviously has a message he wants to send. The blog and the free music are probably more about getting the info out, letting his voice and opinion be heard, than covering demographics. Just watch the interview. And be positive, when there are positive things to be said.
Gnarls Barkley @ Coachella
This just in, from the bat cave in upstate NY (1.75L Jim Beam retired)...Gnarls Barkley will be backed by a band which includes Nine Inch Nails co-founder Chris Vrenna on drums...famed bass player for Beck, Justin Meldel Johnsen...and Holly Palmer doing background vocals. Enjoy!
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Eagles of Death Metal @ Black Cat, April 22nd
First, a few notes on Rye Coalition:
*It was the first show I have attended this year that had guitar solos. Guitar solos that were more than 10 seconds. Guitar solos that extended beyond one scale. Thank you for that. I miss guitar solos.Now, the main event, Eagles of Death Metal. I am sure that Jesse Hughes will be the first one to tell you this: Eagles of Death Metal aren't out there trying to change the world or change music. They are here to have fun and party. I went in with this expectation and I was not disappointed. As soon as Hughes & Co. got on stage it was a party. Black Cat was SOLD OUT and Hughes kept repeating how awesome the crowd was. I have to admit, I was pretty proud of DC. People were dancing, singing along, getting down, and having a blast. There was a little bit of moshing around, nothing serious, just people getting into the music. It didn't hurt that it was Saturday night and people were getting their respective drink on. It was hard not to notice people leaving, refueling and then hopping back into the melee. It was great. Their cover of "Brown Sugar" was awesome and unexpected, and for me, the highlight of a great show.
*I am sticking to my assessment that these guys sound like an early Foo Fighters, which isn't a bad thing. I just wish their front man was a little scarier. He is very entertaining, but I just like to be a little afraid of frontmen (see Scott Weiland, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Maynard James Keenan, Ben Tegel). Entertaining and fun, nonetheless.
*They have some solid songs and they ripped through a great cover of AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie"
They played well over an hour and covered all of the hits that people were yelling for. Hughes kept on yelling "let's hear it for the ladies!" in between songs, as well as mentioning how many "beautiful babygirls" there were in the audience. Some of those "babygirls" were giving Jesse some material to work with, as well as encouragement and for the most part, everyone was enjoying the banter. At one point he mentioned that they had just played Phildelphia the night before and that "DC kicks Philly's ass!" Comments like this might be part of his schtick, and I don't mind that, people paid to see a show, to be entertained and Jesse was bringing it. But, it was easy to believe EODM's excitement for the show, given the crowd's energy and enthusiasm.
Their drummer, Samantha Maloney definitely brought a little harder sound to the equation than Josh Homme does on the albums. This could just be the live sound, or it could be her. Top and I both thought it was her. She added a few welcomed nuances to some of the songs, and she wasn't hard on the eyes. "Darlin' Dave" on guitar looked like a character out of HOSTEL and he hammed it up throughout the show with both Jesse and one of the techs who kept wiping down his bald (save a strange combed back mohawk) head in between songs. Jesse was the real centerpiece of the show and he kept it moving, kept the energy level up, and looked like he was having the time of his life. I will definitely give these guys another look at Coachella just because it is that much fun.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Release the Hounds!
Speaking of Darkness shit-talking, Wolfmother throws some punches at the aforementioned smack-rockers. The article then goes on to mention the influences (or lack thereof) that Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath have on Wolfmother's songs, which you can find in just about any uncreative write-up on the band that's out there. And speaking of shit-talking, I just caught a glimpse of MTV's "Yo Mamma," and proceeded to throw up in my mouth.
Ben Harper on Last Call w/ C. Daly May 2-5
This may be subject to change. The episodes are being filmed this upcoming week with tickets probably not available.
Darkness v. Coldplay
Justin Hawkins shoots jabs at Chris Martin. I can't help but love The Darkness. The first album was all about heroin, the second album starts with someone doing a line of coke. High-larious. And people say there aren't any rock stars these days. While I am on this topic, I wonder who could do more drugs in a snort/shoot/smoke to submission showdown between Justin Hawkins and Pete Doherty.
Depeche Mode Brings It PJ-style
Depeche Mode is set to release 50 recordings from their current world tour. Recording will commence on their April 27th show at Shoreline Ampitheater in Mountain View, CA. We will be catching them Saturday night when they headline Day I at Coachella.
Tool tix for City Center...
What a mess. It's always a bad sign when the venue site, not the actual event, just the venue's site...won't load 30 minutes before the tickets go on sale. JK just hopped a cab down to City Center, but it is not looking good. Thankfully I will see Tool a week from tomorrow. I don't even want to guess what these things will be going for on eBay.
Gnarls Barkley "Top of the Pops" video
Attention on deck! Rear Admiral Cee-Lo is bringing the soul out in this video. A little slowed down, but great nonetheless.
Radiohead Tour Conjecture
Take all of this for what it's worth. There is still no official word from Radiohead.
Friday, April 21, 2006
EODM Prep
Ha ha! Great concept: cameos with Jack Black and David Grohl and Jesse Hughes has a guitar that blows people's clothes off. Check out the video to "I Want You So Hard" in Quicktime or Windows.
MP3: Eagles of Death Metal - "I Want You So Hard"
Latest single, "Cherry Cola" in Windows and RealPlayer.
Wolf Parade "Modern World" vid
Here is the new video to Wolf Parade's "Modern World."
QT: Wolf Parade - "Modern World"
In other Wolf Parade news, we have no idea how that show at Ottobar went or whether or not the free tickets we handed out actually worked. But, it's all good...
Subways pull out of Coachella
The Subways are the latest drop out at Coachella. Hard-Fi pulled out yesterday.
Another Missed Opportunity
I get the email from the Ten Club yesterday that Pearl Jam will be doing an aftershow concert at the Ed Sullivan Theatre after Letterman on 5/4. Now with only 175 pairs available for NY/NJ/CT Ten Clubbers, this was going to be an extremely tough ticket. When I went online at 1pm exactly, they were already gone and after approximately 1000 refreshes, nothing changed. This wouldn't annoy me insomuch that I also didn't have any luck with Ten Club tickets for both NJ shows, someone remind me again why I am a freaking member? Just a rant, sorry. I'm certain I can walk into Arlene's Grocery tonight at 8pm for my second Cloud Cult show this week. It's not all bad...
Jim Jarmusch: Raconteurs vid
Remember the part of BROKEN FLOWERS where Bill Murray wanders onto the farm where two guys are working in a garage? I think this was what was going on in the house, but not necessarily the reason why Bill got his ass handed to him.
QT: Raconteurs - "Steady As She Goes"
WMV: Raconteurs - "Steady As She Goes"
Stream Gnarls Barkley's ST. ELSEWHERE on Myspace
A Myspace exclusive (unless you download all the leaked tracks on the internet). Listen to the full album here.
Islands: RETURN TO THE SEA
By now you've probably seen the glowing reviews for the Islands' debut. For some strange reason, I didn't expect to like this album but after several listens, I have to admit that it's pretty damn good. It's ambitious, no two songs are alike, and although it tails off a bit at the end there's enough there for me to believe that this band can carry the Montreal indie rock torch. This song really stands out for me, it reminds of a Gorillaz Demon Days b-side.
MP3: Islands - When There's a Will There's a Whalebone
New York City, Avalon, Saturday April 22 Tickets
Washington, DC, Black Cat, Tueday, April 25 Tickets
Return of the Smashing Pumpkins
From SmashingPumpkins.com: it's official, The Smashing Pumpkins are currently writing songs for their upcoming album, their first since 2000. no release date has yet been set, but the band plans to begin recording this summer.
As I'm sure InMyTree and TOP can attest, anything is better than another Billy Corgan solo tour.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
New Kaiser Chiefs songs
Very rough. Very short. Probably only for diehards. This might not be the Kaiser Chiefs, too. Isn't that the beauty of YouTube? It might not be real. NME has the article with the links. See for yo'self.
Eddie?!? Rolling Stone?!?
Well, the Sox won the series a year or so back, so I guess Eddie doing Q&A with Rolling Stone isn't the craziest thing ever.
Dead Record Label Walking
This is a good read on the rise and fall of Death Row Records and the enigmatic (?) Suge Knight.
Courtney Love & Moby
I find it slightly humorous that Moby starts praise for Courtney Love using the phrase "[i]t's actually really well-written songs." As in, we need to be convinced of her ability. I also enjoy the part where Moby uses the word "humble" to describe something that has to do with Ms. Love. I hope Moby is right, I really do, I really want to like her.
Courtney Love is also getting by with a little help from friend, Billy Corgan.
Cities; AOL Music Stream
I posted a song by Cities last week that reminded me a bit of Alice in Chains and moved on without giving it much thought. I finally downloaded another tune, "A Theme," from their debut album Cities and that fully grabbed my attention. For me, one good song from a new band warrants notice but two solid tracks deserves a much deeper dive into the tunes. That's when AOL music becomes such a great resource. You can stream the entire Cities album here. In short, it's a solid debut with several stand-out tracks (Capitol is another one) and I get the sense that this band is on the cusp of reaching the next level; just not quite there yet on all the tracks. The album was released on Tuesday. You can buy it here.
MP3: Cities - A Theme
MP3: Cities - Lancer
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