Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Octoberman

Two perfect tracks for the way the weather is headed. Here is the skinny:

"The origins of Octoberman can be traced back to Marc Morrissette's itinerant summer of 2003. Temporarily abandoning his newly-formed collective (Kids These Days), the Vancouver songwriter embarked on an expedition through Asia and Europe. By his return to North American shores, the pages of a travel journal had been blackened with lyrics inspired by his experiences abroad. The reunited Kids These Days then undertook an industrious period of touring that allowed Morrissette to discover further metropolitan muses in New York City, Los Angeles and Portland. With a wealth of new songs at his disposal, he adjourned to Experience Sound Studios with co-producer James Henderson and commenced a yearlong recording project that would result in the debut Octoberman record: These Trails Are Old and New." [Link]
I don't know what draws me to imperfect, sometimes off-key vocals (Jeff Magnum, John Frusciante). I think I like the fragility of it. The thought that it isn't perfect is appealing to me, and in a way, more sincere. Even when I look at people who have the gift of great vocal ability, I love the points when their voices are pushed to the limit, and occasionally broken. Octoberman's frontman Marc Morrisette will not overpower you with his vocals, but he will catch you by surprise. Very good stuff.

MP3: Octoberman - "Ex-Pat"
MP3: Octoberman - "Merci Cornerstore"

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Universal next in line to rival iTunes

This from Financial Times today, Universal Music is backing a new service called SpiralFrog which will allow consumers to download songs for free and instead rely on advertising (and Spyware!?!) for revenues. When the site goes live this December, customers will be able to download an unlimited number of songs to their computer and to one other device. The article doesn't specifically list the ipod as the "other device" and I have to assume that this will go a long way to determing the success of this venture. Safeguards are also in place to prevent burning CDs of the downloaded material, and if the customer does not pay monthly visits to SpiralFrog, access to their downloaded material will freeze. This is definitely something worth watching, there are still roughly 40 illegal downloads for every legal download, and you have to expect that with Universal on board, other majors will follow suit.

9/6 UPDATE: EMI has just joined in on the fun.

[More from Reuters/USA Today]

Silversun Pickups: Dear Diary, Fall Tour

Silversun Pickups have a journal that covers the last few months of their summer tour. They crossed paths with JK and I at Mercury Lounge and Piano's in NYC and Top caught them in DC. Here are their respective rundowns:

"NEW YORK.
crazy since the second we landed. fearless tv sessions, acoustic dealies, an amazing show and one not so amazing after show. kudos to the lovely singer of MAGNETA LANE for singing KISSING FAMILIES with us at PIANOS. no sleep. none. which is how NYC likes you before it spits you out towards...[PHILADELPHIA]

"WASHINGTON DC.
a funny on air interview with the U of MARYLAND radio station was fun. being interviewed by someone who has no idea who you are or why you're there is always a hoot. the BLACK CAT crowd was great. we love you. but, we played shitty. sorry. can't win 'em all. after show drinks with some nice people prepared us for our trip back to...[BROOKLYN]"
We already mentioned the Metro D-specific venues for their fall tour, but I just got an email from the closest of friends who was raving about their first listen to Carnavas. Nothing gives me more joy than introducing some to a new band. Nothing. That being said, there are more dates than what we listed previously. Here is the whole tour:

Sept 1, Live 105 Club Sessions/ San Francisco, CA
Sept 2, Art & Soul Music Festival - Live 105 Stage / Oakland, CA
***w/ VIVA VOCE***
Sept 28, The Rickshaw / San Francisco, CA
Sept 29, Howie & Sons / Visalia, CA
Sept 30, The Echo / Los Angeles, CA
Oct 1, Modified / Phoenix, AZ
Oct 3, Emo's / Austin, TX
Oct 4, Opolis / Norman, OK
Oct 5, Randy Bacon Gallery / Springfield, MO
Oct 6, Jackpot / Lawrence, KS
Oct 7, Courtyard Cafe / Champaign, IL
Oct 8, Southgate House / Newport, KY
Oct 10, Iota / Washington, DC
Oct 11, Mercury Lounge / New York, NY
Oct 12, Mercury Lounge / New York, NY
Oct 13, Johnny Brenda's / Philadelphia, PA
Oct 14, Boston University / Boston, MA
Oct 15, Middle East / Boston, MA
Oct 16, Bug Jar / Rochester, NY
Oct 17, Lee's Place / Toronto, ONT
Oct 18, Lime Spider / Akron, OH
Oct 20, Empty Bottle / Chicago, IL
Oct 21, The M-Stop / Ames, IA
Oct 24, The Hi Dive / Denver, CO
Oct 26, Neurolux / Boise, ID
Oct 27, The Crocodile / Seattle, WA
Oct 28, The Doug Fir / Portland, OR

[SSPU @ WOXY (5 song mp3) | MySpace]

 

Monday, August 28, 2006

Snowden: Dates, MP3s, & Joseph Heller

[Photo Credit]

It's either going to be these guys or Sunset Rubdown (Black Cat) on the 27th of September. While I love the track "Anti-Anti" I felt like I needed a little more convincing...and the second track down there, off of their debut EP does a good job of convincing me, especially with the breakdown at the end. JK shot me an email about these guys last week and I gave it a listen, but not a hard look (it is tough to crack my Cookie Mountain shell these days). I noticed they were coming to Baltimore, but I was unfamiliar with the venue, and I kind of left it at that.

I came back to them tonight because I read a great review of their live show at Stereogum. They played Southpaw in Brooklyn two nights ago and they are blazing through the rest of the states (well, some of them) in August and September. Something tells me we will be leaning towards catching these guys, just because Top and I love the white-knuckle, wide-eyed drive down from Baltimore on work days. Dates, music, and links follow...

Aug 29 2006 6:00P Ear X-tacy (in-store), Louisville, KY
Aug 29 2006 9:00P Uncle Pleasant's, Louisville, KY
Aug 30 2006 9:00P The Basement, Nashville, TN
Aug 31 2006 9:00P WC Don's, Jackson, MS
Sep 1 2006 6:00P End of an Ear (in-store), Austin, TX
Sep 1 2006 9:00P The Continental, Austin, TX
Sep 2 2006 4:00P Good Records (in-store), Dallas, TX
Sep 2 2006 9:00P The Amsterdam Bar , Dallas, TX
Sep 4 2006 8:00P Atomic Cantina, Albuquerque, NM
Sep 5 2006 9:00P The Trunk Space, Phoenix, AZ
Sep 6 2006 2:00P Indie 103.1 (in studio), Los Angeles, CA
Sep 6 2006 5:00P KXLU 88.9 (in studio), Los Angeles, CA
Sep 6 2006 9:00P Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
Sep 8 2006 10:00P 222 Club, San Francisco, CA 94102, CA
Sep 9 2006 9:00P Old Ironsides, Sacramento, CA
Sep 11 2006 10:00P Berbati's, Portland, OR
Sep 13 2006 9:00P Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
Sep 15 2006 9:00P Neurolux , Boise, ID
Sep 16 2006 9:00P The Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 17 2006 8:00P Hi-Dive, Denver, CO
Sep 18 2006 9:00P O'Leavers Pub, Omaha, NE
Sep 19 2006 9:00P Subterranean, Chicago, IL
Sep 20 2006 9:00P Alchemize bar, Cincinnati, OH
Sep 22 2006 10:45P The Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
Sep 25 2006 9:00P The Middle East, Boston, MA
Sep 27 2006 10:00P The Talking Head, Baltimore, MD
Sep 29 2006 9:00P The Nick, Birmingham, AL

MP3: Snowden - "Anti-Anti"
MP3: Snowden - "Come Around"

[MySpace | Snowden Official | The Talking Head Club | Catch-22]

 

Metro Nostalgia: TVOTR - Young Liars

[Photo Credit]

I have been diving into my TV On The Radio back catalog during my Return From Cookie Mountain downtime. The Young Liars [EP] came out a good two years before we kicked this blog off, so I don't think we have ever mentioned it. It is outrageously good. I can imagine how hard it might be for bands to showcase their potential (or true selves) via a four or five track EP. TV On The Radio does it with ease. Recorded in Brooklyn, NY, the EP has a total of five tracks: "Satellite," "Staring At The Sun," "Blind," "Young Liars," and a hidden track ("Mister Grieves").

While "Mister Grieves" (a Pixies cover) exposes an a capella, barebones side of TVOTR, the first four are flawless, classic TVOTR. "Staring At The Sun" later appears on Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes and has been discussed ad nauseum on Metro D. It still gets repeat listens after all this time, still amazes me, and still keeps me singing along. The other three continue to showcase the greatness (at the time it might have been deemed "potential") of TVOTR. Rapidfire percussion with deftly laid guitar parts weave in and out of beautiful vocals during "Satellite" and the two tracks after "Staring At The Sun," "Blind" and "Young Liars," are utterly haunting. I am looking forward to their Baltimore and DC shows more and more, and wondering what the setlists will look like.

MP3: TV On The Radio - "Blind"

[More TVOTR at Pitchfork]

More on the Pitchfork Effect

A buddy of mine pointed me in the direction of a new Wired Magazine feature on the Pitchfork Effect. Interesting note, it was actually written by a former editor at Spin who mentions that the influence of Pitchfork helped put him out a job (yeah, he's not bitter). This is becoming a relatively stale subject but it's an interesting read nevertheless. As much as the site frustrates us, I'll continue to look to them for new music. Case in point, I picked up the new Thermals album after an 8.5 and a "Best New Music" tag and it really is damn good. "A Pillar of Salt" fully lives up the hype.

MP3: The Thermals - "A Pillar of Salt"

The Thermals Dates:

Sep 2 2006 5:45P Bumbershoot, Seattle, WA
Sep 3 2006 5:00P Easy Street Records, Seattle, WA
Sep 16 2006 8:00P Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
Sep 22 2006 8:00P Plyamkers Pavillion, Fargo
Sep 23 2006 8:00P First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
Sep 24 2006 8:00P Pabst Theater, Milwaukee, WI
Sep 25 2006 8:00P Metro, Chicago, IL
Sep 26 2006 8:00P Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
Sep 27 2006 8:00P House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
Sep 28 2006 8:00P Icon, Buffalo, NY
Sep 29 2006 8:00P Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA
Oct 3 2006 8:00P 930 Club , Washington DC
Oct 4 2006 8:00P Club Zoo, Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 5 2006 8:00P Southgate House, Newport, KY
Oct 6 2006 8:00P City Hall, Nashville, TN
Oct 7 2006 8:00P Mississippi Nights, St. Louis, MO
Oct 8 2006 8:00P Granada Theater, Lawrence, KS
Oct 11 2006 8:00P Hailey's, Denton, TX
Oct 12 2006 8:00P Emo's, Austin, TX
Oct 15 2006 8:00P Ogden Theater, Denver, CO
Oct 17 2006 8:00P In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 18 2006 8:00P The Venue, Boise, ID
Oct 20 2006 8:00P Neumos, Seattle, WA
Oct 21 2006 8:00P Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
Oct 23 2006 8:00P The Filmore, San Francisco, CA
Oct 26 2006 8:00P Avalon, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 27 2006 8:00P House of Blues, San Diego, CA
Oct 28 2006 8:00P Glass House, Pomona, CA
Oct 29 2006 8:00P House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV
Nov 2 2006 8:00P Bowery Ballroom, NYC, NY

Panic! at the Bloc Party

[Photo Credit]

I still don't know what to think of this. As much as Franz Ferdinand opening for Death Cab For Cutie was a joke, it pales in comparison to this pairing. There is nothing to say other than we will be there and my hopes are that this is along the lines of a twin bill (Editors & stellastar*) and not an 8 song set from Bloc Party to prepare the kiddies for Panic! At The Disco. The biggest issue perhaps is that it pits two extremely hungry fanbases against each other. Scaplers will make a killing, and I can imagine there might be some tension in the crowd (but I honestly hope that's just me being pessimistic). At any rate, it just doesn't seem right. Or fair. Or smart. Or any number of things. Rolling Stone has a pretty funny headline below.

Nov. 7: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Bank Atlantic Center)
Nov. 8: Orlando, Fla. (UCF Arena)
Nov. 9: Atlanta (Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre)
Nov. 10: Charlotte, N.C. (Cricket Arena)
Nov. 11: Fairfax, Va. (Patriot Center)
Nov. 13-14: New York (Theatre at Madison Square Garden)
Nov. 16: Toronto (Ricoh Coliseum)
Nov. 17: Rochester, N.Y. (Gordon Field House)
Nov. 18: Lowell, Mass. (Tsongas Arena)
Nov. 19: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
Nov. 21: Auburn Hills, Mich. (The Palace of Auburn Hills)
Nov. 22: Chicago (UIC Pavilion)
Nov. 24: Minneapolis (U.S. Bank Theatre)
Nov. 25: St. Charles, Mo. (Family Arena)
Nov. 26: Council Bluffs, Iowa (Mid America Center)
Nov. 28: Denver (Magness Arena)
Nov. 29: Salt Lake City, Utah (E Center)
Dec. 1: Portland, Ore. (Memorial Coliseum)
Dec. 2: Vancouver (Pacific Coliseum)
Dec. 3: Seattle (Everett Events Center)
Dec. 5: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Dec. 6: Long Beach, Calif. (Long Beach Arena)
Dec. 7: Glendale, Ariz. (Glendale Arena)
Dec. 8: Las Vegas (Orleans Theatre)
Dec. 9: San Diego (ipayOne Center)

MP3: Bloc Party - "Helicopter" (Live @ Coachella)
MP3: Bloc Party - "Waiting for the 718" (Live @ Coachella)

[Billboard | Rolling Stone]

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Pearl Jam - Bootlegging

I recently got off my ass and finally downloaded the Pearl Jam show that Top and I caught on May 30th here in DC. Here are a couple of notes:

*Have your Java updated.
*Have your login info handy.
*Recognize that you will receive a handful of pictures and .pdf files with the songs.
*Know where it is downloading to on your computer.
*Be patient.
That being said, it is a relatively painless process. I am not sure if it was due to my incompetence or if it was struggling with my Mac, but I downloaded all of the even numbered songs one by one (as opposed to the entire set at once). When I started on the odd numbered songs it rolled right through them, but forgot the opener, "Release." I gave the thing a break and came back to it about five minutes later and it had recognized the error, and downloaded "Release" on its own. Money.

Above are some samples of the quality of photos they will send you, in addition to the songs. Below are some highlights from their Washington, DC set this year. A couple of classics, a couple of covers.

MP3: Pearl Jam - "Present Tense" (Live in Washington, DC)
MP3: Pearl Jam - "Release" (Live in Washington, DC)
MP3: Pearl Jam - "Fuckin' Up" (Live in Washington, DC)
MP3: Pearl Jam - "Masters of War" (Live in Washington, DC)

[PearlJam.com | Bootleg Site]

Trailers: Scorcese, Nolan, & Ed Norton

The Departed
My last hope for Scorcese to return to form. Strike One: DiCaprio's in it. And he will probably fuck up the Beantown accent in a major way. Nicholson, Damon, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin give it a fighting chance.

The Prestige
Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins, and Insomnia) directs Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johannson, and Hugh Jackman. Magic.

The Illusionist
One name: Ed Norton. With Paul Giamatti by his side, nothing is what it seems.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Justin Timberlake @ 9:30 Club, August 25th

[Photo Credit]

Photo note: Tickets said "no camera/no recording." I didn't risk it. Once we got to the 9:30 Club it said "no flash photography"...you win some, you lose some. This shot is from his show in Anaheim according to the website, but this was the vibe. Timbaland and JT dressed to kill.

Opened with "Cry Me A River." Justin comes out with a suit and tie on. Nails the song. Throwing middle fingers, sexual motions (doggy, jerking off) during key parts of the Britney-influenced song. He has a ten piece band behind him. Four backup singers (two male, two female), two giutars, a keyboard far left, a keyboard far right that the bassist switches off with and a drummer. Phenomenal band. Some songs got some solo guitar action from the lead guitarist, very nice touch. "Cry Me A River" into "Senorita" into "My Love" (supposedly the next single). At times JT is playing guitar, other times he is behind the keys ("What Goes Around"). Setlist was laden with a lot of new songs, "What Goes Around" stood out for me. Great dance vibe to it, but slow in a sense. As the show rolled on he moved through his hits, as well as the new stuff, and eventually shed the jacket, the tie, until it was just an unbuttoned shirt and a wife-beater. The ladies were eating it up. He closed the main set with a "Rapper's Delight" riff extending into "Smells Like Teen Spirit" that flowed into "Rock Your Body" and then back into "Rapper's Delight." I want to say that he started that song off playing the guitar.

Justin can fucking dance. Did I mention that? It wasn't exactly showcased, but it was noticeable when he was effortlessly rocking out to the songs. What a talent. Lights go off, JT exits stage left. Crowd goes ape. Band kicks into "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Justin comes back out and they launch into "SexyBack." Enter Timbaland stage left, double-breasted suit with a huge grin on his face. "SexyBack" segues into "Promiscuous" (Nelly Furtado track, but featuring Timbaland and a JT cameo in the video) and then back to "SexyBack." Justin tells that crowd that he doesn't come to DC without doing "some fucking Go-Go." They roar into this go-go version of "SexyBack" and one by one he announces the members of the band and they depart. As the lead guitarist took his guitar off, Justin noted, "this muthafucka is from DC!" It closes out with a tight drum solo and only JT on stage. I left completely fucking impressed...

Raising the Bar in Sup Pop Admiration

I wanted to call attention to a post that really impressed me while randomly browsing the Hype Machine . I am Fuel, You are Friends (this blog already gets major points for the "Leash" title) has gone above and beyond with a retrospective of Sub Pop's Signals Singles Club. As someone who grew up listening to grunge music, why I never joined this club is beyond me but her collection of rare mp3s is astounding. From late 80s, early 90s rarities from Nirvana (1988!), Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, FLaming Lips, etc. to more recent rare gems from the White Stripes, Death Cab, etc. Wow.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Metro D is Bringin' Sexy Back!

Guess where I am headed...at the 9:30 Club, with the First Lady, of course, and a full report will follow...

More Boo Birds for Kasabian

I hate to keep shitting on a band that I like but this Playlouder review of Empire was just too damn funny to ignore. I can't recommend this enough. In a shocker to no one, NME LOVES the album even going so far as to say there is "going to be a hearty scrap between this lot, Muse and the Monkeys when album of the year time comes round." Doubt it.

It's not all bad news though, these guys still put on one hell of a show (Thank You, DC!) and Filter is now reporting that Mew will be opening up for Kasabian on their upcoming tour. This one shouldn't be missed. Dates below:

September
17 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
20 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
21 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of The Living Arts
24 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
26 - Montreal, QUE - Club Soda
27 - Toronto, ONT - Phoenix Concert Theatre
29 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall

October
2 - Chicago, IL - Metro
3 - Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
5 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
7 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
10 - San Diego, CA - TBA
11 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda
13 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
15 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Beirut @ Warehouse Last Night

1000yregg was there. He has great pics and a rundown.

Bound Stems Tour Dates

You can pre-order Appreciation Night at Amazon.com. It comes out September 19th and we already told you that it is well worth it.

08.27 Pittsburgh PA, Garfield Artworks, 4931 Penn Ave.
08.28 Gambier OH, Kenyon College
08.29 Buffalo NY, The Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk
08.30 New York NY, Mercury Lounge, 217 E Houston, 9PM, 21+
08.31 Cambridge MA, TT the Bear's, 10 Brookline St.
09.02 Norfolk, VA, Relative Theory Records, 271 Granby Street
09.03 Philadelphia PA, The Khyber, 55 S. Second St.
09.04 Washington DC, The Red and the Black, 1212 H Street NE
09.05 Charlotte NC, The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd, 9PM, 18+
09.06 Nashville TN, Grimey's, 1604 8th Ave. S, 21+
09.08 Chicago IL, The Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave, 7PM, $5
09.22 Chicago IL, Schuba's, 7:00 - ALL AGES, 10:00 - 21+
09.25 Omaha NE, O'Leavers, 1322 Saddle Creek Rd.
09.26 Lincoln, NE, Knickerbocker's, 901 O St.
09.27 Denver CO, The Oriental Theatre, 4335 W. 44th
09.29 Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Ct.
09.30 Seattle WA, The Paradox, 1401 N Leary Way, All Ages
10.03 Chico CA, Off Limits, 1414 Park Ave
10.05 San Fransisco CA, Rickshaw Stop, 155 Fell St
10.06 Los Angeles CA, El Cid, 4212 W Sunset Blvd
10.08 Albuquerque NM, Atomic Cantina, 315 Gold Ave SW
10.10 Austin TX, Emo's, 603 Red River, All Ages
10.11 Houston TX, The Proletariat, 903 Richmond Ave.
10.13 Dallas TX, SMU South Quad, 6425 Boaz Lane
10.14 Oklahoma City OK, The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western
10.20 Dayton OH, The Night Owl, w/ Maritime
10.21 New York NY, The Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St, 21+
10.22 Cambridge MA, The Middle East, 472 Mass Ave

MP3: Bound Stems - "My Kingdom For A Trundle Bed"
MP3: Bound Stems - "Wake Up Ma And Pa Are Gone"

More mp3s at Flameshovel Records.

 

Priestess in VA

[Photo Credit]

A non-descript website titled "Caroline Distribution Artists Online" provides the following dates for metal act Priestess:

09.07.2006 PEARL STREET (DOWNSTAIRS) NORTHHAMPTON MA
09.08.2006 MAXWELL'S HOBOKEN NJ
09.11.2006 ASBURY LANES ASBURY PARK NJ
09.12.2006 STATE THEATRE FALLS CHURCH VA
09.13.2006 RAM'S HEAD TAVERN ANNAPOLIS MD
09.14.2006 THE KHYBER PHILADELPHIA PA
09.15.2006 WORLD FAMOUS SPIEGELTENT NEW YORK NY
09.16.2006 HARPER'S FERRY ALLSTON MA

There are a couple of opportunities for the East Coasters to catch up with her metal highness, Annapolis, Philly, NoVA, etc. Priestess recently (last Sunday?) opened for GWAR at Sonar. As much as I wanted to catch that show, it just wasn't in the cards. This show, according to State Theater's website pairs them with Nashville Pussy on September 12th. If this is the case, then I might have to do this...

For those who have never been, State Theater is a great venue. We caught Black '47 there the last time Black '47 did the Baltimore/Washington area...was that early this year? Or late last year? At any rate, good food, tables between the bars, with stairs on both side that lead to a dancefloor area. If you are boozing the cab ride isn't that expensive ($12?) out of Arlington (I don't know about DC). We got shellshocked and our only issue was catching a cab back...but, in typical Metro D fashion, we got it done. Rumor has it that there is an Orange Line Metro within walking distance...but we weren't sane enough to make it happen. We aren't worthy of our own name.

Check out the State Theater site below, there are some interesting shows coming through: Mates of State, Dead Kennedys (new lead singer), Lez Zeppelin, Gin Blossoms, Blue Oyster Cult (insert cowbell joke here)...

[Caroline Distribution | The State Theater | Priestess]

Across The Wire

*Details on the new album from The Shins are at Billboard.com. [Link]

*Isis is opening for Tool and, apparently, doing a damn good job. [Link]

*Answer Insound's music quiz and get 20% off your order.
[Link]

*Stuff we already know about TMV at Rolling Stone.
[Link]

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

9:30 Club Acronym Action: TOD, TVOTR, BSS

[Photo Credit]

Tickets for the Trail of Dead/Blood Brothers show at 9:30 Club (November 14th) are finally on sale. Scroll all the way down. There are other notables on the page like Ladytron, Yo La Tengo, Frank Black, The Decemberists and...TV on the Radio. Yeah, I just about exploded when I noticed that shit, it is not posted on their MySpace or their Official Site. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10:00PM, the show is Sunday, October 15th, the Sunday before they play Sonar. If you think that Metro D isn't participating in both shows that week you are out of your mind. Broken Social Scene tickets (November 7th) go on sale on Friday, August 25th at 5 PM. Get some.

MP3: Trail of Dead - "Another Morning Stoner"
MP3: Trail of Dead - "Baudelaire"

Trail of Dead Tour Dates:

October 27th -- Denver, Colorado - Gothic Theatre
October 28th -- Lawrence, Kansas - Granada Theatre
October 29th -- St. Louis, Missouri - Washington University
October 31st -- Chicago, Illinois - House of Blues
November 1st -- Minneapolis, Minnesota - The Quest
November 2nd -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - The Eagles Club
November 3rd -- Columbus, Ohio - Newport Music Hall
November 4th -- Detroit, Michigan - Majestic Theatre
November 5th -- Toronto, Canada - Phoenix
November 6th -- Montreal, Canada - La Tulipe
November 8th -- Boston, Massachusetts - Avalon Ballroom
November 9th -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Trocadero
November 10th -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Trocadero
November 11th -- New York, New York - Irving Plaza
November 12th -- New York, New York - Irving Plaza
November 14th -- Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
November 15th -- Charlotte, North Carolina - Tremont Music Hall
November 16th -- Atlanta, Georgia - The Masquerade
November 17th -- Orlando, Florida - The Firestone
November 18th -- St. Petersburg, Florida - Jannus Landing
November 20th -- New Orleans, Louisiana - House of Blues
November 21st -- Houston, Texas - Warehouse Live
November 22nd -- Austin, Texas - Emo's
November 23rd -- Austin, Texas - Emo's
November 24th -- Dallas, Texas - Granada
November 25th -- Lubbock, Texas - Jake's Backroom
November 27th -- Phoenix, Arizona - Marquee Theatre
November 28th -- Las Vegas, Nevada - House of Blues
November 29th -- San Diego, California - House of Blues
November 30st -- Los Angeles, California - Henry Fonda Theatre
December 1st -- Los Angeles, California - Henry Fonda Theatre
December 2nd -- Pomona, California - Glasshouse
December 5th -- San Francisco, California - The Fillmore
December 6th -- Portland, Oregon - Crystal Ballroom
December 7th -- Seattle, Washington - Showbox
December 8th -- Bellingham, Washington - Night Light
December 9th -- Victoria, Canada - Sugar
December 10th -- Vancouver, Canada - Croatian Cultural Theater
December 11th -- Calgary, Canada - MacEwan Ballroom
December 12th -- Edmonton, Canada - Reds
December 14th -- Salt Lake City, Utah - In the Venue

Silversun Pickups @ Pianos, August 3, 2006



What seems like decades ago, JK and I had a momentous night of music that received little coverage on our little lifezine. We caught Muse at Hammerstein Ballroom. It was as epic as epic gets. So epic that the battery in my camera was completely cooked when I tried to take my first picture. Snuck that fucker in and everything. Oh well. Cloud Room opened, and in a way, I felt bad for them. It was probably a big deal for them to open up for Muse, but the majority of the crowd was simply there to see Muse. Cloud Room's sound, additionally, was much better when Top and I caught them at Black Cat.

Following the Muse show, JK and I hopped a cab to Mercury Lounge where we caught Silversun Pickups. Brooklyn Vegan was there, and apparently, so was MTV. I kind of thought the MTV thing was a joke. Which is the reason why I laughed and beer came out of my nose when someone yelled, "MTV sucks," or something creative like that when it was announced that the "You Heard It Here First" crew was up in that mutha. Brooklyn Vegan also took much better pictures, probably had a far better camera, and most likely, a lower BAC. Silversun Pickups seemed a little loaded, too, but it didn't keep them from test-driving some new songs. They sounded fantastic. All night long. I found the lead singer to be an absolute riot. At one point he quoted Marty's line to the band in Back To The Future where he tells the guys what key to play in and to "keep up with the changes."

Following their set at Mercury Lounge we bounced around the area, rolled into Welcome to the Johnson's, smashed some PBR's at which point JK decided that it would be responsible to get home and get some rest before his flight the next day, which suddenly, was today, and in fact, hours away. I grabbed my backpack at his crib and promised Dr. Thomas Beckett (who appeared halfway through the SSPU set), his brother, and lady friend that I would meet them at Piano's. JK and I checked our Fantasy Baseball teams on-line, I bummed some CDs (notably Priestess and Tokyo Police Club), charged my camera batt and we said our farewell. On to Piano's.

On my way, I see Beckett and crew rolling down the street swilling some ghosts, he points to Piano's across the street and we converge on the beautiful noise coming from backstage (as well as the bar). BVegan has the details of who exactly was on stage, I was in the back talking to Mr. Patron, taking bad pictures while Beckett asked me why his post about Radiohead at the Greek Theater was yanked from Metro D...It went from there. What a great night. Timing is everything.

MP3: Silversun Pickups - "Dream at Tempo 119"

Let em riot. We're Sonic-fuckin'-Death Monkey.

[Photo Credit]

I don't know how many people out there check out The Crutch but I, for one, love how they roll. I am currently enjoying the educational experience that is The Movement That Never Was, a great little series of posts that The Crutch put up in July, but this post grabbed my attention today. First off, take a look at the fucking calendar. Neutral Milk Hotel, Whiskeytown, and Elliott Smith in the course of a month in 1997. Tight. Second, dig on those tracks...some unbelievable bands and artists, doing it live. Third, High Fidelity. One of my favorite music-themed movies, ever.

My introduction to High Fidelity came in college. I was rolling through the issue point bookstore, picking up my required English major textbooks and a class that I was not able to take (because of fucking basketball practices) had a shitload of great novels and contemporary works. The names are escaping me now, but David Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius was in there, and so was Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. We weren't allowed to grab books from classes we weren't in (even though I would pay for it), but I grabbed 'em anyway. I read High Fidelity throughout that night and finished it the next day. I couldn't stop laughing. And relating. I have never read anything that captures the music-oriented male mind so effectively and accurately. Making fucking random lists ("Top Five B-Sides Ever"), contemplating songs that will play at your funeral (Ben Harper's "Pleasure and Pain" better be at mine, assholes) and feeling the need to call up ex-girlfriends and figure out what went wrong years after the fact. It is fucking brilliant.

It is always difficult to make a great movie out of a great book. I can name a few utter failures off the top of my head: Cold Mountain, The Shipping News and Snow Falling On Cedars. That said, I am deathly afraid to watch Ridley Scott's adaptation of the greatest American novel of the last half-century, Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian. My issues with Scott's plans aside, people always find the need to make books into movies, but it is rarely a complete success. The last time a McCarthy book was adapted (All the Pretty Horses), the powers that be insisted that the director's cut (four hours in length) be slashed almost in half prior to release. You can predict the results without even seeing the movie. The bottom line is that it is difficult to do a great book justice. Movies generally run one and a half to two hours. You can't pack every scene from a 300 page novel into a two hour movie, it simply won't work. But you can flesh out great characters, develop them, capture the important scenes, and watch it flourish under solid direction. This, is exactly what Stephen Frears was able to accomplish with High Fidelity.

Perfectly cast actors like Jack Black, John Cusack (who co-wrote the adapted screenplay), Lisa Bonet, Tim Robbins, and Todd Luiso bring a fantastic screenplay to life, transporting the novel's original location and vibe of London, England to Chicago, Illinois. I only frequent the windy city on booze-fueled trips that center around baseball, competing in wiffle ball contests in the shadows of Wrigley, and drinking Old Styles until my liver falls out. That being said, Top is the Chicago live music guru of our humble crew and he might be able to discuss whether or not High Fidelity, the film, stayed true to Chi-town with some of the Wax-Trax! record references, hanging in Wicker Park, and Rob's "taking a knee" in The Rainbo Club. Cusack is originally from Evanston, Illinois and is known for rocking The Clash t-shirts in most of his movies, so something tells me he ensured that they did it right.

The soundtrack, out on Hollywood Records, is top notch. It features the likes of Love (RIP Arthur Lee), The Kinks, Bob Dylan, Stereolab, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Stevie Wonder, and not to mention, one of my favorite Velvet Underground tracks, "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" and the best Beta Band song ever, "Dry the Rain." It is one of the few soundtracks I can push play to, sit back, and not worry about a bum track popping up and ruining the experience. And if Jack Black covering Marvin Gaye isn't worth the price of admission, I don't know what is...

MP3: Neutral Milk Hotel - "Two-Headed Boy"
A day late, a dollar short. What I wouldn't do to see some of these tracks live. I love this one in particular for the way Jeff Magnum's voice appears to be on the verge of breaking. Pitchfork is as Pitchfork does, but they are on the money when they claim IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA and OK COMPUTER are the best albums of the 90s.

MP3: Elliott Smith - "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free"
There is nothing to say about this guy that hasn't already been said. October 21, 2003 was an incredibly sad day.

MP3: Jack Black - "Let's Get It On"
Hilarious part of the movie, and not as bad as you might think.

MP3: The Beta Band - "Dry the Rain"
It plays twice in the movie. The first time is in the record store (Championship Vinyl), when Rob Gordon (played by Cusack) declares: "I will now sell four copies of 'The Three EPs' by The Beta Band." The second time is when Rob takes a knee and proposes to Laura.

MP3: Ben Harper - "Pleasure and Pain"
I figure I have another 60, 70 years of blogging left in the tank.

    
 

Where There's A Will, There's A YouTube...

...and where there's a YouTube, there is a Metro D first hand account. Avoid the Pitchforkian humor when traversing to this site. It has the YouTube of The Mars Volta catching a urine bomb. During my conversation with Frattitude yesterday we were discussing this at length. Why the fuck would someone throw piss on someone that is performing? You don't like the show? Leave. You had to go really bad? No excuse. Prior planning prevents poor pissing performance. You're a complete fucking asshole? OK, you got me.

Listen. I have been to bad shows. I have been to some really bad shows. I had Wu-Tang Clan rock my world for 40 minutes and then exit the stage asking me if I wanted to drop another $50 on a fucking T-shirt. Piss-bomb worthy? Perhaps. I had Billy Corgan wander through a gag-challenging set at 9:30 Club all while acting like a fucking snot. Piss-bomb worthy? Maybe. And what did Top and I do in both cases? Leave. Walked away. We left Corgan 5 songs in. We left Corgan to people that wanted Corgan that bad. Shit like this pisses me off. It's senseless. And Omar's reaction is completely fucking warranted. Naturally, you heard it here, first. Props to Ryno for the accuracy of his quote. Fuck. We're good.

Are you ready for the Annuals?

I'm getting a kick out of watching the buzz quickly spread on the Annuals. The indie world eagerly awaits; is this the next band that completely blows up with a soaring Pitchfork review? Think Clap Your Hands Say Yeah of 2005 or Arcade Fire of 2004. Quick recap: As BV pointed out today, Postcore hinted at this in the July 17 post and right on schedule, Ryan Schreiber, with references to Animal Collective, Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire, was practically drooling over the first single "Brother" in their 7/18 song review. You know what? He should be. "Brother" is a fucking phenomenal song and before you get caught up in Ryan Schreiber's comparisons, give the band credit, they do have their own sound. Annuals, based in Raleigh, NC, was formed by 19 year old Adam Baker and currently stands as a 6-piece . It's not clear yet when the album, Be He Me, will be released (Ace Fu just says this fall) but they will be opening up for Tapes 'n Tapes at the Black Cat on Halloween. Below are the 3 songs currently available for download through Ace Fu. Browse the blogosphere for others.

MP3: Annuals - "Brother"
MP3: Annuals - "Dry Clothes"
MP3: Annuals - "Bleary Eyed"
MySpace (One additional song)

UPDATE: Pitchfork tells us today (8/28) that their debut will be out on Oct. 17th.

E-mail Wars.

Throughout the course of any given day, I will usually go back and forth with Top and JK about 10-15 times each over topics ranging from music to the Red Sox to fantasy baseball. Here is an e-mail I sent to JK this morning. I feel the need to push it out because sometimes we put so much into the e-mailing that we don't communicate appropriately on Metro D. My reference to The Mars Volta refers to an expansive quality of the music (not necessarily what it sounds like), something that can be observed and approached from infinite angles:

Bro. RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN. Holy fuck. Usually my outrageous enthusiasm dies down after a day or so, but in cases like this and PINK, I can't fucking help it. The track that Bowie does background vocals for is wild ("Province"). Lyricism is ridiculous. The line "I was a lover before this war," which starts the album, hits a nerve that I cannot even explain. Without knowing what TVOTR's frame of reference is for writing such a line, it hits me fucking hard. There is so much at work. So much to dive into. It is like a controlled Mars Volta album. They don't stray too far from the path, but there is a lot of experimentation and the cup of creativity overfloweth. When I listen to it, and think about seeing them at Coachella [a performance that had me in tears], I well up. These guys are fucking powerful. A complete package. An emotional experience. With DFA '79 out of the loop, these guys just stepped up to the plate and told me who my new favorite, young band is. Them.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

[Metro D: TVOTR @ Coachella | Metro D: Pics of TVOTR @ Coachella]

With JK dropping some depressing news about Kasabian's latest, Empire, I have to add that another release we were both excited about it, TVOTR's Return to Cookie Mountain lives up to every ounce of hype it receives. The import arrived at my door last night and it has been on repeat ever since. It is a "don't touch the dial" experience that begs a concentrated listen. Layers upon layers, vocals, horns, and percussion combine, collide and expand over 11 tracks. It pulses and throbs its way to amazing, heart-pounding highs ("Wolf Like Me,"), soulful vocal-centered tracks ("Province"), delicate explorations ("Tonight"), methodical, lyrical masterpieces ("Hours") and a tripped-out, eclectic leadoff that puts the hooks in immediately ("I Was A Lover"). My expectations for their show at Sonar in October are now completely outrageous and this CD has claimed the top spot from Boris's Pink as my favorite album of the year. That may be a knee-jerk reaction, so stay tuned for a retraction or affirmation after I come down from this sonic high.

I went ahead and purchased the import because I couldn't wait for the stateside September 12 release date. That being said, I have been painted into a corner with the news that the American release will have three additional songs. Always the fan, and always in need, I solved this delicate problem by pre-ordering the US Return to Cookie Mountain through Insound. I am OK with it because I will get a TVOTR poster with the order...and, as mentioned earlier, three additional tracks. Well, two actually, because one of the tracks, "Things You Can Do," is a B-side to "Wolf Like Me," a CD Single that arrived last night, as well. It's a vicious cycle, friends. Vicious.

MP3: TV On The Radio - "Hours"

   

Assessing the Leaks

First off, some sad news regarding one of my favorite record stores: Tower Records is seeking a buyer after filing for Chapter 11 for a second time today. They've already been cut off by major music suppliers for failure to pay its bills. It's becoming more and more apparent that online is the best bet for buying music. Many of those sites (like Insound and Amazon) cater to music junkies by offering free shipping once an order exceeds a certain price. This makes places like Best Buy, and the pricier Barnes & Nobles option, completely useless in terms of bargain music, because they are charging $18.95 a pop for something that can be bought online for 2/3 or 1/2 the price. Combined with the price of gas and the inability for people outside of major cities to get exactly what they want (Best Buy isn't stocking their shelves with Cloud Cult, plain and simple), online is the way to go. Not to mention, they are fucking efficient.

A couple comments on two albums that I've been listening to that have yet to hit (virtual) store shelves. First is The Decemberists' The Crane Wife (pictured). I won't claim to know an awful lot about this band and I wasn't really introduced to their music until I started listening to Picaresque. I have to say, however, that their Capitol debut is really impressive. It's left a lasting impression on me and I'm recognizing now that I need to get more acquainted with their back catalog. The song that really sticks out for me is the 12-minute epic, "The Island-Come & See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'’ll Not Feel The Drowning." My other favorites include "The Perfect Crime 2", "When the War Came," and "Summersong."

Second, is Kasabian's Empire. The response to this album has been horrendous and it's warranted. Tell me this album is a collection of b-sides and I'm not mad at it but telling me it's a British classic crushes their credibility. I don't really think it's as bad as everyone makes it out to be but maybe I'm disillusioned and holding out hope that it will grow on me. This was also one of my most anticipated albums of the year so I guess I have that going for me. A couple warning signs that I failed to recognize along the way: "the follow-up to their 2004 self-titled debut, 'took just five weeks to record'," and "the band wrote material for the album, which was produced by Jim Abiss (Arctic Monkeys, Placebo, Paul Oakenfold) 'right up to the wire'." Their first single, "Empire" is the best track on the album and the new wave element is still working on tracks like "Shoot the Runner", "Me Plus One", and "Sunrise" but the songs on the second half of the album lack any real distinction. The Oasis similarites also aren't helping their career and it's quite possible that "Aponea" is one of the worst songs of the year. I'm also going to miss their NYC show in September and their chance to make up for the lackluster effort. Depressing.

AOL Music Full Album Streams

A few albums worth mentioning this week.

Outkast - Idlewild
What Made Milwaukee Famous - Trying to Never Catch Up
Ratatat - Classics

Saturday, August 19, 2006

New Kasabian album stream at MySpace


I was just thinking the other day that I was surprised that the new Kasabian album, Empire, hadn't leaked yet. Well, as far as I know, it still hasn't but the band has attempted to stay one step ahead by putting up the entire album stream on MySpace. Listen here. So far, every response on the Stereogum post board has been negative. I'm not sure if that's just typical hipster hate but it's certainly not a good sign. I need to listen to it a few times before I form an opinion.

utra8201 has some Kasabian (and the Killers) tour dates.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

CMJ Music Marathon

The initial list of confirmed acts looks most impressive this year. Top and I are shaky for getting up to any of this, but JK should be all over it, especially with the likes of White Whale and Hot Chip in there. The following is from Billboard.com:

The Black Keys, Deerhoof, Joseph Arthur, Blue Cheer, Portastatic, Suzanne Vega, Keren Ann, Hot Chip, the Slits and Madlib are among the first batch of artists confirmed for the annual CMJ Music Marathon, to be held Oct. 31-Nov. 4 at venues throughout New York.

The festival has also nabbed a host of buzzed-about acts, including Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups, the Knife, Professor Murder, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and the Boy Least Likely To.

Rounding out the initial lineup are Been Lee, Erase Errata, Holly Golightly, White Whale, Dr. Dog, Cloud Clut, Strike Anywhere, Mute Math, hellogoodbye, Extra Golden and These Arms Are Snakes.
[Billboard | CMJ Website]

Smashing Pumpkins In The Studio

No word on who else is a member of the Smashing Pumpkins other than Billy Corgan. Whatever keeps Billy Corgan away from solo albums and terrible solo tours is fine with me. And if they disband tomorrow and never put out another album, that's fine, too, we now have Silversun Pickups.

[Pitchfork: Smashing Pumpkins In Studio]

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Tell Me What You Don't Like About Yourself

[Photo Credit]

One of the best openings to any movie, ever, is the opening scene to The Big Chill. Of course, there is some mystique about it: Kevin Costner is actually the dead friend whose face we never see, the flashback scenes that included him were cut, and the royalties for the song playing during the funeral were too expensive to get on either of the two soundtracks. Those soundtracks are phenomenal without the song in question, but it is an awesome piece of movie history and the song, well, one of my favorite Stones' tracks: "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

It had been a while since I last heard it and then it appeared, at a crucial moment, in the nip/tuck back catalog. I think it is Season 2, Julia walks through a glass sliding door, and after refusing to do it once, Sean decides to operate on the wife he is separated from. The novocaine comes down. Julia descends from 10. 9. 8. Liz waves the CD player on and I am thinking, this is a fucking huge scene, what are they bringing....and there it was, The Rolling Stones. The dream sequence that follows is masterful, complete with a sexier than sexy Famke Janssen (who, we will later discover, used to be a dude) in a white business suit, top hat and veil, walking Julia through a what-might-have-been scenario that pulls out all the stops.

I started watching nip/tuck last year. I was initially drawn to it because it was very dark and dealt with strange, off-beat topics. Leading up to the Season 4 premiere on September 5th, F/X has been running episodes of the series, in order on Saturday nights (thank you, DVR). Finally able to close the loop on some things I didn't quite pick up on, I am amazed at the character arcs, consistency and writing on this show. Yeah, it is about some plastic surgeons on South Beach that are self absorbed and borderline crazy, but the overall issues that each episode tackles (beauty, drug muling, self-image, sex, rape, serial killers, drug abuse, the porn industry, transgender lifestyles, religion, etc.) are tackled with ease. It is smartly executed, week in and week out. If you can handle watching a scalpul rip into someone's face and a liposuction tool jab back and forth across a human ass for a few minutes, and you stick around for the characters and the subplots, you will be in for a real treat.

I have to hand it to them, someone at F/X knows what the fuck they are doing. I sat back and thought about it the other day and realized that the only shows I crave are on F/X (The Shield, nip/tuck, Rescue Me) and HBO (Entourage, The Sopranos). Rescue Me will be tackled at some point on Metro D (as will The Shield) and I will definitely need to discuss the scene last week when Tommy, a recovering alcoholic and New York firefighter (played by Dennis Leary), walks into a bar and orders "eight fingers" of the most expensive Irish Whiskey in the place and then asks why it is that everyone in the bar could name the last five contestants on American Idol, but they can't name one of the firefighters who died during 9-11. Calling it intense is a gross understatement. Rescue Me is superior to nip/tuck because the plotline (working class families pushing through tragedy and everyday life) is easily accessible and believable, at least moreso than the fantasy world of McNamara & Troy, but both are well worth the watch. And for god's sake, somebody give Denis Leary an Emmy. Please. He has been outrageous this season. Simply phenomenal.

And now, the tracks. First off, the song that begged this post, and then the tracks you are hearing behind the nip/tuck commercials for the next season. I have to admit, these are some solid fucking songs. Fucking around on the website today and I am not going to lie, I am pretty pumped for the new season. Two words: Sanaa Lathan. One more word: gorgeous. I get a feeling this show has just hit its stride...

MP3: The Rolling Stones - "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
MP3: Goldfrapp - "Strict Machine"
MP3: The Real Tuesday Weld - "The Ugly And The Beautiful"

  

American Hardcore

From IMDB.com:

Inspired by Steven Blush's book "American Hardcore: A tribal history" Paul Rachman's feature documentary debut is a chronicle of the underground hardcore punk years from 1979 to 1986. Interviews and rare live footage from artists such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol and the Dead Kennedys.
This film opens in New York and LA on September 22, 2006. I am getting the feeling this will be worth our attendance. The Rollins quote at the end is priceless. I think it is all in his delivery.

Trailer | Official Site | Press Kit

Edds & Onds

*The Sports Guy is the shit. Pretenders & Contenders on ESPN.com, link follows. It doesn't get much worse than the Pirates against the Brewers. I am watching it right now, dying laughing everytime a member of the Pirates comes to bat and they show him on a cartoon pirate ship. I thought it was a joke for one guy, but it turns out they do all kinds of hokey shit for every Pirates batter. Not to mention the guys calling the game seem to have the whole charisma-bypass thing going on. I am so glad I was not born a Pirates fan. Not only is the team sucking (Freddy Sanchez aside), but they can't even make watching these games bearable. They add to the pain by doing stupid shit to announce their players. Insult to injury. But, of course, watching the Bucs is still better than work. [Link]

*Willy Nelson + Ryan Adams = Tunes to hit the cheeba to [Link]

*Beck's tracklisting on the Nigel Goodrich-produced The Information is at Filter-Mag. [Link]

*Brooklyn Vegan had some henchmen at The Roots/Talib Kweli (w/ a splash of Cee-Lo Green) show at Webster Hall. My only question is this: were there monster advertisements for KOOL cigarettes everywhere, as there were for the DC show? [Link]

*Indie hype magnet Beirut is playing Warehouse Next Door (1017 7th Street, NW DC) next Wednesday, August 23rd.
[Warehouse | Insound Top Sellers #8 | MySpace]

*Joe Lally is playing a solo set at Black Cat this Saturday night. He is the bassist from Fugazi and he also worked with John Frusciante on their Automatic Writing album two years back. The Black Cat website says that he has a new solo album on the way. [Link]

TV On The Radio @ Sonar

TICKETS
We've got our 4 over here at Metro D and we can't wait. It didn't seem like too much of a feeding frenzy, so get them while you can. Their live performances are amazing. I just bought Return To Cookie Mountain [IMPORT] because I cannot hold out any longer. I need that shit.

Sparta, Sound Team @ Black Cat, Oct. 10

Holy fucking October. I really thought it wasn't going to get any better than what we already had planned:

Tue 17 October: Art Brut, Spinto Band, Tokyo Police Club @ Black Cat
Fri 20 October: TV On The Radio @ Sonar
Sat 21 October: Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mars Volta @ Pepsi Arena
Thu 26 October: The National @ Black Cat
Sat 28 October: The Wrens @ Black Cat
Tue 31 October: Tapes 'N Tapes @ Black Cat
TBD XX October: Red Sox Win World Series

And then this show popped up:

Tue 10 October: Sparta, Sound Team, Lola Ray @ Black Cat

If I live to see November one will have to wonder how these grad school applications will turn out. UCLA: November 1.

On a side note, I was not in attendance at the 9:30 Club last night because my GRE class lasted 3 hours long. And we had a sub. And he sucked. And what was up with the 8:00 start for Riverboat Gamblers and a 9:00 start for Rollins? I saw that and knew it would be close. Then I sat through the first half hour of my class, looked at the lesson plan and realized there was not a shot in hell that I was going to catch any of that goodness. The only thing quelling the pain I feel for missing that show is thinking about doing TV On The Radio, The Mars Volta, & Red Hot Chili Peppers in a 24 hour span. Good god, we might need medical support. And beers. CANNONBALL RUN!

And I am dead fucking serious about the BoSox. It will all turn around this weekend at The Fens.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Rollins Band @ 9:30 Club

Not going to lie, I've been counting down the days to see good ol' Uncle Hank perform for the past couple of months. I've actually been yearning for an opportunity to see Rollins perform (Spoken Word tour not included) since Ryno and I caught him in 2003 at Seattle's Showbox. It was an experience I will never forget. One that cannot be described in words, or conveyed through pictures. You've either seen him perform live - preferrably a few feet away - or you haven't. Most. Intense. Performer. Ever. As proven last night, the man has not missed a beat. Some thoughts on last night's show, accompanied with some classic Rollins quotes and pics I took.

The first thing I noticed when Rollins took center stage, in his tradional uniform of absolutely nothing except for a pair of black athletic shorts with black spandex underneath, was how incredibly ripped he has been able to stay in his older years. I'm talking...ripped. Aside from his gray hair and the addition of perhaps .5% bodyfat, he looked in his prime...
“Keep your blood clean, your body lean, and your mind sharp.”


The second thing I noticed is that everybody in the band rolled in bare feet, Cloud Cult style. And that Rollins' tattoos were, well, even cooler 8 feet away then they are on the poster circa 1983 I keep in my office...
“Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. Realize the strength, move on.”


Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Rollins is fucking insane...
"Want a good body? Work at it. Want to be a success? Work at it. Want to be truly exceptional? Be a touch insane...You need a little bit of insanity to do great things."


Rollins does the whole spit/spray thing better than all in my opinion. He does it using his own sweat, sometimes licking it off of his body, which earns mad style points compared to the likes of HHH and his reliance on bottled water. When Rollins does consume bottled water for his antics, he shoots it through his nose in classic snot-rocket fashion. Can't really find a fitting quote here so I'll just add an old favorite...
"I think about the meaning of pain. Pain is personal. It really belongs to the one feeling it. Probably the only thing that is your own. I like mine."


"Liar" was by far both the crowd mover and the crowd pleaser. The song slows down into a jazzy swagger, lyrics are warm and soft spoken, and for at least one song the focus goes to the band and their musical talent. You see the crowd move their heads, shuffle their feet, and close their eyes - everybody's heartbeat slows down for the first time all night. Until, ENTER HENRY FUCKING ROLLINS! This emotional rollercoaster is the equivalent of drawing a red-marker dot on your chest cavity and slamming a giant syringe of adrenaline Pulp Fiction-style into it. The crowd erupts, screaming the chorus in unison (unlike the sound of doves crying)...
“Sometimes the truth hurts. And sometimes it feels real good.”


Rollins' performance on stage was nearly flawless - quite impressive in his older years. He manuevers himself like a predator ready to attack and kill, in his gladiator's arena consisting of 4 center speakers, all facing inwards (no earplugs for Henry of course). For whatever reason, everytime he does his little routine with the bobbing head, pelvic thrust, side-swagger, and acrobatic lean-over, it reminds me of the those mean-ass velociraptors from Jurassic Park. You know, when they break out, but temporaly pause and do their little swagger with the cameras zoomed in before they go out on the town. Kind of wierd; sorry. But if you read his T-Shirts (I was the proud owner of the only long-sleeved one I saw there; call me old school) he is PART ANIMAL. PART MACHINE. Anyway, despite his impressive performance, he did slightly trip over his mic cord once during his set...
“Half of life is fucking up the other half is dealing with it.”


There was only one 'spoken word' segment to Rollins' set, inserted either after the first four songs or the second four songs. He said something along the lines of 'There are people here in this city (DC) who are getting very overweight...they sit at their supper tables in their homes, while they send young Americans off to get slaughtered...they say their blessings, with their children safely eating at their table, getting fatter..." I can't even come close to restating what came out of his mouth. All I know is that is was incredibly well said, Rollins is a huge supporter of the troops and frequently volunteers with the USO to speak to Soldiers deployed in OIF/OEF, and Jesus did this fire up the crowd...adding even more fuel to a 311 Rollins fire that was blazing inside of the 9:30...
“Nothing Brings People together more, then mutual hatred”


Random note by me: See a Grown Man Cry...Now Watch Him Die is one of my favorite books, if not my all-time fave. Now I know what those of you who are familiar with this book are thinking, and you are damn wrong! I don't claim this book to be my life story or my bible, and I don't claim to be able to relate to most of the stuff he writes about. On the flip-side, reading his shit makes you realize that you never have it as bad as you think you do. Think you've had a bad day? A bad life? 'Hahaha' says Rollins through his sinister yet beautifully crafted words...
“If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you.”


Before posting the set list, a final Rollins quote...one that shows even this machine has a little soft in him, you know, underneath all of that scar tissue...
“They say true love only comes around once and you have to hold out and be strong until then. I have been waiting. I have been searching. I am a man under the moon, walking the streets of earth until dawn. There's got to be someone for me. It's not too much to ask. Just someone to be with. Someone to love. Someone to give everything to. Someone.”

Set List:
"Cage"
"BBR"
"Disconnect"
"Low S/O"
"Divine"
"All I Want"
"Civilized"
"Icon"
"Volume 4"
"Starve"
"You Didn't Need"
"Liar"
"Fool"