What People Do

Unreleased Born Ruffians track that I am 100% confused by, searching for the MP3, liking it and not knowing why.
It sounds like it could fit on John Mayer's 'Continuum' at the very beginning.
And then The Strokes throughout...strong rhythm guitar.
Automatic Stop-y riff somewhere in there.

This is probably ca. 2005 when they were writing their EP.
It doesn't seem like their style anyway.



This is something real
for those who cannot feel
or hear
or fear
or even be near
let's make this a big deal.

I miss them already
and I didn't see their encore with TPC >:(

'First Aid Kit'
just co-written. unreleased, unrecorded

want the mp3?

copy this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEBM36NAe4o & click here

she stays in, grounded down on med-i-cine.

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Last Night: Harlem Shakes/Born Ruffians/Tokyo Police Club

click to enlarge! They all kinda suck though.

Harlem Shakes:

Born Ruffians:

Tokyo Police Club:

I could talk about this show for a long time. It was at Webster Hall in the east village and was really good. Crowd was insane. All kids, tall 20-somethings and lots of pot (as usual).

Harlem Shakes are pretty much an accessible hybrid of Animal Collective and Modest Mouse, so if you like those guys, check them out. I could tell that a couple of people were confused by them, but I could also see that they would have a market.

Born Ruffians set was so good. Everyone was so into it. People were singing along and the floor was bouncing, it was really fun. They opened with Badonkadonkey (they always do) and closed with I Need a Life. The rest of the set list, not in this order: Red, Yellow & Blue, Barnacle Goose, Hummingbird, Foxes Mate for Life, Hedonistic Me, In a Mirror and Kurt Vonnegut. No new songs.

Unlike BR, every other Tokyo Police Club song was new and I'm pretty sure they were stoned/drunk/both. They took way too much time to set up and the kids got out of control during the set, which was really annoying. Tall people blocked my view. We left 2/3rds of the way through their set. I just read about an after party in SoHo that was free with a ticket, which sucks, but it might have been 21+.

Passed the merch table on the way out and saw the bassist from the Born Ruffians (Mitch) selling their stuff. I was with my mom (ugh) because nobody else would come with me, but he recognized us from last time we saw them at their acoustic show at Soundfix Records in Brooklyn (nobody would come with me then either). We talked for awhile...I learned:

1. Steve the drummer was not there because he didn't want to tour this year
2. I asked and they're writing/recording their 2nd LP this summer
3. They want to release it January 2010

and then I had to buy a shirt because we were talking for too long. Haha

Knitting Owls

I love this myspace band Yarn Owl. They're an indie gig from Washington state, with some really nice & quiet poppy folk tunes. (Enough adjectives for you? ☺) Great songs to listen to when you're working, writing or feeling deep/insightful. Actually, good for almost anything.

The song titles and melodies recall the romantic simplicities of 60s music...a kind of Beatles appeal. Straight to the point. Nothing incredibly cryptic in terms of lyrics either, I really like their writing style. ( e.g. You, you are like a Rubik's Cube/Born in the 80s/and I can't figure out how you move) It's very refreshing from the typical song's lyrics that are either exceedingly personal or just plain weird.

Y.O. myspace
yarnowlmusic.com

( Via Myspace)

Polaroid + - Thank You

Picture I took and then made into a convincingly fake polaroid with
poladroid.

N E WAYS

Thank you to one of unpopularized culture's blog BFFs:
bigapplekate.blogspot.com!

We did it! We got an "I love your blog" award from Kate! YEAH!
I'd like to thank the academy...

I Will Be the Captain of Your Street Team

I love metro Toronto. I'm half Canadian and close to being dual-citizenship'd. Been to TO tons of times to visit family and found that the indie culture there is really cool. Besides the Born Ruffians, Tokyo Police Club (not actually from TO, but whatever), Hooded Fang, Will Currie and The Country French, the list goes on...there is Nirvana. The Band. The Show.

Enter Matt and Jay, (above) two pop-culture savvy filmmakers based off Queen Street in downtown Toronto, which is the equivalent of Melrose Ave in LA or 14th Street in New York, that play a fictitious two-piece band with a promise to "never play the same show twice".

They're also incredibly hilarious.

Their site has 8 serialized episodes, by the time they stop making them :( there will be 10. Countless Piano Sessions, adventures, deleted scenes, downloads and auditions (Born Ruffians have an audition & were in ep. 7!) are there as well. Great music on everything too - they have a thing for rap, 60s-90s stuff and Army by Ben Folds...

My brother and I started a Rock Band band called 'Four Wild Swipes' after we found their site in the summer. Look for this deleted scene on the website, it's our favorite. We sent Matt and Jay a pretty pointless email telling them about our plastic band and they mailed us back saying 'they would open for us', which was really nice of them.

So since they're a band, I'll be their street team. Team Rivoli..?
Just do yourself a favor and watch everything on the site.

If you read this far you're probably begging for the link, and if you just rolled down you better click it, I'm going to make it big...

nirvanathebandtheshow.com

Matt and Jay - I hope you see this sometime!
You guys are seriously rad.
Next time I see the Rivoli I'm def. taking a picture of it

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Did You Thank The Strokes Today?

The Strokes have done so much for this decade's popular music. You know that, right? Musically they've influenced every young/hopeful British band post 2001, and others internationally of course. They modernized rhythm guitar and made the retro fuzzed out sound cool again. Seriously though, the final cut of Last Night sounds like a home recording:

FYI Julian is just a little drunk/drugged out. Interesting 'shit' improvising ensues...



"Look, I love the song but when I play that dun-dun-dun-dun I'm just like, 'here we go again'" --Nick Valensi (lead guitar)

Next...style. Major cities (US ones at least) are full of blazers, vintage tees, converse and skinny jeans. It's their fault.



Then there's their 'I don't care' attitude. Unfortunately, new bands can't have the same. Record companies are looking for business savvy people to sign. It worked for The Strokes because they were in the right place at the right time, when all is said and done. It's a major part of their appeal.


I'm just happy that they're getting back "together again, like the beginning, it all works somehow in the end."

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SNL Valentine's Day 2009!

So last night the Jonas Brothers were the musical guest on SNL with Alec Baldwin hosting. I was especially excited this week to watch because I love the Jonas Brothers. Not their music though. I received most of their catalog from an actual fan/friend and can't listen to more than a couple at a time, because they're not very good. Screechy. Annoying riffs. Bad, overtly rhyming writing.

So how can I love them? I'm in love with their image. This is not to be confused with their appearance and metro-sexual style. I see them from a critical approach, I love why they're famous but not their fame. Perfect boy band recipe. Let's pretend we're record execs: we sign them. Sure, they're not that great, not really doing anything new, but look at them!

LOOK AT THEM!
Millions of Disney Channelers would give anything for them!
Perfect. Boy. Band. Formula. Who cares what they sound like!

Anyway, so Lorne was probably crying in his office last night since the show ran so short. And I feel like the writers put all of their effort into the Jonas Brother sketches. Even Andy hooked them for his digital short...




And Alec Baldwin as the fourth brother Gary Jonas for the first sketch of the show, I bet they had huge ratings early last night.

More on the Last Two

Born Ruffians/Tokyo Police Club gig countdown -- 15 days!

Remember Luke's (guy in the wagon), Skeleton Me & Pool Party Fun? I'm dying for an MP3! One of the few slower/sadder I love. Whoever taped this cut off the first verse, but it's still good.



Also from the same gig, a nice Animal Collective Cover of a very, very good song off of Strawberry Jam, 'Fireworks'. From reading the comments, I think that's Luke's sister but not sure.




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The Strokes are a-gettin' back together tomorrow! If I only knew where...
;)

Guess What? It's Strokes Day!

Through various means I've found out some more details about The Strokes' recent activities.

As reported, The Strokes will enter the studio in February to begin writing the follow up to 2005's First Impressions of Earth. Albert Hammond Jr. recently told Rolling Stone that session will happen on "February 11th at 2 o'clock."

[via Rolling Stone & Britt in Transit]

Isn't that exciting?! That's, um...7 days from now!

Julian did a thing for Andy Samberg's new comedy band The Lonely Island. Track is called Boombox. Should be good, even though he collaborations are...yeah. [ty, FK!]

miss u guys 2.

Figure 1.1

I...I don't even know. I could look at this for hours.
Love them Born Ruffians.
Feb 25th at Webster Hall couldn't come sooner.
I miss them.