unpopularized culture

Video: The Whitest Boy Alive - "Bad Conscience"

2011-10-13T19:34:00.003-04:00

Here's a preview of a possible cut from the third Whitest Boy Alive album! Erlend's voice is pretty raw, but if this is any indication of whatever else they have cooking, the upcoming LP should be right on par with their other two minimalist greats Dreams and Rules.

A B C

2011-08-09T13:29:00.003-04:00

AB & The Sea. by helenadagmar on Flickr.

You've gotta hear Bone Dry by California poppers A B & The Sea.
It's the perfect summer song.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://theowlmag.bandcamp.com/track/bone-dry"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Bone Dry by A B &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; the Sea&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Video: Best Coast - "Our Deal"

2011-08-09T13:18:00.003-04:00

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

Drew Barrymore's latest directorial pursuit has come to us in the form of a music video for "Our Deal" by California surf-band Best Coast.

The piece features an impressive cast, including Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager), Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly), Donald Glover, Chloe Mortez, and Tyler Posey.

After being extremely disappointed by Best Coast's live performance last February, this video has served a nice, artistic redemption for the group.

WU LYF

2011-07-25T22:38:00.001-04:00

The newest indie mystery is UK group WU LYF (World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation). The elusive band, who not up until recently kept their identities a secret, has been capturing the attention of everyone from Nylon to The Guardian with their unique brand. The sound? An irresistible dream pop/shoegaze backtrack with unexpected, scratching Kings of Leon-inspired vocals from the Aha Shake era.

These guys aren't going to move audio mountains, but their debut Go Tell Fire to the Mountain has certainly taken everyone by storm.

wulyf.com

Video: Cults - "Go Outside"

2011-07-15T11:23:00.008-04:00

Go Outside, by Cults from Boing Boing on Vimeo.

Manhattan's flavor-of-the-month Cults has just put out a new video for their single Go Outside. An interesting take on the song - I'm sure everyone was expecting something slightly more transparent from this indie-electro duo.

Their s/t is out now, check it out!

Spotify Comes to US Shores

2011-07-15T10:43:00.003-04:00

Spotify's here! Europe's popular music application has just opened its doors to users in the states. The service provides thousands of hours of free music that streams live on your computer, phone and home audio system without making a dent into your hard drive.

Right now it's invitation-only in the US, but never fear! A pass in isn't too hard to come by if you're interested. The guys at My Free Concert NY are doling out invites by the hour on their Spotify Invite Exchange facebook page.

Work of Art

2011-06-19T16:06:00.005-04:00

My favo(u)rite Ontario poppers FIRST RATE PEOPLE are back with a new summer single, Someone Else Can Make a Work of Art. The mellowed-out dance song is a bit of a departure from some of the band's previous releases, but still remains true to the FRP with aesthetic with co-ed vocals, tastefully used autotune, drum samples and catchy arrangements.

Born Ruffians' Luke Lalonde also lends his vocals to close the track with a multiplied, echoing "all I ever want is the best for you..."

Listen to the track below & grab it + the rest of their discography for free at Bandcamp.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://firstratepeople.bandcamp.com/track/someone-else-can-make-a-work-of-art"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Someone Else Can Make A Work Of Art by FIRST RATE PEOPLE&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Radio Radio

2011-04-04T00:18:00.002-04:00

Freddy & The Trojan Horse, by computermusik kings The Radio Dept.
A bit of a throwback for everyone. Starting today, Upop is back!

If you like this, try out the shoegaze pop stylings of Wild Nothing.

Under Cover of Darkness

2011-02-09T14:52:00.005-05:00

It's really real this time. And it really crashed their new official site.
Under Cover of Darkness - The Strokes (mp3)

Angles comes out March 22.

Stream: The Dodos - "Black Night"

2011-02-01T14:30:00.005-05:00

Last Night: Oberhofer & The Vaccines at Bowery

2011-01-24T13:57:00.009-05:00

They haven't released any singles, EPs or albums. And yet, UK group The Vaccines managed to sell out the coveted Bowery Ballroom last Thursday - the same stage that jump started the very successful careers of comparable guitar bands such as Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines and The Strokes.

I was lucky enough to get tickets to see this much buzzed-about band.

Opening was Oberhofer, one of my favorites from last year. I'm glad he's a go-to for a support act. He's a bit crazy, but his live set really can't be beat. Brad's as tight as ever.
Check him out if you can! He's doing a big tour right now with Tapes N' Tapes.

myspace.com/oberhofermusic

You could sort of feel excitement building during the final set change, which is sadly unusual for shows in jaded New York. Photographers overwhelmed the front of the house, and bloggers filled out the rest of the place.

Shortly after, The Vaccines took the stage to a very adoring and impressed crowd. They opened with their most well-known song, Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) and followed with more guitar rock songs from their forthcoming LP What Did You Expect from The Vaccines?, which is due via Columbia on March 21 in the UK. Presumably due to lack of material, their set ran exactly 30 minutes and was all over a bit after 11 with an encore.

All and all they were a pretty tight act. I'm not sure if they're really deserving of the intense amount of hype they've been getting, but everyone else seems to think so. We shall see. It'll certainly be interesting to watch.

Tokyo Truck

2011-01-23T01:55:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Tokyo Police Club did a three song segment with The Wild Honey Pie from out of the back of a cube truck in Greenwich Village (Minetta at MacDougal). Hardly any fans made it out for the taping, but a nice crowd did gather to see the sight. Only in New York!
As a long time fan of TPC, this was a very cool thing to take part of. Keep checking back here for the finished video sooner than later.

(expired) polaroid shot:

Whatever This Is

2011-01-23T01:43:00.002-05:00

Toronto band Ruby Coast is offering their first LP Whatever This Is for free on Bandcamp!
Check it out - it's danceable pop in the boldest sense.

Last Night: The Twees at Webster Hall

2011-01-20T15:11:00.010-05:00

Last Wednesday New York locals The Twees packed out The Studio at Webster Hall in celebration of the release of their new EP These Girls. Despite the forecasted dumping of snow, the weather was better than expected, which turned out to be a somewhat of a theme for the evening.

The first group I saw was a hip hop / jam band by the name of Poofy and The Busboys. While this style of music isn't my favorite (nor do I hold any type of authority to judge the genre), there was no denying that they were a seriously tight act. Although there weren't that many people there to see them, they did do a great job of engaging the present crowd in their set.

Next up was Brooklyn group Jangula (above). Before the show I listened to a couple of their tracks on their myspace and was pretty underwhelmed, so I had low expectations for them. Lucky for us their live set proved to be one of the best ones of the night. Lead singer Johnny donned a QChord and a pretty neat hairsyle as he led the rest of the band members seamlessly through pop jam after pop jam a la Oberhofer.
I recommend seeing them live if you have the chance.

Finally The Twees took the stage to a pretty wild and very adoring crowd. The band and frontman Jason, who was looking very sharp in a Nowhere Boy-esque leather jacket, played flawlessly through a nice set of old favorites from their first EP Lessons to Connect, as well as plenty of new ones from These Girls.

Part way through the show, half of the crowd came on stage for Wishful Thinking Youth. The band was swallowed in the packed stage and everyone looked like they were having a great time. All and all it was a great night for The Twees, and we'll look forward to hearing and seeing them much more in the future.

Jeff Jacobs and Eytan & the Embassy also played.

Dye it Blonde!

2011-01-01T23:32:00.003-05:00

Smith Westerns are back with a lovely album that's much cleaner and unhurried than their lo-fi garage self-titled debut.

Release: 1.18.10

FIRST RATE PEOPLE

2010-12-24T16:25:00.007-05:00

The amount of times I've played this lovely Toronto band since I met them in the beginning of October is grossly disproportionate to the number of times I've written on them here. The situation begs to be rectified, so here we are with one of their fantastic new tracks, Funny Games.

A bit of R+B, a bit of electro, a bit of pop and catchy as hell.
Grab a free download above or here.

This shouldn't go without mentioning their equally awesome EP It's Never Not Happening, which follows in a similar stylistic vein as Funny Games, but manages to successfully reach across a range of genres as well.
The EP is also available for free over at last.fm.

myspace.com/firstratepeople

10's 10

2010-12-24T16:07:00.006-05:00

UC's 10 of 2010 list!
Caribou and Kanye are tied for first, the rest follow in a loose order.

Swim Caribou

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kanye West
Say It Born Ruffians
Clinging to a Scheme The Radio Dept.
Contra Vampire Weekend
Champ Tokyo Police Club
Astro Coast Surfer Blood
Congratulations MGMT
The Drums The Drums
Hippies Harlem

Honorable Mentions (not LPs):

It's Never Not Happening EP, Gentleman's Club; Funny Games
First Rate People

If You Wanna, Wrecking Bar (Ra Ra Ra), Blow it Up; Post Break Up Sex
The Vaccines

Ra Ra Ra!

2010-12-01T00:49:00.004-05:00

UK upstarts The Vaccines seem to be taking the scene by storm lately, thanks to lots of NME press. Get this: they've got virtually no internet presence, only three songs available and have been booked to headline Bowery Ballroom in New York next month. Not too bad for a couple of underground lo-fi rock & rollers from London!

Surely a group to watch in 2011.

mp3s
Great New Demo: If You Wanna
First Single: Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
b/w Blow it Up

BIG

2010-11-24T12:11:00.005-05:00

I think it would be pointless to throw in more than a few thoughts on Kayne West's new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, since it's been receiving perfect scores across the board. Even the super critical, hard to please Pitchfork gave it a perfect 10 - last time that happened was with Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The only way to describe this album would be big. It's just...big. It sounds big. It's got big samples. And it's got big name contributors - most notably Bon Iver, Nicki Manaj, Rick Ross and Jay-Z.

I don't think it deserves the absolute perfect scores its been getting, but there's no doubt it's a fantastic album. Standout tracks: All of the Lights, Devil in a New Dress (this one's got a Smokey Robinson sample) and the biggest sounding of all - Lost in the World (ft. Bon Iver's Woods!) / Who Will Survive in America. Really. It sounds like there are 100 people playing on the Bon Iver track, and combined with Gil Scott Heron chanting "who will survive in America?" on the latter half makes for a perfect and somewhat chilling way to end the album.

Rap fan or not, everyone should hear this.

Official Video: Young Rival - "The Ocean"

2010-11-24T11:59:00.007-05:00

Here's the official video for Young Rival's lovely second single The Ocean from their debut LP (aptly titled LP).

They call it a "DIY 8mm video". It was filmed in Moose Jaw, SK, Canada.

myspace.com/youngrival

Lo-Fi Pairings

2010-11-17T22:47:00.003-05:00

Lo-fi couple Best Coast & Wavves have been very busy lately. For starters, they'll be touring together early next year (dates TBA - check your local promoters).

Additionally, they've released a holiday collaboration for Target called Got Something for You. The song is cute, poppy and catchy, lending itself much more to the style of Best Coast rather than Wavves.

Listen to it here, along with other Target-approved holiday jams by groups including Bishop Allen and Guster.

STROKES IV

2010-11-17T04:29:00.003-05:00

More huge news! As confirmed by frontman Julian Casablancas on twitter, The Strokes' infamous fourth album is finally finished.

It could be a long, long time before any piece of this album package officially surfaces, but we can all sleep easy now knowing that the tracking has been completed.

Stay tuned!

Apple on Apple

2010-11-16T13:42:00.008-05:00

Some very big news surfaced this morning - The Beatles are now on iTunes!

After decades of trademark debacle between The Beatles' label Apple and Apple Computers, the quartet's entire discography is now available legally in the digital realm.

apple.com/the-beatles

Let it Die or Be Caught Dead

2010-11-08T20:10:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd give a heads up on some new Ruby Coast, since (1)we've basically (d)evolved into a Canadian Music Appreciation blog and (2) it's been at least a year since I last wrote on them.

Simply put, Ruby Coast is the pop version of Tokyo Police Club, all because their '08 EP Projectable Collections was produced by floppy haired Toronto king Dave Monks of said Club band.

They've put out a new 7" - Whatever This Is / Creep Me Out. The b-side's real good.

Grab it for free on Facebook and watch this space for my review of their live show. I'll be seeing them play at the Meligrove Band's CD release party in Toronto this Friday.

Top Five!

2010-10-29T15:20:00.010-04:00

Newmarketers Tokyo Police Club stopped into Daytrotter recently in support of their sophomore record Champ. All and all it's a good session - the mix is clearly off and the playing feels a bit rushed, but TPC's undeniable live talent makes up for production issues.

The session includes an interesting, unreleased song called Top Five!.
I'm undecided about this track. It's a just composite of the many stylistic faces of Tokyo. Same synthy garage instrumentals, same simple structure...it just doesn't feel like anything special or progressive. Despite this criticism, it's still a very likable song.

TPC DTS

Video: Born Ruffians - "Nova-Leigh"

2010-10-22T17:40:00.005-04:00

(watch hq?)

Here's the beautifully shot video for Nova-Leigh, the fantastic second single off Born Ruffians' second LP SAY IT. Directed by Jared Raab.

The whole package deal for this song is pretty impressive, actually. Some of the band's best work, no doubt.

Review: The Drums & Surfer Blood at Webster Hall (CMJ)

2010-10-22T00:01:00.012-04:00

A few days ago on Wednesday, I saw The Drums, Surfer Blood, The Dewars & Young Friends play Webster Hall as part of the CMJ Festival that's going on in New York now.

Young Friends:

I came in right at the end of their set. Can't really recall what they sounded like (that's not a very good sign).

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Next up was this incredibly weird band called The Dewars. Like, they've got to be the oddest band I've ever seen live. The group is fronted by the Dewar Brothers, who had matching glasses and excessively geeky looks. Their most notable backing members included a Rasputin-esque maraca shaker & an insane keyboard player who moved like a nerd version of Peter Murphy, throwing bedroom eyes and sweat at everyone.

Video was the only way to capture this odd group:

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After that, Surfer Blood. I watched a few minutes of an MTV stream they did the night before and was incredibly underwhelmed by the performance, so the bar was set pretty low for them. Fortunately, they cleared it by a mile, pretty much stealing the show from The Drums. People seemed to be a lot more into them than any other act of the night.

They played some new songs, most notably the still-untitled one below. They've been playing it quite a bit on the road..seems pretty promising as a single or a well-liked track for their next release, whenever that may be.

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The Drums came on shorty after to a super receptive crowd. Clad in a red satin varsity jacket and incredibly slim pants, Lead singer Johnny took the mic and staggered everywhere on stage, slurring almost every word. Backing was tight, even though the mix seemed a bit off.

There's really not much to say about them, actually. The setlist (below) was conducive to buzz kills (starting with It Will All End in Tears? / ending with Down By the Water? Really?)

The drummer was the moodiest, most pissed off looking thing on the stage, and the guitarist looked like he wanted to kick something (and like TBP from That Thing You Do!). It was a bit disappointing, since the LP is so "clear and happy and stuff."

And it all ended with a wrecked kit:

Free Tracks: Bullfighter Jacket / Gentleman's Club

2010-10-18T13:04:00.008-04:00

Here are two strikingly different songs that are available for free and on constant rotation right now.

First is Bullfighter Jacket by local (Brooklyn) act Miniature Tigers. The song is from their newest LP F O R T R E S S, but the Daytrotter Session they did earlier this month yielded a far better cut of the originally over-produced track. A cute love song like this the deserves simple, organic production that DT provides.
Get their whole session on Daytrotter.

The second is a great track by Toronto kids First Rate People. They just did a five date run with my friends Born Ruffians, and they really stole the show (well, to an extent!) with their multi-vocal, mildly electronic jams.
The track I've got picked out is Gentleman's Club, a collab with Luke of said Ruffian band. It's catchy, super danceable and essentially all vocals with a bit of synth backing. All around a great little track to have.
Get it from free via Exclaim!

Stay Tuned.

2010-10-05T02:05:00.003-04:00

I've got so much to write about: Caribou, Belle & Sebastian and all about another crazy Born Ruffians weekend. Lots and lots of good things coming your way soon.

PLINKY PLONKY

Can cold hands act like warm ones

Can new ones act like worn

Can old friends still be good ones

Can new ones still be born

Things dry out

but the water goes some place.

Video: Tim & Eric SNL Opening

2010-09-29T19:36:00.004-04:00

Tim & Eric's response to SNL jipping their Tiny Hat bit is absolutely perfect.Tune in this Sunday on Adult Swim.

Last Night: Sundelles / Oberhofer / The Soft Pack

2010-09-12T12:09:00.011-04:00

Alright, I'm a bit rusty from not writing all that much, but here goes.

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Believe it or not, I'd never actually been to Bowery Ballroom until last night. Turned out to be an amazingly beautiful venue - it's no surprise that people love it so much.

I came in during the middle of Sundelles' set. They're basically par for the course in terms of lo-fi garage, but with a bit of the beach rock everyone seems to be so into these days. I was one of the only people standing near the stage while they were playing, which probably prompted the huge high five I got from the lead singer at the end of the night.

Oberhofer

The second band on the bill was Oberhofer, a Brooklyn based four piece fronted by Brad Oberhofer, a nineteen year old from Tacoma. They were great - definitely my favorite act of the night. Super pop-rock and rad guitar playing. Pretty much all of their recorded music is available for free, so get on that, because I can barley describe it in words. See them live, too - they're playing around New York and supporting the Morning Benders all over the country and in Canada as well.

The Soft Pack

Finally around 11:30 or so, The Soft Pack came on to a pretty full house of New Jersey boys and thirty year old men - not a single hipster to be seen! They did their thing pretty well with hardly any banter and it wasn't too loud. It wasn't super memorable either, and they didn't play an encore. They did play Mexico (which is my favorite song), but it sounded a bit weird. That was disappointing. I moved out of the bro-mosh-dance pit in the front to stand with friends on the side and still had a great view of the stage, though.

All and all it was a pretty fun night, but it was really Oberhofer that made it for me.

(Sorry Layne. I hope you still love me.)

The Wilderness Downtown ft. Arcade Fire

2010-08-31T20:22:00.003-04:00

Google teamed up with filmmaker Chris Milk and Arcade Fire to create The Wilderness Downtown, an interactive video that combines the technology of HTML5, Google Maps and the new Google Chrome browser.

Viewers enter their home address, and the video that follows "takes you down memory lane through the streets you grew up in", writes Aaron Koblin on a Google Creative Lab blog post.

The project features the song We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire.

Start your trip here.

Are You There?

2010-08-13T00:59:00.012-04:00

There are a thousand ways to begin a post about Joaquin Phoenix these days. Just look at him. Just look at how he's been for awhile now. He's out of it, constantly disheveled and, well, not here.

Or maybe it's all an ongoing, mystifying and bizarre publicity stunt.

Just as a side note, what a gorgeous poster. The color scheme, which looks like it was inspired by Joaquin's signature ombre shades, is ironically soft and very pretty. Additionally, this really solidifies all-caps, italic Georgia as a current typography trend.

Anyway. Sometime last year, Joaquin's brother-in-law (and one of my absolute favorite people) Casey Affleck began to follow him around with a documentary crew. At the time, this came off as another plea for attention; a joke. And then they both dropped off the radar. Until now.

The film, which is Casey's directorial debut, is slated for September 10th.

Summertime

2010-08-11T02:53:00.010-04:00

I threw up a post this time last year about summer '09 up-and-comers The Drums and Best Coast. Sure enough, it's been an eventful year, and both groups have enjoyed quite a bit of success.

New York locals The Drums came out with their self-titled LP sometime earlier this summer. It's a really enjoyable album. While their previous releases may have type-casted them as a 'summer only' band, this release manages to maintain their surf rock aesthetic without going overboard.

They're about to go out on a tour with Surfer Blood.

I hear they're a great live.

After taking Bethany and her lo-fi beach songs a la carte for the past year, she and the rest of her Best Coast have finally come up with full-lengh Crazy for You. The whole thing is packed with a load of catchy, 60s inspired lovesick songs. And I stress lovesick. If you've got some recently heartbroken friends, shy away from giving them this album. Although the tracks are generally pretty light sounding, the lyrics are, erm, sorta sad.

She did a collab with Converse as well, just like Julian Casablancas did last year with Santogold and Pharrell. This time around, Beth teamed up with (my favorite) Vampire Weekender Rostam and Kid Cudi. They came up with All Summer, a predominantly Best Coast-y track.

A neat video comes with it:

Download the song at converse.com.

Our Amps

2010-08-03T17:06:00.002-04:00

I met Julian, the man behind Up to 11, during my second summer at Grammy Camp, a GRAMMY Foundation program. He's got a really neat & honest writing style, some top notch content and the whole networking/brand thing going on, all of which I really admire.

Check Up to 11 out!

Like When You

2010-08-03T15:34:00.023-04:00

Despite the fact that I'm bound by legal contract to love everything Born Ruffians will ever put out, their newest offering Like When You is one seriously awesome track. It's the b-side for Nova-Leigh, the second single from their sophomore album Say It.

After a 40 second Animal Collective-esque intro, some painfully nostalgic, rolling guitar riffs poke through the sax-and-synth. I'm going to go ahead and liken this to the soft opening bars of John Mayer's No Such Thing, a song I basically worshipped when I was twelve (that would explain the nostalgia). After this, the track takes on a very sweet sounding life of its own over the base riff, mixing a strong bass line, double vocals and interestingly placed rests. And the production, which was most likely done by Rusty Santos, really couldn't be more perfect.

Lyrically, it's pretty much a mystery what's going on. Something about love and two tickets to Mexico. Luke took his creative genius and 1,000 octave range and just ran with slurring a lion's share of the words, per usual. While the band usually takes some heat for this, I think it's pretty neat, because it forces you to actually listen to the music. The lyrics are another dimension.

Since I ~~very rarely~~ never write this much about a single song, you best be slappin' on some headphones and listening to it asap. Despite its b-side status, I really hope lots of people get to hear it. And that they're rehearsing it for the fall tour...yeah, that's not going to happen. But still!

In short / Listen here

Soak Up "Congratulations" with MGMT

2010-07-25T21:04:00.013-04:00

I confess to shying away from listening to Congratulations, MGMT's follow-up to the surprise hit debut Oracular Spectacular, for two reasons. First, I never got into said debut. Second goes out to pretentiously not wanting to listen to 'mainstream-indie' music. My mistake.

MGMT basically had two choices when it was time to approach LP2. They could continue making radio-friendly songs that everyone wanted to hear despite the fact that they didn't really believe in them, or they could go off in a totally different direction. Either way, their fanbase was destined to be split. It's true of pretty much all groups that have achieved similar debut success. They tank if they carbon copy the first one. They tank with fans of the debut if they go off in a different direction.

Lucky for me and fans of well-crafted art rock, MGMT decided to go against the grain. Congratulations amazingly produced (which is why they don't translate well live), lyrically interesting, sonically coherent and overall a great package - much better than the topical pop Oracular gave us. Unfortunately, the general consumer doesn't have enough patience for an LP like this, or a beautiful track like Siberian Breaks, the 12 minute long album centerpiece. Those people will be hopefully be appeased (seriously!) by poppier tracks like Brian Eno and Song for Dan Treacy, but even at that, they don't really match the danceability of their previous hits. I don't mind this at all. But then again, I love it when 'loud' artists do softer tracks (ex. Arctic Monkeys' 505; Young Rival's The Ocean, Soft Pack's Mexico, Tokyo Police Club's Swedes in Stockholm).

There's plenty more to say, but I'll end it here:

It seems like there will always be a part of their fanbase that will never be thrilled in the least by this gem of a recording and in turn lost, but that's the price MGMT (probably happily) pays for musically taking the direction they'd like to.

"All is well if the ticket sells."

Welcome to Daytrotter

2010-07-24T17:05:00.008-04:00

Here's a trailer for an upcoming doc about the fabulous blog/recording studio Daytrotter.

Take a look!

Official Film Site

Last Weekend: Born Ruffians

2010-06-25T11:08:00.008-04:00

(Commence very poorly written, emotionally-charged post)

Last weekend was one of the craziest, most fun and most memorable weekends I've ever had. It started with me buying a ticket to see Born Ruffians on June 19th in March, which turned out to be a two-fold problem. First off, they were too kind to put me on some sort of permanent guest list for running their fansite, so I didn't need a ticket. Second, it turned out to be on the same day as my graduation. I had already missed their first 2010 New York show, and there was no way I was going to skip another.

So after a lot of thought (sitting, feeling conflicted in the park on Mulberry & Spring) I decided that I was going to race to the venue after graduation and come back in time for a huge party my school was giving that ran from 11-5.30a.

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Show One: New York, Santos Party House.

I came into the venue about 3/4 of the way through Young Rival's set. The place wasn't packed, so I just walked up to the second row of people. By the time Born Ruffians came on, the venue had filled up. They played a fantastic set, lots of stuff from their great new album SAY IT...this was probably the tightest of all eight shows I've seen them play and definitely my favorite gig. Everyone was really into it - lots of dancing and singing along.

The best part of the show (for me) was when the bassist, Mitch, who is the band's webmaster and the person I've been mostly communicating with dedicated Higher & Higher to me, presumably because there's a line from said song quoted on the fansite. He said, "This one's for Julia", which provoked the whole venue to start chanting Juuuuulia, Juuuulia. It was surreal and probably one of the cooler moments I've experienced.

After the show, I met Andy, the touring keyboard player for the first time and caught up with Mitch and the lead singer Luke. It was also great to meet Teri, a person who I've gotten to know through trading comments on BR's social media sites. After awhile, Luke was pointing me out to people who mentioned my fansite, so we (me & Teri, that is) met lots of internet friends as well.

The only photo from New York:

---

The next day I headed to Boston, where I was on the guest list for their sold out show at Great Scott, which was by far the hottest/most poorly ventilated venue I've ever been in.

Young Rival came on around 10 and played garage rock for 40 minutes or so. They had a couple of good tunes. Check out The Ocean and Just Can't Stay Here.

Born Ruffians came on to a moshing crowd but still played solidly nonetheless (not as tight as New York, though). They stayed on well past midnight. During the encore, the drummer, Steve, gave me a shout-out, which went something like this (I have a terrible word memory): There's someone very special to us here tonight, her name is Julia (lifts drumstick in my general direction), and she runs our fansite..Fuck...Yeah..Born..Ruffians, which is way cooler than anything we've ever done online. Round of applause for Julia...thank you. I was standing right in front of him, so I smiled at him as the people who were standing around me were flashing thumbs up and bro-pushing me. This was mildly embarrassing, as I dislike being the center of attention, but still really cool.

After their set, Steve jumped down to talk to me, and told me that we'd never actually met, which was surprisingly true. We shook hands and hung out for awhile, and he said some very nice things. He gave me a shirt and got everyone to sign a vinyl for me. We talked to John from YR at the merch table about websites and headed to the back of the venue. I chatted with Luke about college and he suggested that we all take a picture together. Around the same time, Steve was shirtless and playing Andy's keyboard to some reggae song that was on the PA as Aron from YR grinded with him, which was hilarious. Mitch took a picture and Luke told me to put that one up on the website.

Here's the picture from Mitch's Tour Blog.

Not much has changed, eh?

Anyway I can't wait to see them again in the fall, when they'll be headlining Bowery Ballroom and playing The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Woo!

Fall dates / Infamous Fansite

Review: Tokyo Police Club - "Champ"

2010-06-13T12:03:00.006-04:00

I remember thinking that Elephant Shell, the debut LP from Toronto's Tokyo Police Club was one of the most cohesive albums I had ever heard. A few months and many plays later, turns out I'd confused it with repetitiveness, and that CD has been sitting on my desk collecting dust since then.

Such is not the case with their second LP, Champ. The tracks are polished, varied, poppy and addictive, but somehow still manage to maintain the faux-grunge TPC aesthetic. Just about every song is radio-friendly and it can be played on repeat without getting tiring. Standout tracks include Gone, Frankenstein and Bambi.

The only criticism I have, which is true of pretty much every TPC release, is the lyrical content. By in large, they're nonsensical. Fun to sing along to, but meaningless. That being said, there is a 'youthful' undertone to every song - as in, there are younger brothers, kites, Bambi and fighting monsters under the bed with "superglue and paperclips". This only bothers me because Elephant Shell wasn't really any different, except it was mostly about death. In fact, they glorified being young in Nursery/Academy and provided semi-terrifying imagery of death in the other tracks.

But these things don't really bother an average listener, do they?

I highly recommend Champ regardless.

official site

2010-06-13T12:01:00.005-04:00

Score by Thomas Mars.

12.22.10

The Champ-ionship / Just Say It: A New Chapter for Indie Marketing

2010-05-17T21:26:00.008-04:00

As if reaching across every social media site wasn't enough for bands to do online these days, a new trend has emerged. It's difficult to label said trend, but a few groups that this blog has been following have been linking their album name with some sort of giveaway contest. That's not much of an accurate description, so onto the examples:

The Champ-ionship

Tokyo Police Club

This is a contest that's being held by Toronto natives Tokyo Police Club. Their second LP, Champ is due out on June 8th, and they're touring extensively through North America with Passion Pit (TPC is supporting) and Freelance Whales (" headlining).

To promote their record, they're holding a Champ Championship. Fans send in contest ideas, and the 'best' one will be chosen by TPC, who will go to the winner's town to compete in their challenge against them. See link above for more information/to enter.

"Just Say It" Minisite

Born Ruffians

It seems as though TPC got their idea from their friends/neighbors Born Ruffians. Their album Say It comes out on June 1, and they're also touring quite a bit with Young Rival in support of the release. Because their new band motto is to 'talk about things before they happen', it's fitting that they would set up a box where fans can verbalize, rant or just blabber anonymously. Others vote up or down on entries, and the BR will pick from the top 5 on June 20th. The winner will receive a signed guitar, a signed vinyl and concert tickets, among other prizes. sayit.bornruffians.com

A New Single from The Twees

2010-05-16T14:08:00.006-04:00

The Twees' new single Unfair Affair/Hepburn Shades rolled into my inbox a week or two ago, and now that it's available for anyone to download, I figured it was an fine time to let you all know.

The songs are sugary and accessible sounding as the EP Lessons to Connect was, but show a bit more development, which is especially apparent in the riffing and the lyrical themes.

thetwees.com

Review: Caribou - "Swim"

2010-05-16T13:35:00.005-04:00

Caribou's (Dan Snaith) latest studio effort Swim spares no expense on sonic detail and coherency. Simply, it's a perfect mix of house and streamlined bedroom pop, but there's really nothing simple about the music, especially when one listens on a close level. In reality, the only thing relatively basic about the record are the ideas conveyed through the lyrics, which are met by layers upon layers of varied sounds. Addicting as it is complex, Dan delivers once again. It's possible that this will be one of indie-rock's favorites for the year.

Standout tracks include single Odessa, Kaili and Sun. Luke Lalonde sings on closer track Jamelia, which may be the best song on the record.

The Revival

2010-05-16T13:28:00.003-04:00

Man, I don't know what happened here. I poured my soul into working on this page, not to mention countless hours. Somehow we just drifted apart, I guess. Despite the fact that blogger is not much compared to tumblr these days, the end of this month will mark upop's two year anniversary, so perhaps it's time for a revival.

There's a lot to catch up on, so stay tuned..

Video: Born Ruffians - "What to Say"

2010-04-27T18:17:00.008-04:00

Here's the official video for What to Say, the first single from Born Ruffians' upcoming sophomore LP Say It. It was shot with a 1940s oscilloscope and directed by Jared Raab of Nirvana the Band the Show fame. Read more behind the scenes coverage on Stereogum. Say It is due out on June 1, and What to Say will be out May 24th.
official site / myspace / tumblr fan page

Tokyo Police Club - "Champ" Details

2010-04-17T12:09:00.003-04:00

Tracklist:

01 Favourite Food

02 Favourite Colour

03 Breakneck Speed

04 Boots of Danger (Wait Up)

05 Bambi

06 End of a Spark

07 Hands Reversed

08 Gone

09 Big Difference

10 Not Sick

11 Frankenstein

Champ is TPC's sophomore record. It will be out June 8 on Mom+Pop Records.

Foreign Born + - Shawn

2010-04-10T10:00:00.003-04:00

The title of Foreign Born's awesome (as in you must hear this) first LP Person to Person may or may not be a play on p2p/torrent culture. Shawn Fanning, this one's for you.

Not really.

Man, you changed everything. Not in a good way. < /rant >

myspace.com/foreignborn

rec'd: Early Warnings

Harlem on XMU

2010-04-06T21:54:00.004-04:00

HARLEM ON SIRIUS XMU

The high-on-something Austin garage rockers are on right now and every night for the rest of this week at 8pm eastern.

LP 2 Hippies came out yesterday. It's a fantastic record.

myspace.com/harlemduh

VIDEO: MGMT - "Flash Delirium" + Crit

2010-03-31T02:30:00.010-04:00

I admit that I'm really not that much of an MGMT fan, but their video for Flash Delirium is fascinating.

This band is a textbook example of the indie-rock rise to success.

Here's my analysis of the clip I wrote earlier today. A bit of knowledge about MGMT's history is necessary though, and there are a couple of holes in the theory.

Their sophomore LP leaked and is streaming now, physical discs will be out April 13th.

Onto the analysis:

Okay, I got the fact that they’re hiding the ‘Electric Feel’, despite that it is an inherent part of them (their discography). They’ve said they thought the first album was painfully ironic or some bit, so that makes sense. The big house/pomp shit is most likely a symbol of their financial success and how they’re uncomfortable with it - might even be a poke at the decline of ‘big label culture’, especially since they’re signed to Columbia.

So when things get a little kooky at the house (ventriloquists are a symbol of subculture here), Andrew continues to essentially block out their past - looks like it was his idea to do so (his neck is covered up much better than Ben’s at the beginning). However, Ben gets all comfy again, as the band itself is kinda strange and subcultural success is in the group’s roots. The label then rips the first album out of him and he collapses. (??) Then the eel (Electric Feel) goes into the iron lung (necessary for singin’ songs & whatnot), turns into a person (?) during a literal flash delirium and the video ends - symbolic of Congratulations undetermined success.

Also, if you have a look at the lyrics after reading this, they make perfect sense.

New Tokyo Police Club: "Breakneck Speed" (mp3)

2010-03-26T18:03:00.011-04:00

Tokyo Police Club sophomore LP Champ is almost completed and ready to be released on June 8th, 2010 via Mom+Pop Records.

A cut from the album, Breakneck Speed, was released today for free. They've toured with this song quite a bit in the last few years. 'Champ' is looking good if it follows this song's cues.

Tour dates (with Passion Pit) on myspace.

Download Breakneck Speed here.

SXSW Short #1

2010-03-23T22:19:00.004-04:00

GIVERS played sxsw last week.

Take a listen.

last.fm

VIDEO: Lonely Island ft. Julian Casablancas - "Boombox"

2010-03-15T02:21:00.005-04:00

Here's the video for Boombox, a collaboration between Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and Andy Samberg. It was featured last night on SNL.

Morning Benders Debut LP

2010-03-08T23:46:00.004-05:00

Much abuzz about The Morning Benders, who are very popular in the city right now.

Their debut LP Big Echo comes out tomorrow. Stream here, buy tomorrow.

i can't help but think we grew up too fast

and i know this won't last a second longer than it has

(02. "Promises")

themorningbenders.com

Good Shoes Media

2010-03-04T19:39:00.003-05:00

Morden's Good Shoes just released a media package for free! It includes a couple of videos, an acoustic version of The Way my Heart Beats and a b-side, Easier Easier, which is a really fantastic song.

Download the Package (direct)

Good Shoes official

Last Night: Surfer Blood

2010-03-01T01:47:00.006-05:00

Tonight I went to see Surfer Blood play acoustic in-store at Other Music (4th at Lafayette). Really fantastic group. They played a solid set and seem very sweet.

Approximate Setlist:

Catholic Pagans

Floating Vibes

Neighborhood Riffs

Fast Jabroni

Swim

Two Headed Boy (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)

myspace.com/surferblood

Last Night: John Mayer

2010-02-28T15:41:00.004-05:00

I went to see John Mayer play at Madison Square Garden last Thursday. It's a tradition for me really, since I've been listening to his music for about 10 years. Even though I don't really like him that much any more, I do enjoy his live shows.

Michael Franti & Spearhead (above) opened with forty minutes of reggae-pop tunes. Lot of fun, pretty solid set.

(Is this why that VW show sold out instantly?)

JM came on twenty minutes late and played for a little less than two hours. Not much to say. He's a great live performer. The set was mostly comprised of songs from his back catalogue (of, em, higher quality albums than the newest addition). And to top it off, he ran Half of my Heart in a cover of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams.

Setlist

Heartbreak Warfare
Crossroads (Eric Clapton cover)
Vultures
No Such Thing
Perfectly Lonely
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
Assassin
My Stupid Mouth/Daughters/3x5
Ain't No Sunshine (Whens She's Gone) (Bill Withers cover)
Waiting On The World To Change
Bigger Than My Body
Half of My Heart / Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Why Georgia
Gravity
Encore:
Who Says
Friends, Lovers or Nothing

Born Ruffians Announce Sophomore LP Details

2010-02-26T16:38:00.013-05:00

Born Ruffians will release their second LP Say It on June 1, 2010!

A free download of Sole Brother can be found at Filter Magazine.

TRACKLISTING
1. Oh Man
2. Retard Canard
3. Sole Brother
4. What To Say
5. The Ballad Of Moose Bruce
6. Higher And Higher
7. Come Back
8. Nova-Leigh
9. Blood, The Sun & Water
10. At Home Now

Vampire Weekend to Join Zach Galifianakis on SNL

2010-02-24T18:52:00.006-05:00

Adding to the anticipation of Zach Galifianakis hosting Saturday Night Live on March 6th, Vampire Weekend has been confirmed as the musical guest for the show. This is the band's second appearance on SNL.

Here's hoping for the Vamps in a digital short!

Surfer Blood

2010-02-24T18:38:00.009-05:00

In the mood for another surf rock album?

Check out Surfer Blood's debut LP Astro Coast.

They're out on a big tour right now - all dates at myspace.com/surferblood

VIDEO: Vampire Weekend - "Giving Up the Gun"

2010-02-19T16:08:00.003-05:00

As promised, VW's video for Giving Up the Gun.

It's a great comfort to know that every Jonas Brothers fan in the world now knows about "a great, new underground band" called Vampire Weekend.

VW's 'Giving Up the Gun' Video Debut

2010-02-18T17:35:00.006-05:00

Vampire Weekend will debut their video for Giving Up the Gun tomorrow, which will include Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas, Lil John and RZA participating in what director Emmett Molloy calls "a bizarre-o tennis match".

Look for it here or on Spinner tomorrow.

MGMT Reveals Art

2010-02-18T00:09:00.003-05:00

Continuing with the MGMT coverage, here's the art for their sophomore release Congratulations. Erm, ok.

The p reorder comes with some very strange incentives.

White Stripes Take "Strong Action" Against USAF

2010-02-16T14:55:00.008-05:00

The White Stripes have announced that they will be taking action against the US Air Force for using a song with striking similarity to Fell in Love with a Girl on a Superbowl spot. The commercial was aimed at recruiting new troops.

"The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserve presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support."

Statement on the official WS website.

VIDEO: The Strokes - In the Studio pt. 1

2010-02-13T12:05:00.006-05:00

A very cool video from The Strokes doing the tracking for their fourth album.

You can listen to Nikolai Broke the Zoom here.

Neon Indian TV Debut

2010-02-11T23:43:00.002-05:00

Austin's electro blog favorite Neon Indian will make their TV debut tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Be sure to tune in!

Show starts at 12:37 pm, Gold Coast time.

MGMT Confirms Details for Sophomore Album

2010-02-09T20:52:00.005-05:00

It's only been a short time since MGMT announced they wouldn't be releasing singles for their sophomore LP Congratulations, but they've already confirmed further details.

The nine-song album is slated for April 13th. Promising a track listing that flows with "sonic and thematic coherence", the duo insists that Congratulations will "definitely shock people and that they "dropped any sort of irony that was on the first record."

Track Listing:

01 - It’s Working

02 - Song for Dan Treacy

03 - Someone’s Missing

04 - Flash Delirium

05 - I Found a Whistle

06 - Siberian Breaks

07 - Brian Eno

08 - Lady Dada’s Nightmare

09 - Congratulations

Review: Good Shoes - "No Hope, No Future"

2010-02-06T13:47:00.007-05:00

London's Good Shoes prove that history does repeat itself.

If one was to examine how aspects of recorded music as we know it came to be, they would certainly come across the history of the LP - the long play release. In the middle of the last century, there was a great shift in recording style. Instead of releasing a few tracks, record companies thought that charging more for longer records could bring in more profit, and the LP was born. However, the quality of the 'additional' songs were low. Essentially, they were filler tracks.

With the recent release of the second Good Shoes album No Hope, No Future, I can't help but wonder if the past has repeated and manifested itself through their record. Please add it to the pile of recent disappointments. It's a very dark work, especially for following their first album Think Before You Speak, which was catchy, fun and really pretty good.

But don't get me wrong, there are a couple of really nice tracks on there. Closing cut City By the Sea is probably the best on the album and arguably the most complex in the whole discography. With its minor chord progressions and glimmer-of-hope lead guitar part, the band did manage to pull it together for the last track. With any luck it is the prequel to a better and brighter third album.

The Strokes: In the Studio (for real!)

2010-02-05T00:30:00.004-05:00

Guitarist Nick Valensi & Gus Oberg at Avatar in between takes.

A news update from The Strokes has confirmed that they are

currently working away on the fourth album at Avatar Studios in New York.

The album is being produced by Joe Chiccarelli (White Stripes, U2, Shins, Counting Crows) and engineered by long time friend Gus Oberg. Both are GRAMMY winning in their respective fields.

The album is expected to be released this year.

Phoenix Wins GRAMMY

2010-02-02T12:13:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Phoenix for winning the Best Alternative Album GRAMMY for Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix!

This is the first win and nomination for both the band and their label Glassnote.

tour dates / official site / fan tumblr

Harlem

2010-01-31T18:36:00.009-05:00

Meet Harlem from Texas. Cool poprocks tunes. Their name has been floating around since their first release Free Drugs ;-), but I didn't mention them because they're title is so similar to Harlem Shakes, one of my personal favorites who have since broken up.

Thankfully, Harlem doesn't sound much like The Shakes.

Their second release Hippies is due out on Matador Records April 6 and they're on a small club tour now.

Hippies' single free, courtesy of Matador:

“Friendly Ghost” (192k mp3)

MGMT Says 'No Singles for Sophomore LP'

2010-01-30T16:42:00.005-05:00

Although MGMT's singles (Kids, Time to Pretend) have enjoyed an overwhelming amount of success, the group has decided that their sophomore Spring release Congratulations will have no pre-released tracks.

"We'd rather people hear the whole album as an album and see what tracks jump out rather than the ones that get played on the radio – if anything gets played on the radio!" The band said in a recent NME interview.

Not putting out singles would minimize the number of illegal downloads (and pretentious singles-ain't-cool listeners), potentially saving labels and bands a bit more money. Could this be the future of releasing material?

Panda Bear's Sophomore LP: Tomboy

2010-01-30T13:59:00.003-05:00

Noah Lennox, also known as Panda Bear from Animal Collective, has revealed the title to his mysterious second LP. The disc, titled Tomboy, is the follow-up to 2007's indie favorite Person Pitch.

The record is due to hit shelves this September and will be released on Paw Tracks, Animal Collective's label.

VIDEO: Local Natives - "Airplanes" + Gorilla Manor

2010-01-30T13:50:00.004-05:00

Local Natives | MySpace Music Videos

Here is the video for Airplanes by Local Natives. Pretty unique combination of stop-motion and real time. This song really tells a story, as does the video.

Their LP Gorilla Manor has been out in the UK for awhile now, but look for it in the US on Frenchkiss Records February 16.

Two Door Cinema Club to Release LP

2010-01-30T13:38:00.003-05:00

UK newcomers Two Door Cinema Club have announced that their first LP Tourist History will be released March 1 on French label Kitsune. Many of the cuts have previously been released on various singles and EPs.

Tracklist:

01 - Cigarettes in the Theatre

02 - Come Back Home

03 - Do You Want It All?

04 - This is the Life

05 - Something Good Can Work

06 - I Can Talk

07 - Undercover Martyn

08 - What You Know

09 - Eat That Up, It's Good For You

10 - You're Not Stubborn

Juliet Casablancas Pregnant + Strokes News

2010-01-25T23:06:00.005-05:00

Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas' wife Juliet is expecting the couple's first child!
The photo above is the first to circulate (on tumblr), and it has been reported that the baby is due next month.

In other Strokes news, the band has definitely been in the studio recording the infamous fourth album. Julian may also be lining up some more solo shows. He's already signed up for Coachella Festival in April, but keep watch on his twitter for other live announcements.

Contra

2010-01-20T16:09:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Vampire Weekend for debuting on Billboard at NUMBER ONE for their sophomore LP Contra with 123,597 units sold in the release's first week. That's just 25,000 less than Ke$ha, who had the top spot last week.

The album is really great (especially Diplomat's Son). There really aren't any duds on this one. The fact that they made the best of their backlash to backlash status with a killer follow-up is just awesome for them.

Way to go, Vampy!

Last Night: Vampire Weekend

2010-01-19T19:10:00.014-05:00

On Sunday I went to see Vampire Weekend play at the United Palace Theater, a beautiful old restored movie theater, which is located under the George Washington Bridge (well, almost). Thankfully, the show that these preppy local heroes put on was well worth the long trip on the A train. Unfortunately, it was a seated gig, so I didn't have much control over my spot in the theater. The picture above is just a plain point and shoot shot, not sure why it's as fuzzy as it is. Taking pictures just wouldn't have been worth it. If you'd like to see some professional photos, head over to BKV.

They played every song in their discography, with the exception of Bryn from the s/t and I Think UR a Contra. Their first New York show was a lot of fun, they played really well for the young crowd and it was apparent that everyone in the theater was all for them.

Setlist:
(the band coined it as their longest show ever!)

White Sky
Holiday
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
I Stand Corrected
M79 (strings)
California English
Cousins
Taxi Cab
Run
A-Punk
One (Blake's Got a New Face)
The Kids Don't Stand a Chance (strings)
Diplomat's Son (strings)
Giving Up the Gun
Campus / Oxford Comma

ENC
Horchata (strings)
Ottoman (strings)
Mansard Roof
Walcott

Read about the other times I've seen the Vamps
HERE , HERE & HERE

Last Night: JULIAN CASABLANCAS

2010-01-16T23:48:00.005-05:00

I went to see Julian Casablancas play his homecoming show at New York's monster hellhole venue Terminal 5 a few days ago on Thursday, January 14th. What an incredible performance, and getting there early enough to be in the front row just made it so much better.

Although I've coined the three Phoenix shows I've seen the best & my favorites, Jules may be sweeping in for the number one spot. After all, The Strokes mean so much more to me than the poppy Frenchmen do. Anyway...

**
"Hello hello hello, we're Tanlines, we're from here, just like you." Jesse the keyboardist of the Brooklyn band says (in between every song the duo played). Thankfully, they started their set right on time at 9:00 and were the first band of three on the bill. For thirty minutes, they blasted out some unmemorable beachy experimental tunes. Mixed with the strange draft and the undanceable music they were playing, it really felt like a South American jungle.

(as always, all photos by me: SLR used, except some of the JC shots are pocket camera)

***

The second band on the bill was Telepathe. I'm sorry, but I just hate them. I saw them play in December 2008 supporting Vampire Weekend.
They're still boring and repetitive, overly synthed and unmusical. They had an even longer set than Tanlines, which just killed the vibe totally. It's a mystery why Telepathe keeps getting booked for big name shows. Absolutely nobody was moving in the crowd.

***

With the awfulness of Telepathe dissipating as the last set change ensued, Julian finally took the stage around 10:30 pm to Ludlow St. The five piece band at his back was as tight as it could be, and Jules swaggered his way through the set clad in head to toe leather, gripping the mic stand and occasionally jumping into the crowd.

He seemed genuinely humbled by the wild reception and constant cheering. He mumbled quite a bit of gratification in between songs, as well as how he was nervous to play back in New York after such a long time and how Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind was stuck in his head.

Pretty much everything he played was off his solo album, except for a cover of Velvet Snow (Aha Shake Kings of Leon). He did not do justice to that song. It's sort of like that Elvis cover of Something by the Beatles. All of the artists involved are fantastic. And opposite vocally.

Only accompanied by an electric keyboard, he also sang I'll Try Anything Once - a slow Strokes demo of First Impressions of Earth's single You Only Live Once in the first encore. It seemed like everyone in the crowd knew the song. It was a great couple of minutes.

Jules returned for a second encore, playing Tourist.
After all of his band left the stage, he brought his drummer back to do a beat so he could sing a little bit of Empire State of Mind.

Now you're in New Yooork...

Jay Reatard Found Dead at 29

2010-01-13T20:50:00.008-05:00

It has been announced today that Jay Reatard passed away in
his sleep last night. He will be surely missed by the indie-rock
community. Apparently he was a lot of fun to be around.

On a brighter note, he did outlive a spot in the 27 Club.
RIP

Paparazzi

2010-01-10T13:07:00.003-05:00

Lady Gaga has recently teamed up with Polaroid to reinvent the iconic brand in its return to the photography market. She has been appointed “creative director” and “inventor of specialty products”.

"The Haus of Gaga has been developing prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation - blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era,” she said.

In other Gaga news, the singer, who will be honored with five GRAMMY nominations later this month, has designed "jewel-shaped earbuds (below) that were designed to look more like a fashion accessory than a piece of technology." Maybe that would explain the $US119.95 price tag.

Rock Annex Closed

2010-01-08T00:09:00.004-05:00

It's a shame to announce that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex in Soho is now closed. I has a chance to visit it once last summer. All of the exhibits were really well done, and the John Lennon room was beautiful.

Even though the museum was relatively small, it really makes you appreciate how much New York has done for rock & roll.

Preview VW's "Contra" in Full

2010-01-03T22:39:00.005-05:00

Contra, Vampire Weekend's second LP, is out next week. Steam it all on myspace.
Where can you buy the disc & get a bonus CD? Find out!

2009-12-31T23:25:00.006-05:00

last year was a hard year for such a long time,
this year is gonna be ours.

Review: The Dodos - "Time to Die"

2009-12-30T17:57:00.007-05:00

The Dodos get a production team.

It is difficult to muster enough thought to review The Dodos' third studio effort Time to Die. In short, it was a huge disappointment. Seems that with each successive record, the band's original, stripped-down acoustic vibe is lost as they progress closer and closer to streamlined/pure studio indie modified pop. The thing was produced by the same guy who worked with The Shins, and boy does it show.

Their 2008 album Visiter was largely well-liked and a huge progression from the first full-on acoustic great Beware of the Maniacs. So I suppose in that sense, Time to Die is a fair extension from the second album. Although it is no secret the third studio effort had large shoes to fill, it just completely misses the mark and is unappealingly overproduced, especially for a group like The Dodos.

So clearly the album didn't come through on the first listen. Perhaps a second and third playthrough will clear the artistic intentions of the work up a bit. Maybe it's a grower. After all, the buried, familiar sounding guitar riffing reminds us that yes, this is the same Dodos that are capable of lovable, folksy pop genius.

[official] myspace

[upop+] Dodos' Longform video & a chat with its director

NOVELS EP Surfaces

2009-12-24T13:46:00.004-05:00

In January, five of Toronto's most talented musicians went into the studio unrehearsed. They came out 16 hours later with NOVELS EP. And now, they're releasing it for free.

Read their Story & Download the EP!

VIDEO: Julian Casablancas - "I Wish It was Christmas Today"

2009-12-23T23:46:00.002-05:00

Here's the video for Julian's performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last Monday.
Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Jules on Jimmy

2009-12-21T20:17:00.004-05:00

Watch Julian Casablancas perform tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon!
Episode starts at 12:37 pm, east coast time.

John Quits the Peppers

2009-12-20T14:35:00.007-05:00

John Frusciante, of shirtless Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, has announced recently that he had quit the band about a year ago during their indefinite hiatus.

"I have changed, as a person and artist, to such a degree that to do further work along the lines I did with the band would be to go against my own nature," he explained, assuring that "there was no drama or anger involved, and the other guys were very understanding."

It's rumored that the band has replaced him with their session guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer.

Something Good Can Work

2009-12-16T15:57:00.009-05:00

Two Door Cinema Club are these fantastic, upbeat, indie sometimes-electro pop kids from the UK. They've been featured on a couple of Kitsuné Compilations, but only have a few small releases out. Never fear though! Many other tracks can be found on hypem.

(hypem)

myspace.com/twodoorcinemaclub

Born Ruffians' Sophomore LP: "Say It"

2009-12-15T17:36:00.006-05:00

A few days back a Stereogum article announced the title and meaning behind Born Ruffians' long-awaited follow up to 2008's LP debut Red, Yellow & Blue. The album's name is Say It , a reflection of the band's communication issues that drove drummer Steve, top left, to temporary cut ties with his bandmates last year. His replacement for their 2009 tours (winter '09 with Tokyo Police Club; Spring '09 supporting Franz Ferdinand) was New York's Sinkane (bottom left, in hat).

However, the Torontonians have since regrouped and recorded Say It this past fall with their new philosophy to "talk about things before they happen."

Look for the album early 2010.

Stereogum article / tumblr fansite / myspace

Last Night: Arctic Monkeys + Screaming Females; Alexa Chung

2009-12-12T20:26:00.002-05:00

The bitter New York cold did not deter the Arctic Monkeys' (crazy) fans from packing up Terminal 5 in midtown west last night. In anticipation of this, I took to the second floor balcony, which was in direct line of the venue's curved speakers. Bad choice. Got blasted by supersaturated, muddy sound and a horrible mix.

Advance warning: all pictures are noisy and point-and-shooty. Venue does not allow SLRs. Although it turns out I could've easily gotten it in...

Above is the opener, Screaming Females, a New Jersey garage band. Pretty rough tunes. The lead singer is 5'2, the only girl in the three-piece, a pretty rad guitarist and a literal screaming female. She actually screeched. I don't even know how to describe it.

**

The Arctic Monkeys came on twenty minutes late. The floor looked absolutely insane. The most moshing I've ever seen. Five crowd surfers, several fallen moshers; a shoe, a shirt, a bra and a rolled poster thrown on stage.

The show itself was just alright. They got up and played their songs. The new stuff isn't danceable, but some of the old favorites (including Brainstorm, I Bet that You Look Good on the Dancefloor, This House is a Circus...) got everyone pretty riled up.

Oh and Alexa Chung:

The Setlist:

The Jeweller’s Hands
Brianstorm
This House is a Circus
Still Take You Home
Potion Approaching
Red Right Hand (Nick Cave cover)
My Propeller
Crying Lightning
Sketchead
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
The View from the Afternon
Cornerstone
If You Were There, Beware
Pretty Visitors
Do Me a Favour
Fluorescent Adolescent –> Last Christmas (cover) –> Fluorescent Adolescent

Encore:
Secret Door
505

I'm really glad they closed with 505. It's one of my favorites.

Matt the drummer sang the Last Christmas cover:

blog holiday

2009-12-08T01:04:00.006-05:00

I'll be around sparingly until 12/12.
Until then, here are some links to tide you over:

myspace.com/brazosbrazos / hypem
myspace.com/darlingsokay / hypem

Vampire Weekend - Contra video shorts

Around UC/Recent Oldies:

The Dodos' Long Form video + a chat in the comments section with its director
Fall Six Playlist (mp3 links)
Julian Casablancas' New York homecoming is January 14! Review of his album.

Phoenix Gets a GRAMMY Nod

2009-12-03T17:33:00.002-05:00

(New York, NY), December 3, 2009 – Capping off an incredible year, Phoenix has been nominated for their first-ever Grammy Award in the category of Best Alternative Album for their acclaimed 2009 release,Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix[!] (Loyaute/Glassnote).

Phoenix - Lizstomania / One time too many - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque

VIDEO: The Dodos - "Long Form"

2009-12-02T03:07:00.004-05:00

Somewhere in between a video ruining the song and being so boring that it's unnecessary falls The Dodos, their comforting low drum beats that tie their entire discography together and their video for Long Form, a track from the group's third studio effort "Time to Die".

Country Flip/News in Brief

2009-12-01T00:16:00.003-05:00

The Strokes are making a comeback appearance as a full group next year in June at the Isle of Wight Festival in England!

SXSW 2010 initial band listing is up on Stereogum, which includes our friends from London, Good Shoes. Their new LP No Hope, No Future comes out next month.

Animal Collective's Fall Be Kind EP is up and out digitally. Standout track "What Would I Want? Sky" is really fantastic and pretty straightforward for AC. Great hooks and lyrics, as usual. They're just not as buried. [hypem]

"On World AIDS Day, December 1, Live Nation will donate a portion of every ticket sold to its concerts in the United States to fight HIV/AIDS. All proceeds will benefit LIFEbeat, the music industry’s HIV/AIDS prevention charity in America."

Some new bands to try: Local Natives, The Hush Now, Thao with the Get Down ...

An Education

2009-11-28T02:23:00.003-05:00

This movie doesn't fall short in any respect. It was shot so beautifully; the story line was complex and thought provoking. And Dominic Cooper! It left me speechless.
Go see it. Go see it twice.

TWEES

2009-11-26T02:44:00.006-05:00

The Twees are this really adorable three-piece indie pop-rock band from New York.
Their backing is super light and Strokes-inspired; the vocals are deep and have Kapranos written all over them. And there's something just a little off about their guitar parts for whatever reason, which makes them a pretty fun and memorable listen.

Stream their four song EP "Lessons to Connect" on myspace.

Short Review: Yarn Owl - "Tiny Dots"

2009-11-23T21:27:00.012-05:00

I'm definitely overdue to give these Washington State nature-rockers a couple of nice words on their recent release Tiny Dots.

The seven song album is a mix of older and newer tunes. It's been just about a year since I first stumbled on their myspace page, so the new songs (Stay in Tune with the Moon, Without You...) are a lot tighter than some of the older cuts, like Rubix Cube. Mind you, a first time listener probably wouldn't get this out of it, but the combination of older, charming recordings and the new crisper ones definitely makes for a nice compilation.

All and all it's perfectly crafted pop in its simplest form.

[upop+] Interview I did with Yarn Owl here
[official] myspace / website
[mp3] Their label LNA said I could offer a few tracks off of "Tiny Dots". email me.

Born Ruffians' Second LP Almost Done

2009-11-23T02:16:00.000-05:00

Born Ruffians' follow-up to their 2008 super debut Red, Yellow & Blue is nearing completion: Luke (on the right, vocals/guitar) is currently here in New York working on the mix with their producer Rusty Santos.

There's no news of the record's name or any hint of album art, but everything should be wrapped up by early next year. Touring will follow- see them play if you can! These Torontonians are a fantastic live band that generate a lot more energy than you might expect from a three piece.

myspace / official site / fan tumblr