1:00am [unpopcult] Mix!!

In hopes of holding onto the last bits of summer, I've decided to stay up really late and play with the random 25 smart playlists on my iTunes! Here's my first one (of many). I messed with it quite a bit to get it close to something I would put together and not something that was randomized. Haha...

Lisa- Albert Hammond Jr.
Call an Ambulance- Albert Hammond Jr.
I Am The Walrus- The Beatles
Strawberry Fields Forever- The Beatles
Jamming-Bob Marley
Barnacle Goose-Born Ruffians
Kurt Vonnegut-Born Ruffians
Just What I Needed-The Cars
Rock The Casbah-The Clash
Railway-Dispatch
Bold as Love-John Mayer
Genius-Kings of Leon
Modern World-Modern Lovers
Gouge Away-The Pixies
123 Stop-The Postelles
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi-Radiohead
21st Century-RHCP
Love Underground-Robbers on High Street
Girl Sailor-The Shins
Razorblade-The Strokes
Barley Legal-The Strokes
Ladies of Cambridge-Vampire Weekend
Campus-Vampire Weekend
Figures-The Whitest Boy Alive
School Uniforms-The Wombats

Some old, mostly new. Got the classic rockers- Beatles, Clash, and Cars and a John Mayer Hendrix cover. I used to be a freaking huge John Mayer fan (post first album). So I'm really paying homage to my music tastes; past and present.

Cultural Offerings; August 16, 2008

I saw an cool indie movie today: American Teen. It's basically just a documentary about these kids in their senior year of high school in Nowhere (aka Warsaw), Indiana. But seriously, I was sitting in the theater, jaw dropped at these kids and their incredible dysfunction. All of the kids they followed gravitated towards other people who would just hurt them. The movie subliminally bashed the clique scene, but there were no 'American teens' in the theater to make an impression on...

A Helping of Indie Brit Pop

Recently I've been browsing the indie back roads of band myspaces. Lucky for me (and you), I've come across a band called The Wombats. So I downloaded their LP:
"A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation."

Warning: The songs are tragically catchy.

I have yet to listen to the full album but so far what I've heard in terms of a hybrid of some of my favorite bands is:

→"if Bloc Party sounded friendly" vocals

→Born Ruffian riffs, back up and repetition
→The Postelles' rhymed but not annoying lyrics and guitar progressions

Like what you read? They're on a [MEGATOUR] right now! Check them out if you can.

The Wombats Myspace

Last Night: The Postelles

So I ended up seeing The Postelles open up for The Subways at Blender Theater last Friday the 25th. Not in this order they played White Night, 123 Stop, Mr. Used to Be, She She, Boy's Best Friend, Stella, Hey Little Sister and a new song they didn't give a title to. Sadly, they didn't play my personal favorite off the EP- Blue Room. They played their whole (small!) catalog except my favorite song of their's! What?! Anyway they were really great and I was standing in the front row on the GA floor. Probably would've had some better pictures if I sucked it up and used the flash but I felt bad because they were too close!

Hopefully I'll be seeing another one of their shows soon.
And they will play Blue Room.

But this video is of White Night.

Gig Book: Roger's Picnic

I think that Vampire Weekend hates me. It rained like HELL at Roger's Picnic, which was last Sunday, July 20 in Toronto. The music was really great though and all the people who went were exactly the same as the alt ones here in the city. I left pretty early, but I did see the following acts: Born Ruffians, Dizzee Rascal, Vampire Weekend and some Chromeo. In addition, I got an awesome Roger's Picnic Tee that has all of the bands on it (the Canadians seriously manufacture the softest concert tees!)


That's Vampire Weekend on the top and the Born Ruffians below. Both great live performers.

Cultural Offering;1969

I watched The original Italian Job today. It was a really fun picture. I've never seen the 2003 version, but it would be really hard to top this one. This is my cue to look for more classics and cult films!

Strokes Day

I saw Julian on a TV commercial last night in the weird converse video. You know, that collaboration he did with a couple of rap artists for the 100th anniversary of the shoes?



So I go and check out the band's website. Here's what I found paraphrased: Question: when are The Strokes coming back? Answer: the guys are set to get back to it early 2009. Of course I knew about this since early July, I just never blogged about it. I was spending all my time chasing Albert. Anyway! This is exciting. I'm not going to even bother speculating when it's going to come out. They're really serious about mixing and remixing which adds a lot of time onto the process.

The website also listed solo projects for everyone else except for Nick. Fab has an album collaboration, Nikolai has an album under the name 'Nickel Eye'. Both are coming out in the fall.

Saving the Best AHJ Post for Last !

I spent sun up to sun down in and around Union Square yesterday. And it was totally worth it because the picture of Albert above isn't zoomed in!! The whole band was so good, and the venue was so small. Something about artists in their hometown..it's just better, you know? More authentic. It feels very real. Especially because Albert is pretty much starting from square one in terms of how many people know him. And you could really tell everyone there was under the impression that they indeed were The Strokes' #1 fan. Hipster fest really. I saw Albert mouth to another guitarist that he had a headache and promptly ended the 7 song set. But he came back on (all the lights were way up like it was over) and played Miss Myrtle from Como Te Llama?.

In addition, I gained a several of things from this awesome night..

1. an autographed cd that had 10 free vid downloads of last year's Albert concert and a sticker of the band
2. promotional vinyl
3. a tame mosh pit experience
4. a pic with Albert ☺
5. seeing Agyness Deyn
6. Met all the guys from The Postelles who were giving out little fliers for their concert at Knitting + a cue to download their music which is actually pretty good. I'll probably go see them. I think they were there because Albert produced some song of theirs. I don't know for sure. The Postelles' myspace here.
7. a seriously orange neon wristband that I have yet to take off.

Last Albert post prolly :(
Nothing more to write! For now at least.

A vid I took at the show- one of my initial favorites from the new album.
'Victory at Monterey'

Red, Yellow and Blue

Ever since I got my ticket for the Roger's Picnic in Toronto I've been listening to Born Ruffians. They played Summerstage with VW and I'm really into their full debut album: Red, Yellow and Blue. It took about a week to really get into and and love it but it was totally worth it. Atypical stuff- group vocals and slurred lyrics but not in a drunk kind of Strokes-y way.

You can hear a 30 second preview of every song on the album via MTV
While you're at it, check out the Pitchfork review as well.


My favorite tracks are 'Kurt Vonnegut' 'Red Elephant' 'Foxes Mate for Life' and 'Barnacle Goose', but if you want to buy some of the songs I [HIGHLY REC] just downloading all of it because I think it's best as a whole thing.

(That's the band there in a pretty good blend of mainstream/alt.)

I Love Albert Hammond Jr. - The Reprise

I was pretty disappointed when Como Te Llama wasn't digitally released on iTunes when it was promised (June 17). It finally comes out the 8th as I said earlier, and so does Albert for a 'free' show at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square!! You have to buy the disc to get a wristband- no problem, since I kind of wanted the physical item instead of just a download, but I also wanted to know the songs before the concert. I can just forget all of those 18+ worries and spending money on a ticket to see him. I'll admit to taking a risk with another free show (see Foiled Again below) but I think it'll work out fine as long as I get there really early. Before I learned about this I found a ticket giveaway for his private show at the Mercury Lounge July 1. But you need to by 21 for all ML events. There goes my chance of seeing the other band members but I guess I'm just going to have to catch up with them later.

Listen all of the new tunes on his myspace page ☺