live: Camera Obscura @ Bell House

"Don't Know My Elbow From My Ass"
(photo by Greg Chow)
After making the trip to Austin to play a few SXSW showcases, Glasgow's Camera Obscura flew north to New York to play tracks from their soon-to-be-released My Maudlin Career to sold-out audiences. Their first show was last night at The Bell House in Gowanus, Brooklyn, an old shipping warehouse, which houses some of the finest sound (Thanks EAW!) in all of New York. The veteran Glaswegian septet ran through a super tight set of new songs "you haven't heard because our record isn't out yet" (wink wink), including "James", "Swans", "My Maudlin Career" and "French Navy", the first single. While the focus was on new material, TraceyAnne Campbell and company treated the sold out crowd to golden oldies like "Let's Get Out of This Country", "Come Back Margaret" and "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken." Older songs were bolstered by a newfound love of all things percussive, presumably due to time spent recording with Bjorn (of PB&J), whose replaced Let's Get Out of This Country's sweeping Dusty Springfield orchestrations with his signature minimalist percussion, something the Swedish Midas has done with Taken By Trees, Lykke Li and the Shout Out Louds. An array of glockenspiels, maracas, tambourines and wood blocks effectively gives Camera Obscura's sad pop a more upbeat, almost girl-group bounciness, something I wouldn't have expected while listening to "Your Picture" in a collegiate library. Needless to say, the bands new direction, which is rather similar to that of Belle & Sebastian's evolution circa Dear Catastrophe Waitress (and even more so on The Life Pursuit), is a welcome step forward from a group who could have easily been pigeonholed as just another Lit-savvy band of heartbroken Scots playing melodramatic twee pop.

Camera Obscura "The Sweetest Thing" 3/18/09 Central Presbyterian Church

tonight: Of Montreal

"Ninja's prove it"

Skeletal Lampings lyrics I can't wait to hear Georgie Fruit sing tonight, in no particular order:

"We can do it softcore if you want, but you should know that I go both ways."
"The sky is pregnant with faggots"
"I'm a mother fucking headline and bitch you don't even know it"
"I'm just a black she-male"
"When we get together it's always hot magic"
"You've gots a super wicked style, show it to me baby, let me see it baby"
"A freaky permiatation, something like Voltron"
"I'm not worth knowing cause I'm probably dead"
"We climbed upon the rocky shore and freaked out on the mountain goats"
"I was a hater in the depths of an emotional hibernation"
"I took her standing in the kitchen, ass against the sink"
"It's time to penetrate their fantasies"
"I'm so sick of sucking the dick of this cruel cruel city"
"Still some gentle people fucking to strawberry letter 23"
"You should call sometime, I wont answer but at least I'll know you care, How will you know its me, Caller Id"
"I live to make you call my name"
"Turning tricks on the hood of Jasmine's car"
"Biting the prick that feeds me in my sister's bathroom"
"How can I function? There's no more Apollonian beauty to behold"
"I want you to be my pleasure puss, I wanna know what its like to be inside you"
"Bless my lips with your sunlandic kisses"

and

"I wanna slap face your face, I wanna paint your nails, I wanna make you scream, I wanna braid your hair, I wanna kiss your friends, I wanna make you laugh, I wanna dress the same, I wanna defend you, I wanna squeeze your thighs, I wanna kiss your eyelids and corrupt your dreams, I wanna crash your car, I wanna scratch your cheeks, I wanna make you sick, I wanna sell you out, want to expose your flaws, I wanna steal your name, I wanna show you off, I wanna tell you lies, I wanna write you books, I wanna turn you on, I wanna make you come 200 times a day"

What are your favorites? Old and new? See ya at the Roseland.

"Wicked Wisdom" Live in Durham

we saw: Sigur Ros United Palace Theatre

Wonder
(Photo by Taekjoo)

A wondrous evening in a majestic theater with one of the most magical bands on the planet. Viking mystics, if there ever were such a thing.

Setlist: Svefn G Englar/ Glosoli/ Ny Batteri/ Fljotavik/ Vid Spilum Endalaust/ Hoppipolla/ Med Blodnasir/ Svo Hljott/ Heysatan/ Vidrar Vel Til Loftarasa/ Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur/ Saeglopur/ Hafsol/ Gobbledigook

(Encore) All Alright/ Popplagid.


Sigur Ros "Hafsol" at 8/22/08

we saw: Wilco

"Its Hot In The Poor Places Tonight"
(Photo by Mystic Childz)
The Wilco show at McCarren Pool on Wednesday was a prime example of a band maturing, aging with grace and being 'total pro's.' Not only was the venerable machine well oiled, but the band, more powerful than ever, delivers a genuine rock and roll show without any of the pretense often associated with indie rock (and Brooklyn). Of course, comedian Jeff Tweedy got into the mix, asking "Are you all too cool to clap?! Would it be better if we add the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" drum beat to it?!" The audience took the jab as best it could, and turned the standard crowd clap to new levels, adding a second beat and turning the whole thing on its side. Then Tweedy called us a bunch of "free thinkers." It was funny, but some people didn't take it in stride. Regardless, the sold out show delivered American rock and roll of the highest quality, especially during rhythmic machine that is "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" (which featured the clapping), and the triple guitar assault on Sky Blue Sky rocker "Impossible Germany." Twas also great to hear a couple off the criminally under rated Summerteeth and to finally hear Glenn tear up "Heavy Metal Drummer" (picture below). Check out a great video of "Poor Places" from the McCarren Pool show below.


Wilco 8/13/08 McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, NY

Via Chicago
Blood of the lamb (w/ clarinet)
You are my face
Hummingbird
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
A shot in the arm
Side with the seeds
Misunderstood
Far far away
Impossible Germany
Pieholden suite (w/ total pros)
California stars (w/ total pros)
Handshake drugs
Pot kettle black
Poor places >
Spiders (kidsmoke)

encore 1
Jesus, etc.
Can't stand it (w/ total pros)
Hate it here (w/ total pros)
Walken (w/ total pros)
I'm the man who loves you (w/ total pros)

encore 2
Heavy metal drummer
Late greats (w/ total pros)
Kingpin (w/ total pros)
Monday (w/ total pros)
Outtasite (w/ total pros)
I'm a wheel

"Poor Places" Live at McCarren Pool, 8/13/08

sunday morning music: Chocolate USA

"I Gotta Get My Head On Straight"
An appropriate jam considering The Feelies just reunited, played Hoboken and New York and we didn't go. "I missed the Feelies Show/ I missed the Feelies Show/ I don't know how I missed the Feelies show." Sort of how I feel right now. Oh, well.

Chocolate USA- The Feelies Show

tonight: Bishop Allen & The War On Drugs

"Digging For Diamonds"

We've had these tickets for a while but it was only recently that excellent Philly group, and recent Secretly Canadian signee's, The War On Drugs were added to Bishop Allen's neighborhood show. If you've yet to hear The War On Drugs, you can download the Barrel of Batteries EP for FREE at Secretly Canadian's site (click here!). The excellent EP is composed of a few "Dylan-y" songs, as well as some inebriating atmospheric tracks (highly rec'd). SC is also giving away "Taking The Farm" from The War On Drugs forthcoming Wagonwheel Blues (out 6/19), which has been getting a lot of repeat listens on my iTunes. And, of course, Bishop Allen is playing too! Tickets are still available, so come enjoy this rainy May Friday with Bobka, Bishop Allen and The War On Drugs.

The War On Drugs- Taking The Farm


Bishop Allen "Click, Click, Click" (as seen on Sony commercial)

we saw: The Acorn

"The Rhythm Of The Landscape That Is Breathing"

Early Sunday evening I hit up Williamsburg's finest (only) record store/bar, the Sound Fix, for a dinner time set by The Acorn complete with good tunes and FREE PBR! On a scale of one to ten this pairing is a 10 with a few exclamation points. And like multi-instrumentalist Shaun Weadick pointed out, "nothing is finer than playing to the sound of free PBR's cracking." Agreed.

The super chill, yet utterly tight set kicked off with Glory Hope Mountain ballad "Flood Pt. 2," which set the tone for the evening. Like Bon Iver's set a few months back at the Sound Fix, the peaceful cafe like atmosphere of the Sound Fix Lounge compliments The Acorn's sound quite well; mellow, yet vivid, subtle but powerful. Sitting in one of the pews, I couldn't help but feel like I was chilling on a friend's couch. Needless to say, everyone felt right at home. So much so that the band treated the audience to a rare performance of "Plateau Ramble," a song much to quiet to played in noisy clubs. The homeyness of the Sound Fix really gives way to treats like these, just as it did Bon Iver's "Re: Stacks", a song that he never plays because it's oh so soft.

Setlist
Flood Pt. 2
Crooked Legs
Hold Your Breath
Glory
Antenna
Oh Napolean
Plateau Ramble
Low Gravity
Flood Pt.1

If you've yet to catch them during their four night stay in New York, tonight is your last chance. And like the last time we saw the band at the Mercury Lounge, this lineup is no slouch; Papertrigger, The Acorn, Love as Laughter, and the Cave Singers. Definitely worth your $10.