covers: Marissa Nadler

"Dragon Clouds So High Above"

Marissa Nadler just posted a cover of one of my all-time favorite Zimmerman tracks on her blog. Just another lo-fi home recording to keep you from getting restless while waiting for Little Hells to arrive. She's also serving up some new demo's and a Roy Orbison cover as well. I recommend subscribing (via RSS) to her blog, as she's been very good about updating it with fresh goods.

Marissa Nadler- Your Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (Bob Dylan cover)

drone: Pocahaunted

Moccassing

Pocahaunted: Mystic Los Angelino's making post-modern, lo-fi psychedelic drone. Perfect for end-of-the-day Subway rides, food comas, and starring at the wall.

Pocahaunted- Hideous (from the sold out Gold Miner's Daughter cassette)

upcoming: Lindstrom @ Studio B

"I Feel Space"
(Photo by Passetti)
Tomorrow night Norweigan space-disco provocateur Hans-Peter Lindstrom will invade Brooklyn on the first night of a super select, increasingly rare U.S. tour, set to hit Chicago and San Francisco this weekend. While Lindstrom has played in the U.S. before, this may be his first time doing a "live set", as previous visits were either solo DJ sets or DJ sets with his cosmic partner-in-crime Prins Thomas. We at Bobka HQ are hoping for a full out exploration of Lindstrom's instant space oddity epic Where You Go I Go Too. If you don't hear from us on Friday, it's because we've been swept up in a wave of cosmic disco and are now chilling on an Alien space craft somewhere near Alpha Centauri. We've heard the view is fucking phenomenal from up there. (BTW, Lindstrom live at Studio B @ 1 AM.)

Lindstrom- The Long Way Home (Prins Thomas Edit)

we saw: Secret Beirut Concert

"Just Another Night"

Last night Greenpoint luminary Zach Condon treated the neighborhood to a free show from the latest incarnation of Beirut at Coco66 on Greenpoint ave. A sort of warm up/drunken rehearsal show, the bar filled to capacity with ravenous onlookers. Having never seen Beirut live before, nor being the worlds biggest Beirut fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, which saw Zach and his stripped down band take on Flying Club Cup staples like "Nantes" and "Sunday Smile", as well as the always enjoyable Lon Gisland jam "Elephant Gun" and brand spanking new Dark Was the Night contribution "Mimizan."

Apparently, many in attendance thought the show was subpar, and, appropriately, are venting their frustrations in the comment section of Brooklyn Vegan (where else!). Truth be told, I had a great time and thought it was a phenomenal show. Hardly life changing but the vibe was jovial and the band treated the audience to a lengthy show, a lot longer than I expected it to be. Despite the angst expressed by many anonymous commenters, I'd like to thank Zach for treating the kind people of Greenpoint to a drunken night of musical revelry and reminding us that BV commenters are just a bunch of fucking wankers.

Oh, and anybody willing to sell their BAM tickets should get in touch with me. Thx.

Setlist
Nantes
Sunday Smile
The Shrew
Elephant Gun
The Concubine
La Javanaise (Serge Gainsbourg cover)
Postcard from Italy
Akara
Mimizan
After The Curtain
East Harlem
Cherbourg
Cocek

My Night With the Prostitute in Versailles
Wroclia

we saw: M83 @ Irving Plaza

"I'm Going To Drive Until It Burns My Bones"
(Photo by Natasha Ryan)
20 minute Ambient set into a propulsive set of synthetic, intergalactic, melodramatic pop = splendid way to spend a Saturday night. Only wish they would've played for a bit longer.

M83 (headlining) Setlist:
Run Into Flowers
*
Moonchild
Kim & Jessie
We Own the Sky
Graveyard Girl
Teen Angst
Highway of Endless Dreams
Don't Save Us From the Flames
Skin of the Night
Guitar and Heart
Encore: Couleurs

"Kim & Jessie" Live in Juan's Basement

R.I.P Silver Jews

"What Is Not But Could Be If"

R.I.P Silver Jews. David, I also wish I had a rhinestone suit and a new pair of boots. God speed.

mix: Ghostly 10th Anniversary

A Decade In The Making
In celebration of Ghostly's 10th birthday, self-titled magazine, who recently hosted the Ghostly/DFA bash at LPR, commissioned recent signee Michna to "craft a mix of Ghostly’s scene-spanning influences." Curated by Ghostly cofounder Sam Valenti IV, Michna's mix is a heady blend of dream pop, gaze, tech, electro, house and dark 80's pop. Great way to kick start your weekend.

Michna/SV4, Seeing Colors: Ghostly Influences
Orbital - Halcyon & On & On (FFRR)
Joey Beltram - Enegy Flash (R+S)
The Persuader - What’s The Time, Mr Templar (Svek)
Sascha Funke - Safety First (Kompakt)
Pantha Du Prince - Suzan (Dial)
Klein & MBO - Dirty Talk (Zanza)
Gino Soccio - Remember (Atlantic)
Giorgio Moroder - The Chase (Casablanca)
Der Zyklus -Elektronisches Zeitecho (Gigolo)
I-F - Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass (Interdimensional Transmissions)
Kraftwerk - Numbers (WEA)
Air - Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi (Dopplereffekt Mix) (Source)
Depeche Mode - Everything Counts (Maxi Single Live Version) (Mute)
The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before (Rough Trade)
The Cure - Close To Me (WEA)
The Cure - Close To Me (Closest Remix) (WEA)

Download
Michna/SV4, Seeing Colors: Ghostly Influences (PC: right click+save; MAC: apple+click)

new: The Sight Below

Further Away
The Sight Below's icy ambiance has properly positioned itself as the electronic counterpart to my Grouper winter blanket. Ghostly puts it best, describing The Sight Below's crystalline minimalism as "half-remembered dreams and soft-focus sentiments with elegiac beauty." Space cadets and eternal dreamers can rejoice in the announcement that The Sight Below will play a special Valentine's Day edition of the Wordless Music Series with none other than Liz Harris (aka Grouper). That means you've got less than a month to get your hands on some of Dr. Price's Edible Treats.

Download The Sight Below- No Place For Us EP for FREE (from Ghostly)

The Sight Below "Further Away" Filmed at Deception Pass, WA Summer 2008

new: Marissa Nadler "River of Dirt"

"Take Me Back"

Stereogum just premiered a brand new track from Marissa Nadler's highly anticipated Little Hells. I must say, it is quite stunning. Guess she let someone hear the record after all. I hate to get overly excited but this very well may be her best work to date. Needless to say, my anticipation for Little Hells just shot through the roof.

Marissa Nadler- River of Dirt (via Stereogum)

we saw: Animal Collective @ Grand Ballroom

"Am I Really All The Things That Are Outside of Me?"

(Photo by Jonny Leather)
Wow. That was one hell of an Inauguration. As if they'd been locked in a travel dog cage for months, Animal Collective absolutely tore the 7th floor of the ole Manhattan Center apart. Frightening squiggles of sound, industrial strength polyrhythms and guttural bass, the evening felt as much like a celebration of all things AC as it did a welcoming party for some bizarre new world order. The folks at BV said "the show could have been louder", which is perplexing considering the sound was, for lack of a better term, "in your fucking face." When Geologist dropped the bass during "Guys Eyes", I could literally feel my legs buckle. The sheer physicality of it was so raw, you couldn't help but feel moved. So much so that during "Brother Sport" I was fairly convinced the floor at the Grand Ballroom would give out and a handful of revelers would fall through and end up on the 6 floor only to continue dancing, listening as sound trickled through an Alice-like rabbit hole above. Not only did this show eclipse the mega-hype of MPP, but it proved, once and for all, that, if anything, Animal Collective are band of the people, and they do a damn good job of making the people happy. As if my general lack of hearing, and the "my face was melted by the arch of the covenant" look wasn't enough to take away from the show, NYC Taper, God bless his soul, captured the evening and has made the whole thing available in both FLAC and MP3. Download Animal Collective Live at the Grand Ballroom HERE.



Setlist (from NYC Taper)
In The Flowers
Leaf House
Blue Sky
Guys Eyes
Summertime Clothes
Daily Routine
Lion in a Coma
Lablakely Dress
Fireworks
My Girls
Brother Sport
Encore
Beat
Slippi

tonight: Animal Collective @ Grand Ballroom

"Oh Oh"
Animal Collective on Inauguration day. New World Order here we come.

Bobkast #22: Listen, The Snow Is Falling

"I Need Another World...This Ones Nearly Gone"
(Photo by automaticbobby)
It's funny how a little bit of snow can bring a city to a stop. Aimless and carefree, it floats amongst smoke stacks and skyscrapers, lulling the avenues to a quiet hush. Quickly, it builds, hypnotizing wide-eyed onlookers as it dusts dirty streets with crystalline sparkles that shine under street lights like diamonds in a summer sky. Quiet. It swirls, whirls and falls. You stick your tongue out and taste its frozen delight. "Ahh, nurishment." And all of the sudden, the world is anew.

Bobkast #22: Listen...The Snow Is Falling
Galaxie 500- Listen, the Snow is Falling
Yo La Tengo- Nowhere Near
Alela Diane- White As Diamonds (Daytrotter)
Bjork- All is Full of Love
Grouper- Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping
Koushik- Morning Comes
Apollo Sunshine- Happiness
Japancakes- Blown A Wish
Julianna Barwick- You Were Waiting
Mum- I Can't Feel My Hand Anymore, It's Alright, Sleep Tight
Mogwai- Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
Antony & the Johnsons- Another World

Download Bobkast #22: Listen...The Snow Is Falling (PC: right click+ save as; Mac: command (apple)+ click)

new: Marissa Nadler

"I Was Dreaming Of The Past"

In keeping with our "highlighting albums we're really excited about" posts for the week, Marissa Nadler upped a few goodies just after the New Year, a sort of "non-denominational holiday gift" of covers, remixes and demos. Like she said before, her new record, Little Hells (3/7/09 Kemado Records) "will not be heard till it is released, at all", but that's just fine considering she's been posting a steady stream of videos and unreleased material on her blog. It's also worth mentioning that Mexican Summer, the vinyl only subscription record label, named after a Nadler song, recently reissued her debut Ballads of Living and Dying. Oh yeah, and if that isn't enough, Marissa will be gracing our lovely neighborhood with her presence on February 27th, when she, along with MV & EE, will play the Lutheran Church of the Messiah located right down the street from Bobka HQ. So yeah, we're pretty excited about that one. 'Til then, stay warm with some of these unreleased gems.

If you happen to be in Paris, you can catch Marissa tonight at Au Presbytère de Saint Eustache.

Marissa Nadler- So Long Theresa
Marissa Nadler- Jealous Guy (John Lennon cover)

upcoming: Girls 7" & Album

"I Wish I Had A Pizza & A Bottle of Wine"

With only one official release under their belt, we're getting sort of antsy for some more Girls. Certainly the Morning Light/Lust For Life 7" is a doozey, but its been over half a year since the band released it (and sold it out) on True Panther. Luckily good news is on the way. Last week the band posted this message on its MySpace:

The album is oh so close guys and girls... We just got back to San Francisco from our own studio in my parents house in Santa Cruz... The future is very exciting this album is a great album its honest, loose, ethereal, obnoxious and perfect. We cant wait for you to hear it.

Not long after, I received an email from Dean at True Panther, noting that "The next Girls release will be a 7" of Hellhole Ratrace along with a brand new song. The LP should be coming near the end of April or the beginning of May." Super good news for all you pop savvy, navel gazing boys and girls with major crushes and some handshake drugs. If you find yourself in the Bay Area, you can catch Girls tomorrow with Hospitals at The Eagle, which is apparently a Gay Biker bar home to the "nouveau leather boy crew." Sounds like the perfect place to see Girls.

Girls- Morning Light (vinyl rip)

Girls- Carolina from Midi Festival

video: Alela Diane

"Our Lives Are Buried In Snow"
From To Be Still, one of my most anticipated records of 2009. Below snag a the goosebump inducing solo version from a Daytrotter session in 2007.

Alela Diane- White As Diamonds (Daytrotter)

new: Ducktails

Not Not Fun
Ridgewood, NJ based Ducktails has a lot planned for 2009. Not only will he release his debut LP on Not Not Fun, but the tropical loop specialist is also set to release a slew of other recordings, including a split LP with Sun Araw on Not Not Fun, Ducktails "Acres of Shade" on Arbor, a Ducktails CD on Holy Mountain, a Ducktails CD compilation on RTB and a Ducktails/TOMUTONTTU 7". Big things indeed. If you can't wait for the LP, peep this radio session Ducktails did on the venerable NJ indie station WFMU. Also Ducktails is playing a host of upcoming shows in NYC, including one tomorrow night at Monster Island in BillyBurg.

Ducktails Live on WFMU 12.19.2008

Covers: Galaxie 500

"All Over Town"

Listen, the snow is falling o'er town,
Listen the snow is falling ev'rywhere.
Between Empire State building
And between Trafalgar square.
Listen, the snow is falling o'er town.

Listen, the snow is falling o'er town,
Listen the snow is falling ev'rywhere.
Between your bed and mine,
Between your head and my mind.
Listen, the snow is falling o'er town.

Between Tokyo and Paris,
Between London and Dallas,
Between your love and mine.
Listen, the snow is falling ev'rywhere.

Snowfling, snowfall, snowfall,
Listen, listen,
Listen, baby,
Listen.

Galaxie 500- Listen, The Snow is Falling

we saw: Sharon Van Etten

"I Was Dreaming Inside"
(Photo by arincrumley)

A cold, rainy night in Brooklyn couldn't have been better for taking in the lonesome, urban folk of Sharon Van Etten. Ms. Van Etten, whose voice is as haunting as it is lush, is quickly becoming a favorite in the live music scene in New York. (If you've checked out NYC Taper anytime in the last 3-4 months you probably already knew this.) Fans of Karen Dalton and Susan Christie will find solace in Sharon's painfully honest, utterly gorgeous hymns, which ring out like bells for the broken hearted. Honest and true to form, last nights show at Zebulon was a hushed affair full of absolutely enthralled onlookers. When I re-emerged into the Williamsburg night, I was somehow shocked to be surrounded by rusty motorcycles, as I was pretty sure I'd been transported to the depths of Germany's Black Forest. A compliment of the highest regard for an artist who is quickly becoming one of the strongest acts in Brooklyn.

NYC Taper has a few live recordings of Sharon, including a recent show at Pianos.

Vote for Sharon on Deli Magazine's favorite NYC based Artist of 2008 poll here. (She's currently whooping ass.)

(ED Note: Hunter and Sharon work together.)

live: Cat Power

"And I Want For You To Be A Good Man"

"Oh, God. Oh, my nose is itching. Do y'all say when your nose is itching someone's talking about you, or someone's thinking about you. Well I hope so. Ok, now I have to think of one more song. Ok."

Cat Power- To Be A Good Women (Live on Aligre FM Paris, FR 3.6.2000)

bootleg: Atlas Sound NYE

"We Will Never Ever..."

Due to the ubiquity of Atlas Sound posts in 2K8, I'll keep this one short. Bradford Cox played a (surprise?) hometown show on New Year's Eve at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta. He prefaces it by saying "Happy New Year everybody...Did everybody get kissed? (Yeah) Good. Well, I'm here to depress to the shit out of you with my longwinded ambient music." From then on its a typically droopy, psychedelic mess of spiraling loops, droney synths and freight-train powered drum beats. Consisting of choice cuts from last year's phenomenal, and absolutely gooey, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel ("Quick Canal", "Cold As Ice"), the set also features "Logos", the self-titled track from the accidentally leaked Atlas Sound album Bradford planned to be the follow up to Let The Blind.... Southern Shelter has the whole thing for DL, in FLAC too! If you're looking for a companion to aid in slipping back into the Holiday food coma, this is it. Highly recommended.

Download here.

Bobkast #21: Mowee Wowee

"Meet Me In The Garden"

After a bitter NYE we're more than ready to welcome warm, sunny afternoons back into our lives. While that certainly isn't going to happen anytime soon in Brooklyn, one can always dream. Inflatable kiddie pools, zinc on ye nose, old episodes of Magnum PI and a quick call to your most favorite delivery guy can prove a MacGuyver-like solution. After all, what else do you need to feel like your in Hawaii? OK, a cocktail would be nice. And maybe some spam and Reese's.

Bobkast #21: Mowee Wowee
1. Reefer- May Belene
2. Dent May- Meet Me In The Garden
3. Koushik- Lying In The Sun
4. Little Joy- The Next Time Around
5. Miracle Fortress- Beach Baby
6. El Guincho- Cumpleanos en Los Lagares
7. Os Mutantes- Ando Meio Desligado
8. Animal Collective- Brother Sport
9. Air France- No Excuses (The Autumn Cantata)
10. Jeanette- Esucha
11. The Magnetic Fields- Take Ecstasy With Me
12. Panda Bear- Untitled (Guys Eyes)
13. Caribou- Cherrybomb PT. 2
14. High Places- Jump In (For Gilkey Elementary School)
15. Nadia Cattouse- Long Time Boy

Download Bobkast #21: Mowee Wowee (PC: right click +save as; MAC: apple (command) + click)