video: Ganglians "Unknown Song"

"Take A Walk In The Park"

Another choice c. axel capture from Ganglians set at the Market Hotel. Not sure what this one is called, think it might be new, either way, it features more killer axe work. Ganglians have a new 7" out on Capture Tracks, a thousand copies, but I heard that its already sold out, most likely to distributors only. Pick that up, "Blood on the Sand" is killer.

video: Ganglians "Never Mind"

"Call Me, Call Me, Call Me"

Hours before the now infamously retarded Wavves vs. Black Lips brawl, vibes were real strong. Beach Fossils opened the night at Market with another stellar set, one that included a first time played song they'd just practiced that afternoon. (Again, no vocal tremolo. Maybe it's gone forever?) Then Ganglians arrived. Prior to their set I talked furry trolls, DMT and "The Void" with lead Ganglian Ryan Grubbs. Soon after that the band launched into a set wrought with the fruits of cave living. As many have noted, the band did not dabble in Monster Head Room territory (much to the dismay of some), however, what they lacked in ethereal jangle, they made up for with tweak ragers, bombastic chants and a epic guitar onslaught. As you can see above, Ganglians have one of the best guitar players around, a dude not afraid to shred. Nice to see in "indie rock."

video: Ducktails "House of Mirrors"

"Look to Find Direction But All You See is Your Reflection"

After filling the room with light rays, Matt Mondanile stood up from his loop station, grabbed his guitar and took us to the screened in porch. While Ducktails is known for its loopy take on tropical psych, "House of Mirrors," which is probably the most introspective song in the Ducktails canon, is a particularly solemn existential ballad. It's a standout, not just because its based around a quiet, very-straightforward chord progression, but due to its ability to seep into your psyche and help in the examining of life, love, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "In a house filled with mirrors, it's not easy to see where your going" may feel like an obvious use of the mirror metaphor, and it sure seems that way in retrospect, but without self examination, one would never truly know thyself. It takes a hint, or a house filled with mirrors, in order to delve beneath the surface of everyday existence. It's not easy, and it can be extremely painful, but, like the end of this tune, which finds Matt moving forward and ripping like an everyday Steve Hillage, when one does finally confront the subtle demons, deeply rooted hangups and other mental obstacles, the rest of life is, as Q-Tip said, "strictly butter, strictly butter, baby."

video: Ducktails "Various Songs"

"Surf's Up"

"Hypnagogic Pop" never sounded as good as it did Saturday night at the Underwater Peoples Late Summr Showcase. The festival, held at the Market Hotel, featured an ebb-and-flo of punky no-fi, jangly folk, psychotropic tropicalia, dark folk, surf psych and jungle fuzz pop, lending it a true musical melting pot vibe that even Lady Liberty could vouch for. In between running sound for bands like Big Troubles and Frat Dad, scene leader Matt Mondanile crept on stage as Ducktails for a hypnotic journey to the outer reaches of the milky way galaxy. I didn't know this at the time, but apparently axel's new camera picks up the color of aura's. Matt's is pink.

A Pink Aura indicates that the person achieved a perfect balance between spiritual awareness and the material existence. The most advanced people have not only a yellow halo around the head (a permanent strong point in the Aura) but also a large pink Aura extending further away. The pink color in the Aura is quite rare on Earth and appears only as a temporary thought, never as a strong point in the Aura.

video: Family Portrait "Mega Secret"

"Again"
I love Ari, Brody, Mimoun and Sawyer so when they told us their first official Family Portrait video would feature kids with flame throwers, well, I got very excited. Needless to say, it brought me back to my pre-pubescent days spent making molotov cocktails in Morris County. I think its safe to say, "Do not try this at home." Catch Family Portrait at the epic Underwater People's showcase this Saturday at Market Hotel, then next Saturday, August 29th, at the Chocolate Bobka Presents show at Cameo Gallery, with Beach Fossils, Sore Eros and Holiday Shores.

mp3: The Fresh & Onlys "Peacock & Wing"

"Smile For A While"
If you've seen a young man schizo-dance-walking down Nassau Ave every morning for the last week or two, there is a good chance said young gentleman is been listening to the Fresh & Onlys "Peacock & Wing." Opening like a New Order track shot through 20 years of dirty needles and falling in love with every cute girl on the subway, "Peacock & Wing" is the snuff tobacco of the melodic garage revival. It's dirty and sweet, pungent and makes your face rattle like bobblehead addicted to benzedrine. "You should really be my fresh and only, you got a smile on your face that I can always see only."

The Fresh & Onlys- Peacock & Wing

"Peacock & Wing" Live at the Market Hotel shot by Bill.

video: Woods @ Market Hotel

"Don't Repeat It, Don't Ask Why"
(photo by YiiioiiiY P)
This is what I was talking about a few months ago (two days after this was recorded), when I said Woods "did some interstellar exploration, reaching for the most far out galaxies, yet managing to ground their sound in songs, which, after getting lost in space, kept calling me back to earth." The verdict, Woods is super-fucking natural.

"The Hold"


"Twisted Tongue"

new: Atlas Sound

"Right On, Right On"

It seems like every other day Bradford Cox releases a new tune via the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound/ Lotus Plaza blog. Not that we have a problem with that, in fact, we like it so much we've subscribed to the blog via RSS, which is a great way to keep up with the outpouring of music Bradford has unleashed in the past months. Last night he posted the following.

After the Deerhunter show at the Market Hotel Friday, I became extremely ill. Lockett and I had both been suffering from a severe flu, but I think exhaustion and too much cigarette smoke pushed me beyond my limits and by Sunday, the 13th I had to go to the emergency room in Manhattan. I honestly felt like I was dying and there is no better time to explore and relive small tears in your past than to have them floating in front of you in a haze of painkillers and i.v. bags.

"April 13th" is a loopy bit of Animal Collective-like happy schizo pop. Warm and inviting, weird and charming all at the same time. According to Bradford "this should give you an idea of what to expect of a solo A.S. performance" (he had been performing with a band, see here, here). "April 13th" is a doozy; nearly twelve minutes of floating melody hung in a perpetual purgatory like state, cuddled with pharmaceutically entranced vocals and all the subtle nuances of sound you'd expect from a Deerhunter or Atlas Sound song. It's reminiscent of "Youth Energy" in form and length, but more focused than the instrumental from the How I Escaped The Prison of Fractals EP. The bells and dreamy, aesthetic optimism also bring Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel standouts "Quarantined" and "On Guard." It's a behemoth of love soaked in high grade opiates, bells and synths, looped over and over for your aural pleasure. "Right On Right On" (or is it "Ride On, Ride On").

Atlas Sound- April 13th

P.S- I thought I had this song on repeat, but it just segued perfectly into Augustus Pablo's dub plate classic "Unity Dub." So much so that I didn't realize the song had ended until I heard Pablo's signature reverb/echo/delay flying snare hits. A compliment if there ever was one.