video: Fluffy Lumbers, Alice Cohen at CMJ

"Back to the Wall"


Lost in some blackhole-time warp, these two recently unearthed videos of Fluffy Lumbers and Alice Cohen live at the UP/OESB/BOBKA really bring me back to that hazy night at the now defunct Monkeytown during CMJ. To view is to be transported back in time to a realm that existed for a few hours on some odd day in October.

video: Julian Lynch at Monkeytown

"Droner"

Breaking down the walls of retransmission, it was a must to beam Julian Lynch into Monkeytown during CMJ. Fortunately, the needed technologies are embedded in laptop machines we carry in over-the-shoulder bags and so, presenting Julian Lynch live from the his bedroom floor in Madison, Wisconsin wasn't that big a deal, technically speaking. It was, if anything, essential, a must, and even more so in retrospect, as Julian's cosmic raga pixelated the air in the room until all we could see were molecules and molecules made up of molecules. This is what I imagine lucid dreaming to be.

video: Mountain Man at Monkeytown

"Amen"

I was pretty psyched when Mountain Man told me they could fill in for Ducktails at the Bobka Monkeytown show last Tuesday. Even better knowing that our friend Ray Concepcion would be on hand to document the proceedings. In retrospect, it was even more magical than I could have imagined. Never thought I would've woken up at noon the next day, foggy, still in shock as to the dream I witnessed the night before at the magical den that is Monkeytown. Enough words already though, Mountain Man at Monekeytown, by Ray Concepcion. Might have been the best show of CMJ (Editorial bias).

CMJ: Mountain Man filling in for Ducktails

"Starring at the Wild White Heron"
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Ducktails won't be able to play the Chocolate Bobka/Underwater Peoples/Olde English Spelling Bee show next week at Monkeytown. Sucks, but the sun shines brightest after a storm. In this case, the sun is Mountain Man. Yes, those lovely young ladies from Vermont that I've been gushing over for months. To be honest, this changes the dynamic of the show, but personally, I think its for the better, as there is no better preface to dreams than the enchanting songs of Mountain Man.

Make your reservation here, while you still can.

Mountain Man- Animal Tracks
Mountain Man- Dog Song

CMJ: 10/20 Bobka, OESB & UP are Straight Chillin'

"House of Mirrors"
(Big ups to Mimoun of Family Portrait/UP for Poster Art)
The first time I went to Monkeytown I knew I'd have to throw an event there. And now the time has come. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my extreme pleasure to unveil the first of a few Chocolate Bobka CMJ shows. If you've ever been to Monkeytown (peep rad pic here), you know one thing is up; straight chilling. Therefore, it felt pretty logical to call up my favorite super chillerz and see if they would come down to cool out, play some tunes and trip out to some tweaker visuals. And that's exactly what we'll do on Tuesday October 20th 2009. I'll be honest in noting that I basically curated this lineup for myself. Just bands that I want to see while 'laxing out on some of the most comfortable couches in New York, while visual masterminds Richard Law, Alice Cohen and Todd Ledford space my face on the four massive, wall sized projection screens. A little run down of the evening.

Chocolate Bobka, Olde English Spelling Bee & Underwater Peoples are Straight Chilling.
Fluffy Lumbers (rare solo set)
Family Portrait ("Western drone set")
Alice Cohen (solo)
Julian Lynch live via Satellite broadcast on 4 Walls
Ducktails
Africa Germany Germany ETC (Live NYC premiere)

Stoked? Me too! If you've ever been to Monkeytown, then you probably know the drill. Besides the inevitable straight chilling, the venue also offers some of the choicest food in NYC, just take a peep at their Fall Menu. (Different types of Sliders: Elk curry chimichurri, Ostrich bbq’d garlic relish, Venison juniper shallot jam & Wild Board Apple Chutney--are you freaking serious?!) The show will cost a measly $7, and as with all Monkeytown shows, there is a $10 minimum, which means you have to have at least 2 beers. If you don't plan on having at least two drinks, well, this probably isn't your type of show. In order to gain access to the show, which is unofficial CMJ (aka no badges), one will have to make reservations with Monkeytown. (Do so here.) This event will sell out fast, so I encourage you to get on this asap. Peep below for some choice media from participating artists.

PS. Bring medical edibles.

Fluffy Lumbers- Cruisers
Ducktails- Parasailing

Family Portrait w/ Julian Lynch "Super Cool"

Alice Cohen "Black Pepper"

Julian Lynch "Garden 2" (Directed by Richard Law)

mp3: Treasure "We Were Hunted"

"The Second Line Was A Sound"

Reminiscent of chiaroscuro, Treasure's songs shed light on tiny, often overlooked, elements of life, giving the mundane an ethereal glow, much like a lonely street lamp highlights remnants of day's gone by. The group will be playing two shows at Williamsburg's Monkey Town on Thursday as part of BAM's Sounds like Brooklyn Festival. Meanwhile, you can pick up their debut EP Tea Party via their MySpace page. The disc features "letter pressed covers with original artwork designed and individually hand painted by Maude Black" and is limited to 300 copies. Get one here before they're gone.

Treasure- We Were Hunted

Treasure "White Wake"

we saw: Science in Fiction

"Sound of Science"

Jean Painleve's underwater science films are some of the most surreal, utterly trippy visuals I have ever seen. Definitely not some rhythmic algorithm ala Windows Visualizations, Painleve used microscopes and manipulated lenses to capture the idiosyncrasies of life in the deep blue sea for the better part of the 20th century. Whether it be observing the insemination of an Octopus, roaming Seahorses or zooming in on "Liquid Crystals", Painleve was no doubt way head of his time in both his artistic vision and his vision of Science. Throw in an absolutely trance-inducing score by Yo La Tengo and you've got a force to be reckon with. Unfortunately, Science in Fiction, shown at MonkeyTown, is not available for purchase in the US(!?). If you've got friends studying abroad or hanging out in ex-pat land, tell them to do something productive and pick up a copy of Painleve's Science in Fiction for you. They'll thank you later.

{Ed Note: You can in fact purchase the DVD in the US, from the Yo La Tengo store, however, it will only play in Region 2 or All Region DVD players.}

Yo La Tengo- The Love Life of the Octopus

Jean Painleve "Liquid Crystals" from Science in Fiction

we saw: Apollo Sunshine

"Harder Than It Used To Be"

Last night's Apollo Sunshine show at Monkey Town served as a reminder that Apollo is one of the most criminally underrated bands in the "Indie" realm. Their early records, Katonah and Apollo Sunshine, were both focused pieces of sunshine pop strung together with jaunts of noise, whack'd out late period Coltrane time signatures and lots of instruments that would have been found during the recording of The Millenium's equally underrated Begin (or a Sun Ra tribute record).

To be honest, I haven't listened to Apollo Sunshine's recently released Shall Noise Upon, although that is changing right now. After last night's extremely intimate, extremely psychedelic show at the multimedia performance space Monkey Town, there is no denying that everyone should get their hands on Shall Noise Upon ASAP. I went in having only heard "666: The Coming of the New World Government", which we posted a while back, and the acoustic ballad "Singing To The Earth (To Thank Her For You)", which was anything but acoustic last night. To say that Apollo Sunshine absolutely melted my soul and mind last night would be an understatement. Maybe it was the food (eggplant and cucumber croquettes) or the beer (Leffe Blonde) or the 80's Hip-Hop/Chinese Kung Fu Death/ Ancient Monkey Prints/ Scorcese/Weed Smoking Skull images Egan was projecting on all 4 walls, whatever it was, I left with my heart fluttering, mind loose and eyes wide, as if I'd just come back from an ancient mystical realm, only to be pushed back out into the industrial streets of North Brooklyn in absolute awe of the world. Did I mention it was a full moon??

If you missed last night, do your best to get to Monkey Town tonight, when the band (and Egan) will do it all again. HIGHLY REC'D.

Apollo Sunshine- 666: The Coming of the New World Government
Apollo Sunshine- Singing To The Earth (To Thank Her For You) [courtest of IGIF]