tape: Twin Sister Alternates Side B

"Save Your Money"

Twin Sister's Alternates tape is long gone at this point, however, in celebration of Color Your Life hitting shelves today, I figured it'd be as good a time as any to share the B-side of their contribution to The Curartorial Club. A skeletal rendering of "Lady Daydream" hit the web a while back, and if that tickled your funny bone then you'll probably be into the other demos and outtakes from Color Your Life. Buy the record here, then DL the B-side below.

Twin Sister- Alternates (Side B)

video: Twin Sister "Something About Us" (Daft Punk cover)

"Homework"

Twin Sister played a late (late) night show this past Friday with Holiday Shores on a roof in the shadows of the BQE. I didn't get there until 1:45 and only caught the tail end of Twin Sister's set, though I wasn't really bummed until Dev told me they covered a Daft Punk song. Luckily Ian Perlman was their with a camera and microphone to capture it for everyone. (A few more tracks on his Vimeo page.)

pics: Tortilla Factory / Home Sweet Home

"Los Hermanos"

Resting up after an incredibly hectic whirlwind of a weekend, it's hard to even recollect what exactly went down. Bullet points would probably read "Weed Hounds, Twin Sister & Pure Ecstasy played a tortilla factory, then "Pure Ecstasy and Eternal Summers played the Sunday Brunch radio show", and then "Pure Ecstasy and Run DMT turned Home Sweet Home into the mellowest, most psyched out basement bar this side of Moracco." Of course, Erez Avissar was there to capture most of the weekend in glorious hues.

Pure Ecstasy

Twin Sister

Weed Hounds

The scene @ Los Hermanos

PURE ECSTASY & RUN DMT at Home Sweet Home

show:4/17 Pure Ecstasy/Twin Sister/ Weed Hounds

"This is How We Do It"

It's been a while since we've thrown a show, but I think this should make up for lost time. We've paired Pure Ecstasy and Twin Sister together before (and it ruled), so when we had the opportunity to reconnect the bands at the famous Los Hermanos Tortilleria, we had to make it happen. As if that wasn't enough for a stellar evening, Weed Hounds will also bring their pop-gaze to the Tortilla Factory, a highly appropriate 1-2-3 punch, if you ask me. Not only that, but DJ Rezound (Cascaders, Men & Women, Group Tightener) will be keeping the party abreast all night long on the ones-and-twos. If all this sounds nice, but you're really looking for an excuse to party, look no further than celebrating the 26th anniversary of the birth of Bobka/The Report videographer C. Axel Poekel III (aka Chaakles). Oh yeah, and there will be free tacos. More details available here. Doors will

INFO

Saturday, April 17th | Doors 8 | Show 9-ish | $7 | BYOB | Free Tacos

Pure Ecstasy

Twin Sister

Weed Hounds

DJ REZOUND

Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos

271 Starr St (btwn Wykoff & St. Nicholas) L Train to Jefferson (Right around the corner)

tapes: The Curatorial Club

[Ed Note: The Curatorial Club is a new project-based imprint founded by the founder(s) of Chocolate Bobka, which hopes to make available projects that were previously unavailable. We will be working with our favorite artists, labels, creators, etc to bring these little nuggets to life.]

That said, happy to announce the release of three new tapes by three of our favorite artists; Twin Sister, Alex Bleeker & Run DMT. All releases are limited and were created by loving hands at home. As Aquarium Drunkard touched on, Twin Sister's Alternates is a collection of demoes from their old EP, as well as a preview of the material from their soon-to-be-released Color Your Life. Download the A-Side right here. It's a gem.

TCC 002 is a C20 by Alex Bleeker. Mad Dog is an "audio sketch book" that spans a year of bedroom recording Alex did, mostly "lying on my back in bed." The cassette is an invitation to view the work in progress, to hear loose picking evolving into the skeletal framework for songs like "Summer," which Bleeker notes "was literally the first time i had played it." "The first thing ["Mad Dog"] was something I did randomly on Matt's 8-track while I was waiting for him to get ready to leave. Then I found the handheld in my closet a few days ago because I wanted to record the last 'song' on there...It spans from December '08 to now.

The third release in the first batch from The Curatorial Club is Run DMT's physical debut. This C60 collects his initial work, Bong Voyage & Get Ripped or Die Trying, which were initially intended to be released as a two-sided tape. In addition, to the instant classic mixes, the tape is speckled with unreleased, exclusive Run DMT magic dust. Individually designed j-cards by Run DMT himself. Limited run of 20.

Learn more about The Curatorial Club and order releases here.

new: John K. "Lost In The Beat"

"Everytime I Sing"

John K. has been on my radar for a few months now, in due thanks to Dev from Twin Sister, but, admittedly, I only recently got around to checking it out and I gotta say...Wow. Straight up, guy writes incredibly strong, absolutely undeniable micro-pop gems. I probably overuse 'gem' these days, but don't let the boy-who-cried-wolf syndrome detract you. I'm sure it won't after you hear "Lost in the Beat," a blast of fun, yet introspective, micro-dance pop. Pure love for your Friday night. So genuine I can't describe it. Mark had similar problems, and I understand why. Simply put, John K.'s honest and seemingly effortless AM Gold cuts hit immediately. That said, these tracks are only going to get better with age. Sort of like enjoying your first Starburst as a child. It's magical. Instant, and yet, two decades later, their blissful flavor explosion hits just as hard. Highly urge you to download the THREE FREE ALBUMS worth of material John K. has made available on his MySpace Page. Links Below. Also, be sure to snag Twin Sister's ultra fresh International Dust mix, which also features John K., as well as some Twin Sister ambient interludes. Today is a beautiful day.

John K.- Lost in the Beat

Twin Sister's International Dust Mix

Full Album links

John K.- Lost in the Beat

Move John- Instrumental

John K.- John

mp3: Big Troubles "Worn Out"

"Sleep"
If you've been paying attention, Big Troubles (and Twin Sister) have been all over the web this week. Their debut seven-inch on Blackburn Recordings came out a few weeks back and I was lucky enough to snag a copy at the Julian Lynch show at Bruar Falls last month. Boasting 4-tracks, including an alternative version of the shoegaze pop anthem "Freudian Slips" and the oft-blogged "Wouldn't Mind," "Worn Out," a track which has been a live staple for the band, almost gets lost in the mix. Where the recording tends to keep the speed limit, the live version is all "I can't drive 55", with Ian and Alex kicking it into high gear and plowing down anything in their way. I'm sure they'll be doing that tonight, in a fog machine haze.

Tonight's Show Info:

The Studio at Webster Hall (aka Downstairs)
125 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003
Thursday, Feb. 4th
8 pm doors
9 pm show
$5 advance / $7 at door

Buy the 7" here.

Big Troubles- Worn Out

show: Twin Sister, Big Troubles, Pigeons, Alice Cohen....

"Nothing But Violent"
We're hosting another great event this week, this time with the inimitable Olde English Spelling Bee. Running the line between blissed out fantasy and fantastical reality, this show might be one of the best curations of talent in NYC right now. Not only does it feature both Twin Sister and Big Troubles, who have been slaying Brooklyn audiences for months, but also the fragile psych of Alice Cohen and Pigeons AND the warped scapes of Run DMT. Not trying to melt completely into utter Fantasia, all good, as DJ Raw Thrills, aka Zak Mering, will be pointing you in the uber-zone, where idiosyncratic twist & shouting is not only demanded, but required. Not really sure what that means, though I can guarantee Thursday night will be a good time.

The Studio at Webster Hall (aka Downstairs)
125 East 11th Street, New York, NY 10003
Thursday, Feb. 4th
8 pm doors
9 pm show
$5 advance / $7 at door

Twin Sister- I Want a House
Big Troubles- Sick Days
Pigeons- Tendress

Raw Thrills- Why Can't I Say Let Go


Alice Cohen- Memories of Glaciers

wknd: Pure Ecstasy/Twin Sister Shows

"Your In It Now"
Big shows this weekend. Tomorrow night is going to be a lot of fun, especially with Pure Ecstasy making their Brooklyn debut. Their flying all the way up from Austin and playing a free show for yall, the people the of best borough around, so be sure to drink a LOT, not that I think that will be a problem. I could go on and on about how great of a show this is, but that'd just be me repeating myself, which doesn't go any of us any good. So, with that in mind, here are some jams to get you stoked for the weekend. If you want to come to the semi-private, not-really-secret-but-not-exactly-public show on Saturday, hit me up at mcgregor at me dot com for more info. Party on Wayne.

Pure Ecstasy- Pressure Drop (Toots & the Maytals cover)

Twin Sister- I Want A House

Family Portrait- It Turns (from Friendship Bracelet Comp 3)

Run DMT- Get Ripped of Die Trying

mp3: Twin Sister

"When You Come Back Home"

I'm not sure if they know it but Twin Sister are funky as hell. Sort of like if Mad Lib got a hold of some Fagan-Becker reels while chilling at LSU (Louisiana Syrup University). Add soaring harmonies and a vision of vocalist and its no wonder STG named "I Want A House" one of the best songs of 2009, noting in their year end review that "The first half of this song is about how good it would be to move in with your lover. It's coo and thump, swing and lick; it's blue and rose." The bands Vampires With Dreaming Kids EP is available for free (yeah, do that now), as is a treasure trove of old songs, live shows, "bubble ideas", ring tones and a ton of other material worth delving into. I could go on and on about all the gems I've found within this vast collection (4 pages worth!), but that'd take all the fun out of the exploration, which I think is sort of the best part about Twin Sister. It's music for the people, in all the different ways we consume it, for all our scattered moods. A few choice songs for a zoned moods below.

Twin Sister have a bunch of upcoming shows in NYC/BK, including a Chocolate Bobka show with Pure Ecstasy, Family Portrait and Run DMT on January 29th at Bruar Falls. More on that later. Peep Twin Sister dates here.

Twin Sister- I Want a House (Dreaming of the future, a good one)

Twin Sister- All My Trials (hymnal ballad from the great beyond)

Twin Sister- Chewey In The Stars (score to an 8-bit graphic rendition of Logan's Run)

Twin Sister- Ginger (ready to take over New York City with only a quarter in hand)

bobkast #30: Northbound Trains

"Cold Hard Times"

There is one leaf left on the mighty Oak outside my window. Winds are humming up the East River, cutting through Greenpoint with Exacto knife precision. The sun goes down at 4:30 pm. Sick of the varying weather, we head North to a more serene destination, where the sun will melt into the horizon at 4:08 pm, the breeze out of the East will be from the Northern reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, and while conditions aren't exactly permitting, they seem more fitting than in the city, where the vital signs of season change are shrouded in concrete capes, keeping natural form at bay. The train ride to northern New England is approximately 8-9 hours from NY Penn Station. This mix will only last you through Westchester, maybe Southern Connecticut, if your lucky, either way, it'll put you in the right state of mind for Winter exploration and the enjoyment of the forthcoming season.

Bobkast #30: Northbound Train
1. The Feelies- Forces at Work
2. The Clean- Flowers
3. Lee Hazelwood- Cold Hard Times
4. Woods- Death Rattles (Daytrotter Session)
5. Warpaint- Billie Holiday
6. Taken By Trees- Cedar Trees
7. Animal Collective- Sleeper Factory (live)
8. Linda Perhacs- Porcelain Over Cast Iron Wedding
9. Shop Assistants- Somewhere in China
10. Woodsman- Sunglass.
11. Julian Lynch- Nen Vole
12. Popol Vuh- der ruf
13. Galaxie 500- Cold Night
14. Twin Sister- All My Trials
15. Dink Roberts- Old Blue
16. Sibylle Baier- I Lost Something In The Hills
17. Mountain Man- Sewee Sewee

Download Bobkast #30: Northbound Trains (PC: Right Click + Save As|Mac: Option+Click)