After announcing that they would tour together, it was pretty apparent that a Real Estate/Woods tour would birth some serious cross-polination. Birds had been chirping of Real Woods in the weeks leading up to their first show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Rumors of "bongo flying" practices flooded town, and when it came time, during the encore portion of Friday night's show, the bands did not disappoint. Bleeker took to the lead vocal, while the rest of Real Woods got jubilant, as hippie moshpits took over the front rows and tambourine dancing ensued on stage. And then they were called out for another encore, in which they played Graham Nash's "Military Madness". Great show. Of course, NYC Taper was there to capture it all. In other show/cover news, NYC Taper also has Real Estate's cover of "My Molly," which you should definitely snag.
A couple of notes and observations on last evening's Mexican Summer/InSound showcase at Cameo Gallery, featuring Golden Triangle, Real Estate and Woods.
Golden Triangle slay. I am dissappointed in myself for neglecting them due to the inclusion of 'Golden' in their name. I apologize.
I've said this before, but Real Estate keep getting better. I think the NJ comrades may have played everything in their repertoire, including a new instrumental (new to me, at least). Real Estate ended with Grateful Dead-esque segue from "Green River" into "Suburban Beverage." I'm going to name this pairing the "Green Beverage."
Matt Mondanile's playing is getting a bit out of hand. His licks are so languid its as if his axe cuts songs out of lazy days. Like he's a widdler shaping a stump into a Mickey Mouse mailbox.
Woods are harnessing some otherwordly power and channeling it through god knows what, just as solar panels harness the strength of the sun. Spacial jams, Mississippi auto-mechanic freakouts, whispered relics. I have strange feeling Woods may be aliens.
Said Aliens have also released a live bootleg LP dubbed Acoustic Family Creeps, a collection of acoustic tracks recorded in the woods in France. The one-sided affair includes "Rain On," "Twisted Tongue," "To Clean," and "The Hold." After one spin, I can highly rec'd getting your hands on one of these gems.
Both Real Estate and Woods have new releases out on Britain's Half Machine Records. Real Estate's UK version of the "Fake Blues" 7" includes the rocking suburban trip "Green River," while the b-side Woods "To Clean" 7" is an acoustic version of "Rain On" recorded live on the radio. Peep both b-sides below. Buy 'em here.
"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.
"Creeps Over Me" With their vibrant kitchen-sink folk drawing as much from Laurel Canyon as it does from the phosphorescent hue and broken glass strewn back-alleys of industrial Brooklyn, it makes total sense that Woods would cover Graham Nash's political ballad "Military Madness." Sure, the Bush regime is out of office and a new day has risen in the country, albeit one filled with cancerous headlines, ass-backward economic plans and a penchant for multi-national wars, however, Woods cover of Songs for Beginner's opening cut is a supreme example of a band channeling the past in the present, and in turn, transforming what could be a long, lost relic from an underrated Graham Nash solo record into a poignant tune for lost souls searching for purity and truth amidst muckrackers, ponzi-schemers and other greedy mongers of industry. While the lyrical content is fairly obvious, what lurks in Woods' cover is a slinky, almost hypnotizing looseness that spirals and engulfs the blissful jam like a cyclone, sucking up everything in its path, shaking the shit out of it and dropping it back down to earth, a bit battered and bruised but better for the trip.
"I Got a Free Way of Mind" (photo by Jano De Cesare) Is it me, or do you just want to lay around all day eating Cadbury eggs, doing crossword puzzles and flipping back and forth between Repo Man and the latest Man v Food? Slacker city.
Bobkast #25: How Are You? Kurt Vile- Freeway The Clean- Anything Can Happen Woods- The Dark Nodzzz- In The City (Contact High) The Spades- We Sell Soul The Box Tops- The Letter Dusty Springfield- Twenty Four Hours to Tulsa Harlem- Beautiful & Very Smart The Vaselines- Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sun Beam Comet Gain- Brothers Off the Block The Close Lobsters- Never Seen Before The Zombies- Hung Up On A Dream The Millenium- It Won't Always Be The Same Beulah- Slo-Mo for the Masses Satwa- Amigo Little Joy- Play the Part WAVVES- How Are You? Download PC users: right-click the song and select "Save Target As..." Mac Users: hold down control+click the song and select "Download Linked File"
"I'm So Bored" (photo by YiiioiiiY P) A long weekend of shows ended yesterday afternoon in Morningside Heights with sets by Nodzzz, Woods and Wavves. Put on by WBAR and Todd P, the Underground Lounge was packed with undergrads hopped up on blog buzz and Red Stripe, reminding me of days spent in half-dilapidated barns and outhouses. To be honest, I haven't been that impressed with Wavves on record. I bought the LP a few weeks back and, for whatever reason, simply hadn't gotten into it yet. That was until yesterday when Nate and Ryan's three-chord skate punk shredded by head, and, by association, my neck. I can't remember the last time I head banged so hard, simply getting lost in a mess of breakneck schizo punk. Surprisingly, Wavves was much less lo-fi live than I thought, especially compared with Woods, who are really fucking lo-fi (shitty instruments, singing through headphones, broken cymbals, etc. As Bejar said best "The kids with the homemade microphones have very interesting sounds.") Nate played a rather new looking Tele through an equally as new Fender Twin Reverb, the amp of choice for many a guitarist, but hardly a staple at DIY basement parties. Highlights included "California Goth" (7" now sold out), "So Bored", "Weed Demon and "a new song we've never played", which is as close to a romantic ballad as I think we're gonna get from Wavves. All in all a great set.
While Wavves was pretty phenomenal, for me the highlight of the afternoon was Woods, whose Sun Ra meets "I'm-still-trying-figure-this-out" sound was a super pleasant surprise in between sets of shabby garage punk. 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. I'm really not doing this any justice right now, but I bought their latest record Woods Family Creeps and, so far, I'm really enjoying it. Really looking forward to catching these guys again.
As for Nodzzz, I wasn't expecting much after reports from friends on Friday said they "sorta sucked live." Maybe it was my low expectations, but I thoroughly enjoyed their teenage stoner doo-wop, which would be the perfect soundtrack for driving through the desert with Hunter S. Thompson and Beavis and Butthead high on rubber cement. Goofy and badass, all at once.
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(Photo by Frankie Pancakes)
