we saw: Bon Iver

"So Many Foreign Roads"

It's been just a little over four months since we first fell in love with Bon Iver at the Bowery Ballroom. Leaves died and fell from trees. Snow fell and covered evergreen trees and all the while we had our trusty handmade copy of For Emma, Forever Ago to keep us warm. For Emma... feels like drinking a mug of hot cider by the fire place in Northern New England, when the snow is thick and the only sign of neighbors is billowing smoke from a chimney three miles away. It's warm, it's comforting, it's folkie, and it feels like wearing your oldest, most favorite wool sweater.

Thursday nights free show at Sound Fix felt the same way. The atmosphere couldn't have been more fitting for Justin Vernon's atmospheric folk. Everything was right, from the chandelier to the dark golden light to the superb mix. And while the mix was superb, Justin's amp decided it wanted to pick up some Spanish radio frequencies, which it did for 80% of the show. Not one to let a little Merengue bother him, Justin played it off cool, saying that he had decided to do that, a little experimentation, after all he was in Brooklyn. Not gonna lie, for most of the show, it worked, adding a hint of CB radio warmth to his already cozy sound. Luckily, the Spanish radio cut out and allowed Justin the chance to play the ultra hushed "Re: Stacks" and hit the piano for a heart-wrenching cover of "Satisfied Mind", which was as good, if not better, than the versions by Jeff Buckley and Johnny Cash. Yeah, it was that sort of magical evening. And what better way to finish it off than with a totally acoustic version of "For Emma" in the middle of the utterly silent crowd.

After the show we picked up the vinyl copy of For Emma... (via JagJaguwar) and chatted with Justin for a hot second, who was just as charming and genuine as he was at CMJ. The evening finished with an epic drive through the snow covered streets of Northwestern Jersey at 3 am. The perfect ending for an evening with Bon Iver.

"Lump Sum" on The Current

good peeps: Jacob Miller

"The Time Has Come For Us All To Praise Unto Jah"

Like 10CC, "we don't like reggae, we love it!", and we really fucking love Jacob Miller. While we rarely post on reggae, there are some artists who just don't get enough love and Jacob Miller is one of those artists.

Jacob Miller is undeniably one of the greatest reggae singers of all time. His soulful take on Irie poli-tricks and natty dread culture was not just Rastafarian rhetoric, but true gospel for the spiritual movement. I was introduced to his two most enlightened records, Who Say Jah No Dread? and ...with the Inner Circle Band & Augustus Pablo, by two reggae connoisseur friends in college who each had a chronic collection of classic roots and culture records. To give credit where credit is due, without Guy and Dewy, I wouldn't know jack shit about reggae.

Unfortunately for the world, Miller died in a car crash at the young age of 27, but his spirit lives on in his music and his role in the legendary roots rock reggae film Rockers (aka the definitive documentation of roots reggae culture, aka the "street" version of The Harder They Come), both of which showcased Miller's ultra righteous Rastaman attitude, natty dread spirituality, and his soulful staccato phrasing, epitomized in utter classics like "Forward Jah-Jah Children" and "Curly Locks." If you consider yourself even a modest fan of reggae and you don't own these records & haven't seen Rockers, you're doing yourself a great disservice.

Jacob Miller- Forward Jah Jah Children
Jacob Miller- Who Say Jah No Dread?

"I'm a Rastaman, not a dreadlock"

we saw: The JOIN

If you can't beat them...

The question mark in the above photo can be traced back to Dan Kurtz, bass player for "live.progressive.breakbeat.house" pioneers and longtime Bobka-faves theNEWDEAL. When Kurtz moved to London a few years ago to focus on his new electro-pop project, Dragonette, he left a massive void in theNEWDEAL sound and created an air of uncertainty over the future of the band. To keep busy during the tND hiatus, Jamie Shields (keyboards, blue shirt) and Darren Shearer (drums, white shirt) came up with The JOIN, "a musical unit that host[s] a revolving door of musicians depending on what area of the world they're in as well as what show setting they find themselves a part of."

This past Saturday night in Brooklyn, Brother's Past members Tom Hamilton (guitar) and Clay Parnell (bass) took over the role of question mark and turned it into an exclamation point. For a band that rarely practices, The JOIN lived up their expectations and then some, providing a sound that was similar to theNEWDEAL (there were lots of trippy synth lines and energetic beats and breaks to be had), but featured a few different elements (most notably vocals, provided by Mr. Hamilton) that kept things fresh. Given the amount of improvisation that goes into any given JOIN set, the band was remarkably ON, hitting all the right key changes and playing together in a seamless and group-oriented fashion that kept the kidz dancing all night. It wasn't theNEWDEAL, but at times it sure felt like it.

Those who missed the throwdown at Studio B will have another chance to catch The JOIN this coming Saturday (Feb 23) at one of our favorite venues, Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, NJ. Next week's show will feature the same lineup as Brooklyn, with the addition of Sir Joe Russo on a second drumkit to make things even more frantic. Check out a track below.

The JOIN - Let's Dance > Improvised Jam (encore from Studio B in Brooklyn, Feb 16)

This Week in Nu Musick

Get your wallets out, as tomorrow is the first big release day of 2008. Not only are two albums we've been dying to hear on vinyl finally getting released (Bon Iver, Grand Archives), America finally gets druggy with the Raveonettes, Cryptacize digs treasure and we also get a new fill of John Darnielle's drunken lullabies. It's a good week to be a music fan.

The Mountain Goats- Heretic Pride
Another great record from John Darnielle and company, this one departs from Get Lonely and The Sunset Tree, as it documents a series of character based tunes rather than Darnielle's interior dialogue. Nothing exceptionally new with the sound here, just great lyrics, affectingly nasal vocals and Darnielle's everyday poetics.

The Mountain Goats- Sax Rohmer #1{right click to download}



Grand Archives- The Grand Archives
We've been patiently awaiting this release since Mat Brooke uploaded 4 demos on MySpace over a year ago. Couldn't be happier to finally hear it on wax. We've had this one pre-ordered since Sub Pop put it up. They really need to come East soon.

Grand Archives- Torn Blue Foam Couch


Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
Yep, one of my favorite records of 2007 finally gets a proper release by the nice people at JagJaguwar. And yes, it's coming out on vinyl(!). More importantly Justin will be at Williamsburg's Sound Fix Thursday night for a free performance. See ya there.

Bon Iver- Skinny Love


Cryptacize-Dig That Treasure
Asthmatic Kitty releases the debut from this band of minimalist SoCal sugar popsters. And by sugar, we mean this band was started in an apartment across the street from a sugar factory and their sound totally reflects it.

Cryptacize- Cosmic Sing Along


The Raveonettes- Lust Lust Lust
Following in the steps of The Magnetic Fields Distortion, or the other way around (Lust Lust Lust was released in Europe last Fall), the new Raveonettes record finds them dabbling in J&MC distortion and MBV Loveless-esque walls of noise. Walls of feedback behind '60s pop melodies and loads of digital delay make tracks like "Dead Sound" and "Candy" sound like they could be long lost demos on a remastered deluxe version of Psycho Candy.

The Raveonettes- Dead Sound

viddyo: Marissa Nadler

"I Dreamed Your Face A Million Times"

Absolutely beautiful. The perfect companion piece to one of Songs III: Bird on the Water most stunning compositions. A must have for fans of melancholic, pastoral folk. Highly Rec'd. Highly.

nu musick: Atlas Sound

I Slept On The Bridge

Anyone interested in pink noise, atmospherics, ethereal landscapes and drones should head over to the the Deerhunter Blog where head hunter Bradford Cox is sharing a shit ton of music from his Atlas Sound project for free. And by shit ton I mean a 2006 long playing CD-R How I Escaped the Prison of Fractals, some recent demos, a sweet Valentine's day mix and the brand new Orange Ohms Glow EP, which was recorded February 5-8 2008. So, yeah, I'd say that's pretty recent. A must for anyone into lo-fi home recordings and psych loops.

Cox will bring Atlas Sound to NYC on 2/23 and 2/24, for shows at the Mercury Lounge and the Music Hall of Williamsburg.

absurd: Paper Planes

"Being Poor's A Disease/ Gotta Hustle Up A Cure"

Those B-more, ghetto tech loving Swede's over at Discobelle flashed us with the streaming Paper Planes Homeland Security Remixes EP the other day and we're happy to confirm that the DFA remix is totally on point. While we still can't get enough of Diplo's Street mix featuring Bun B and Rich Boy, which made the original obsolete, so much so that I took it off Kala on my iPod and replaced it with the Street version, this DFA cut takes "Paper Planes" in an entirely different direction. Kinda like getting lost on the way to Studio B and stumbling into a warehouse full of homemade synths and drag queens on stilts. Presented below is a GChat conversation between two Bobka editors upon listening to Murphy and Goldsworthy's sex'd up disco nectar. Can you smell the funk?

greg: dude sooooo sick, the dfa mix
mcg: havent heard yet
g: oh man, crushing it
m: really?
g: yah dude, first listen i love it
m: peeping now
g:amazing bassline
m: wow funk, oh shit
g: ya dude
m: oh my god
g: dirrrrrrrty
m: wow, i just wanna fuck
g: fo real
m: i wanna fuck this remix
g: valentines day shazam
m: holler

Aural Viagra if we've ever heard it, ya dig.

viddyo: "Thou Shalt Always Kill"

"...just a band."

dan le sac provides the beats, and Scroobius Pip drops the truth bombs in this satire of pop culture. BEWARE: English accents.

le sac vs. Pip MySpace

we saw: Band of Horses

"Looks Like The Tide Is Going Home"
(Photo courtesy of Aberger915)

Mount Pleasent, South Carolina's Band of Horses hit up Brooklyn's Masonic Temple last night for a big Valentine's Day show, their last in the States before shipping off to Europe next week. While not the most incredible show I've ever seen, Ben Birdwell and company managed to tear through a set culling mainly from 2007's Cease to Begin. As expected, Birdwell's vocals soared throughout the night, even more so than on record. Of course, this may have been attributed to keyboardist Ryan Monroe whose complimenting harmonies gave the show a dreamy, back in time feel. During the encore Birdwell appropriately dedicated "No Ones Gonna Love You" to "all the people having intercourse tonight." He followed that by ironically dedicating "Weed Party" to "everyone who was going to treat their body like a Masonic Temple."

Band of Horses have been in NYC all week. Wednesday night they played Carnegie Hall with Sufjan Stevens, Ray Davies, and Phillip Glass. Tuesday they played Conan, which you can take a gander at below, courtesy of the Daily Tube.

Band of Horses 2/14 Brooklyn Masonic Temple

is There a ghost?
islands on the coast
great salt lake
the first song
bass song
Monsters
cigarettes wedding bands
thirteen days (jj cale song)
Older? (sung by Ryan Monroe, keyboardist)
Funeral
Wicked Gil
Ode to LRC
Effigy (CCR song)
****
no ones gonna love you
weed party
marry song
general specific
Feeling Stronger (Chicago cover)

"No Ones Gonna Love You" live on Late Night With Conan O'Brien

Valentine's Day Mix Up

"Let's Stay Together"

This year we're starting a new tradition. Every Valentine's Day instead of giving out candy hearts and chocolate's, we're gonna share a few songs. Know matter what kind of mood you're in this year, we've got a song for you. Don't believe us. Just take a gander down below.

For the innocent Virgin couple celebrating their first Valentine's Day->The Beach Boys- Forever
Also, for Full House fans who remember Uncle Jesse rocking this Denny Wilson classic (Stamos' favorite B.B's song) out with an elderly version of the Beach Boys.


For someone still in love with their Ex-> The Magnetic Fields- I Don't Wanna Get Over You
"I don't wanna get over love/I could listen to my therapists/Pretend you don't exist/And not have to think of what I think of...Or I could make a career of being blue/I could dress in black/And read Camut/Smoke Clove Cigarettes/And Drink Vermouth/When I was 17/ That would be the scream/But I don't wanna get over you." A 69 Love Songs classic.


For the soul mama who loves his her funky daddy-> Aretha Franklin- Baby I Love You
Ain't nothing wrong with that.


For the lustful cougar who just signed up for Facebook -> The Chromatics- I Want Your Love
Something wrong with that.


For people who practice kissing their hand late at night-> Cat Power- Where Is My Love?
If you're gonna pretend to make out with someone, Chan Marshall's a good pick.


For those seeking closure-> LCD Soundsystem- Someone Great
Who knew James Murphy was so human? We were convinced analog wires ran through his veins.


For sexual philosophers-> Silver Jews- How Can I Love You (If You Wont Lie Down)?
David Berman never sounded so enlightened. Come to think of it, he always sounds the same.


For thirteen year old mall rats & drunken 19 year old celeb-utants->Uffie- First Love
What middle school dances are all about.


For the sappy, hopeless romantic->Jens Lekman- Someone To Share My Life With
Sometimes he goes a little overboard with the melodrama...Take that back, never enough melodrama.

For the heartbroken drunk->Tom Waits- I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You
Nobody knows whiskey and women better than Ole Mista Waits.


For Sexual Deviants-> R. Kelly- Sex Planet
"Girl I Promise This Will Be Painless(Painless)/We'll Take A Trip 2 Planet Uranus(Anus)."


For making love on crushed velvet-> Barry White- Ecstasy When You're Next To Me
You know that voice does you mmm mmmm good...Ok, that was nasty.


For "Schmooopies"-> The Explorers Club- Forever
Yes it has the same name as the aforementioned Beach Boy's song. And yes it sounds just like the Wilson's and Friends. And yes, you're the schmooooooopie.

For anyone with a heart-> Joy Division- Love Will Tear Us Apart Again


And we'll end with our collective favorite Valentine's Day Jam-> Silk- Freak Me
It's hard picking a particular lyrics to associate with this song, but we're gonna go with this one. "You, you, you, you/Oh you/You, you, you, you/Let me freak you/ You, you, you, you/ All of you/ I want it, I want it/ You, you, you, you/ Oh you/ You, you, you, you/ Let me do you/ Cuz tonight baby, I wanna get freaky with you"

we dig: Odelay Deluxe

"Hook me up with the mad phat beats"

Featuring 19 b-sides, remixes, and previously unreleased songs (plus an essay by Thurston Moore), the Deluxe Edition of Odelay is a treasure trove of the upbeat, kaleidoscopic sound that cemented Beck's reputation as a capital-A Artist. And while the music stands up to the test of time and then some, it is hard to deny that a lot of Odelay's appeal lies in the album's legendary cover art, which has been updated with doodles for the Deluxe pressing. Says Beck:

"The cover of the album was found in a book of dogs. It is in fact a dog, and it's a ridiculous dog, and you look at it and you ponder the... absurdity... the comedy... but the tragic comedy of this splenderous dog leaping over a hurdle and why such a dog is being made to leap over a hurdle. And you think to yourself, you know, all the splenderous dogs within ourselves, why we are made each day to leap over this hurdle that life constantly places before us."

While you let those words of wisdom sink in, stream "Diskobox", an Odelay-era rarity that was previously released, but for whatever reason did not make it on to the Deluxe Edition.

The Acorn/Blog Fresh/Bobka

"Lift Your Head"

The folks over at Blog Fresh Radio were nice enough to have us on again this week to talk about The Acorn and their majestic Glory Hope Mountain. We talked about them just a few days ago, so if you're playing along they should be fresh in your mind. And fresh they should stay, as this record is the type of album that can, and will, save lives. We triple dog dare you to give it a listen. Peep our post HERE and be sure to check out the latest edition of Blog Fresh Radio.

Bobkast #10: Bells & Whistles

"Your Magic's Real So Why Aren't You Using It"

A mess of crayons always makes for the best art. This mix is meant to transport you to a simpler time when you cared for nothing but chocolate chip cookies, Kool-Aid and magic markers. Think of it as an adult version of drawing on the wall, only you won't get yelled at by your parents. If that doesn't do it for ya, how about one of the songs being culled from a compilation called Waking Up Scheherazade: Arabian Psych Nuggets. Figured that'd get ya listening. Shazam.

Bobkast #10: Bells & Whistles
1. Badly Drawn Boy- Bewilderbeast
2. Dennis Wilson- Rainbows
3. Albert Hammond Jr.- Bright Young Thing
4. The Boy Least Likely To- Rock Upon A Porch With You
5. Shout Out Louds- A Track And A Train
6. Manitoba featuring Koushika- Crayon
7. Los Campesinos- Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)
8. The Sheffields- Plenty of Love
9. Les Savy Fav- Comes & Goes
10. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Vanessa From Queens
11. Mark Mothersbaugh- Hardest Geometry Problem in the World
12. New Pornographers- Myriad Harbour
13. El Guincho- Antillas
14. Caetano Veloso- Lost in Paradise
15. Sea-Ders- Thanks A Lot
16. MGMT- The Youth
17. The Beach Boys- All I Wanna Do
18. Yacht- I Believe In You

The Bobkast #10: Bells & Whistles {direct download: right click to save}

nu musick: Wolfkin

"It Takes Love and Gasoline"

Released in Europe in 2006, Wolfkin's Brand New Pants will finally see the light of day in the States Tuesday 2/12. No illusions here, the band even has a countdown on their website until the "US Special Edition" of Brand New Pants drops. As fans of their dark, yet uber-bouncy, indie stylings, I have to agree with their label,Crunchy Frog Records, who says that Wolfkin sounds like "a musical mixture of exotic noir, Morricone Americana, stylish and dirty drum programming that demands dancing, and is oozing with psychedelic sensibilities reminiscent both of the spaced-out synthesizer meditations of the seventies as well as the sixties' hotheaded guitar-driven ecstasy of rock&roll." Brand New Pants begins with the sultry "These Are All Illusions", which is definitely one of my favorite songs of 2008 so far, even if it originally came out two years ago. It's clear that between the Wolfkin release, the new Raveonettes album and an upcoming release from Snake & Jet's Amazing Bullit Band that 2008 could be the year of the Danes. We really gotta get over to Copenhagen and gulp down whatever liquids these cat's keep getting into, cause it's definitely rad. And by rad, I mean fucking radical.

"These Are All Illusions"

flashback: Neutral Milk Hotel

"With cocoa leaves along the border/Sweetness sings from every corner"

Ten years ago today Neutral Milk Hotel released In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It's rare that a record hits you in the face like a brick, but this album does that, repeatedly, and after years of listening to it (not even close to ten), I can honestly give thanks for having been hit in the face by it more than once. So thanks we shall give. Make yourself some stovetop, put on King of Carrot Flowers Pt.1 and thank Jeff Magnum for doing what he did.

For more info on the landmark record Pitchfork named #4 best album of 1990's, check out Kim Carter's book for the 33 1/3 series, or read this post we did a few months ago.

"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"

nu musick: I Make This Sound/The Breakups

"I'm Not Getting Any Younger"

As an east-coaster it's often hard to keep up with all the great music coming from the left coast. However, I Make This Sound is too good not to keep up with. Full of clever, often counter-intuitive, melodies, I Make This Sound has a vibe that owes as much to the Laurel Canyon scene as much as it does pre-school choirs. An affable mix of pop hooks and odd time signatures, mixed with some rainbow sprinkles, makes for a devilish cookie batter that one can't help but devour before cooking. Check out "One, Two, Three!" below, which should be the archetype of a modern pop song.

It just so happens that The Breakups are also releasing an EP next week and playing a show with I Make This Sound. Crazy, right? I've really been digging "Let's See What Happens", an electro-pop song with all the slicing funk guitar needed to get my shoulders shaking, which you can hear at their MySpace page (here). The tune is one of the standouts on their soon to be released Eat Your Heart Out EP. We expect alot out of both of these bands in the coming year. Now come to New York already!

If you're in SoCal be sure to catch their CD release show this Wednesday (2/13) at The Echo with friends The Breakups, Aquarium Drunkard favorites Le Switch and the Amateurs.

I Make This Sound- One, Two, Three!

nu visuals: The Shaky Hands

"All Whales Can Sing"

This afternoon I realized that CMJ was almost 4 months ago, and that means that I have been listening to The Shaky Hands self-titled debut for 1/3 of a year. I knew these guys were the real deal when the only pauses between songs was to suck down a deep breakth and break back into their Murmur-esque jangle pop. Their label, Holocene Music, recently posted a video for The Shaky Hands "Whales Sing" on YouTube. No doubt influenced by A Hard Day's Night and '60s beach party movies ala any Annette Funicello and Franky Avalon, there is really only one word to sum up it up: Fun.

The Shaky Hands- Whales Sing

coming to town: The Acorn

"Was It Just A Bad Antenna?"

2007 was a year of musical overload. When it came time to compile my year end, best of- list I finally understood why my old college computer took to that life-fucking blue screen. Too much use, too much abuse. There were way too many records to keep up with, and I knew I hadn't spent enough time with some (Bodies of Water, Marissa Nadler, Bowerbirds) but The Acorn's Glory Hope Mountain was a record I couldn't stop thinking about. A few tracks spread around the blogosphere ("Crooked Legs", "Flood Pt.1", "Low Gravity") in the late summer and immediately became drive-thru liquor store staples.

Everything seemed to line up, except without OINK it was quite tough to find Glory Hope Mountain. Fortunately, the guys at Paper Bag Records make it worth the import price, as they sell a limited edition of 300 copies of The Acorn's masterful creative non-fiction fairy tale Glory Hope Mountain on vinyl for $20 (Buy HERE). Not only is the album art silk screened, but each side of each record has the songs etched in wax and side 4 has an absurd etching of a butterfly instead of proper songs. We're not really sure what they're drinking in Canada, but we really wish they'd import Molson export.

If you're in a mood to listen to something that sounds like an ancient postcard from Pan's Labrynth, then be sure to check out Glory Hope Mountain. Also, the band will be in the NYC area at the end of the month, playing consecutive shows at three of our favorite clubs; Union Hall in Brooklyn, Mercury Lounge on Houston, and Maxwell's in Hoboken. Even better, the Union Hall and Mercury Lounge shows they will be opening for Phosphorescent and the Bowerbirds, basically making this the best bill of 2008 (so far). We'll be there, you should be too.

The Acorn- Antenna
The Acorn- Flood Pt.1

we saw: Marco Benevento

David Fricke-approved!

From nyctaper.com:
"Thursday [Jan 31] was the fifth and final night of Marco Benevento’s January residency at Sullivan Hall, and it was a party in more ways than one. The night was a CD release party for Marco’s new CD Invisible Baby, and it featured the twice-performed “Real Morning Party” along with a premiere of the video for the song in between sets [see above].

"Benevento was joined by the superb bassist Reed Mathis (from Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey), and drummer Andrew Barr (from The Slip). The band performed two long sets of a superb mix of jazz, prog, jam, rock and pop, all anchored by the unique keyboard and effects of Marco."

Download the entire show HERE (courtesy of nyctaper)
Buy Marco's new album HERE

nu musick: DJ Dolores

"World Music" for a Globalized World

Using the traditional sounds of his native Brazilian Northeast as a starting point, DJ Dolores makes World Music for the 21st Century: music that proudly shows its local roots, but is recontextualized through modern production techniques and by adding elements of diverse genres.

Brazil's most well-known musical exports, Samba and bossa-nova, undoubtedly shape a lot of the rhythms on DJ Dolores' third and latest offering, 1 Real, but the beats on the album also evoke the tribal percussion of Fela Kuti, the downtempo dub of Thievery Corporation, and the head bangin' snare of Chad Smith.

Inventive instrumentation (violins, melodicas), voice-over sampling, and tight computer-programming jack up the music to the point where one might expect it to feel too crowded, but DJ Dolores is able to effectively weave together all of these disparate influences to create a sound that simply works. The music is original but still feels recognizable, in large part due to its user-friendly nature.

Look for 1 Real in stores March 25 courtesy of Crammed Discs. Until then, stream two tracks below.

not musik: GMEN / The Onion / Jersey

The Greatest Play in Super Bowl History

Needless to say, the stunning Super Bowl XLII upset by the New York Football Giants led to a pretty awful hangover this morning. But as I was recovering in bed, I stumbled across the following gem in the latest book from our friends at The Onion, Our Dumb World: Atlas of the Planet Earth

New Jersey: Demanding People Shove It Up Their Ass Since 1832

Located in you know where the fuck we are, and bordered by a bunch of places that can suck it -- especially you, Pennsylvania -- New Jersey is one of the nation's oldest and most historic states. So f*ck you.

Founded by a guy who could kick your state-founder's ass, and boasting some of the safest, cleanest cities in America -- you hear that, jerk? -- New Jersey will destroy you, just say the word.

And while the state has in recent years come under fire from environmental groups, that doesn't f*cking matter because Jersey rules.

Oh, and by the way, the entire state was balls-deep in your girlfriend last night.

That last line is meant for you, Brady. 18-1!

we saw: Joanna Newsome

"The Meteorite is the Source of the Light"

It took a while, but we finally got to see Joanna Newsome with an orchestra. And not just any orchestra, but The Brooklyn Philharmonic. Needless to say, we were anything but let down.

The show was divided into two sets. First came the formal set with Joanna, and band, accompanied by the 29 piece orchestra, playing Ys in its entirety. The opener "Emily", one of my favorite Newsome tracks, was an incredible way to kick start the evening and immediately silenced the sold out capacity crowd at BAM's Henry Gilman Opera House. By the time she got to "Monkey & Bear" I was in total ecstasy, eyes closed, feet tapping, mouth silently singing along ("My bride/ Here is my hand, where is your paw?/ Try and understand my plan, Ursala/ My heart is a furnace/ Full of love that's just, and earnest"). To sum it up, her set with the Brooklyn Philharmonic was the absolute cat's meow of indie-rock cross pollination with high culture. Something I will take with me the rest of my life and be thankful I had the opportunity to watch such wonder unfold before my eyes. Not to mention, she looked damn good in that black evening gown.

After a short intermission, Joanna, now clad in a pink velvet cocktail dress, returned with her band for a set of classics and newcomers, many of which played on her increasingly celtic sound, a term I never would have used to describe her music in the past that, for some reason, seemed to click last night. Maybe it was Gaelic drum or the intricate fluttering of the harp, but something really made me want to drunkenly dance a jig during "Colleen", arguably the highlight of the second set. Whatever it was, it was special and her encore cover of Karen Dalton's "Same Old Man" and it's New York shout out, was exactly the right way for her to end night one at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Set 1
Emily
Monkey & Bear
Sawdust & Diamonds
Only Skin
Cosmia

Set 2
Bridges and balloons
Book of right on
Colleen
Inflamatory Writ
Barbara (temp title)
En gallop
Clam Crab Cockle Cowrie
New song "Kindess prevails"

Encore
Same old man

If you have any doubt as to the wonder of Joanna Newsome, check out the video below from the Jools Holland Show. It should convert all non-believers.

classick viddyo: 1982 Detroit Dance Party

People Don't Dance No More

Instead of Souljaboy and his oh-so-lame choreographed dance moves, we need to be exposing our youth to real videos, like the one above. In this circa 1982 clip from the Detroit-based show The Scene, couples work their way through the dance gauntlet while strutting their funkiest moves to the classic beat "I'm Ready" by Kano. "I'm Ready" is one of my all-time favorite disco/funk cuts, and was heavily sampled by the middle shool dance anthem "Whoomp! There It Is" by Tag Team. But for some reason, I don't remember my middle school dances being nearly as funky as The Scene.

we saw: Vampire Weekend

"Who Gives A Fuck About An Oxford Comma?

...5 minutes ago.

Sent via iPhone

****Update*****

So, yes, we saw Vampire Weekend play a CD release show at the Virgin Mega-Store in Union Square last night. Yes, it was alot of fun and the kidz were out in droves. Needless to say, the hype is off the charts and everyone I know seems to be humming "Oxford Comma." While the short set made up of VW staples like "Mansard Roof", "A-Punk", "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", the aforementioned "Oxford Comma" and new jam "M-79", was fun and had Union Square grooving, we couldn't help but register the absurd amount of hype the evening seemed fueled by. Fortunately, VW stands the test of time, as I'm in month 7 or 8 of shacking up with the Blue Cd-R and the songs are still fresh. Maybe not heady, organic fresh anymore, but still fresh. Pretty soon your parents will be jamming out to "CCKK" on the morning commute. Which raises a good question, should Feist be worried?

we saw: MGMT

"Baby Girl, Shock Me Like An Electric Eel"

Although we won't be attending February's sold-out Yeasayer/MGMT double bill, we were lucky enough to catch a secret MGMT show last week at The Mercury Lounge thanks to Other Music and a heads-up from McG.

Despite pre-show problems with one of their keyboards (they ended up having a brand new one brought in; the perks of being on a major label) the set began at 10:45 and lasted only an hour, just long enough for our minds to be blown.

Their set covered most of their debut album, Oracular Spectacular, with the exception of 'Youth' and 'Kids.' Highlights included '4th Dimensional Transitional,' 'Of Moons, Birds & Monsters,' and a killer 'Electric Feel.' They also played a few tracks unknown to us, either from their debut EP or possibly b-sides. Overall MGMT was able to harness the strengths from their infectious debut and build on them until the whole place was gripping their proverbial seats, begging for more.

Next time MGMT comes to your town...be there.

Below: MGMT's funkiest number, 'Electric Feel' [off 2008's Oracular Spectacular]:

sunday brunch: The Tony-B Machine

Make Your Own Techno

Bored at work? Want to create some techno music to kill time? Then check out the Tony-B Machine, a highly interactive loop station that is controlled by your computer keyboard. With Tony-B, you can adjust bass, drums, and synth levels; modify the key of the given track; and even record your work so that you too can feel like the hottest European techno producer while slaving away for the man.

Tony-B Machine

lost & found: Pacific Ocean Blue

"Let It Shine On You"

I've been a major proponent of reissueing Dennis Wilson's out-of-print classic Pacific Ocean Blue since it found it's way into my psyche a few years ago. Lately I've been yearning for more than my digital copy which I found on the royal pink OINK. While OINK was totally illegal, it's celebrated archives were so vast that it made it near essential for music obsessives scouring for obscure tracks and forgotten gems. If it weren't for OINK I never would have found Pacific Ocean Blue.

Dennis' first solo effort, the first by any Beach Boy, is a golden slice of '70s Angelino extravagance. Released in 1977, the record plays well alongside the Beach Boy's Holland and Fleetwood Mac's self-titled. This makes sense as Dennis had a long, tumultuous love affair with Fleetwood songstress Christine McVie. A sailor at heart, Pacific Ocean Blue invokes Wilson's love of the sea in song and in tone. Ironically, Dennis hated Pacific Ocean Blue, claiming it had no substance.

Besides making music, Dennis led a rather bizarre existence.Full of heart and love, Dennis's vulnerability often got the best of him. His innocence is what solidified his relationship to Charles Manson, who frequently stayed at Wilson's home. The two also played music together. Charlies really wanted to be a pop star. In a magazine interview, Dennis once referred to Manson as "The Wizard." After the murders, Wilson rarely spoke on the Manson connection, although he hinted that he knew what provoked the murders and said one day he would publish it in a book. However, addiction took its toll on Wilson, who lived a remarkably self-destructive lifestyle in late '70s Los Angeles (He was said to have crashed Christine McVie's Rolls Royce twelve times!). In a a stroke of tragedy, Denny drowned while drunkenly swimming in Marina Del Ray in 1983. He was quoted earlier that day as saying "I'm lonesome. I'm lonesome all the time."

But we shall Rejoice! Rejoice! because Wilson's masterpiece is finally getting the remastered, re-issued treatment it deserves. Out of print since 1991, copies of the album on record go for up to $300, while CD's are at upwards of $120. Now thanks to Legacy Recordings and Sundazed, who will release a 180-gram vinyl mini-box re-issue, the public will finally be able to bask in the light of the Dreamer.

If you would like to know more about the fascinating life of Dennis Wilson, check out this great documentary, Dennis Wilson Forever on Flasher. It's free.

Pacific Ocean Blue hits stores again on 4/18/2008

hidden gemz: Youssou N'Dour

In 2004, Rolling Stone labeled Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour as "perhaps the most famous singer alive." "How could that be?" you ask. "I've never heard of him." Let's put this into perspective: Africa is the second most populated continent after Asia, with a total population estimated at about 1 billion. And for more than 20 years this musical demographic has belonged to Youssou N'Dour.

Africa's musical history is both rich and complex. In essence, music seeped out of Africa beginning with the slave trade and eventually led to the creation of rock and roll via the blues. Starting in the 60's, American music began making its way back to Africa, and eventually clashing with both Soukous (African rumba) and the introduction of Cuban music (first in the Congo, then everywhere else).

I couldn't even begin to illustrate how popular / important Youssou is in Africa. (Wikipedia does a pretty good job at hitting the important points). But even outside Africa, Youssou is considered a major force. Some of his Western collaborations have included Paul Simon, Dido, Wyclef Jean, Branford Marsalis, and a co-headlining gig in 1988 with Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, Sting, and BRUUUUUCE on the Amnesty International Human Rights Now! tour.

In 2007 Youssou released Rokku Mi Rokka, his first album in three years (his third on Nonesuch). The album had a very quiet American release, yet somehow Rolling Stone actually got something right and voted it #30 on their Top 50 Albums of 2007 list.

Check out "4-4-44" (a reference to Senegal's 44 years of independence) the opening track to Rokku Mi Rokka, below, as well as Youssou and his boy Peter Gabriel doing a nearly 10 minute rendition of "In Your Eyes."

Youssou N'Dour - 4-4-44 [from 2007's Rokku Mi Rokka]

The New York Football Giants

"We Fly High, No Lie, You Know This...Ballin'"


What a game. I'll let Eddie Murphy handle the rest. Onto Phoenix.

rewind: Nada Surf

That's right kids, Nada Surf. Yep, the same band that sang the mid-nineties teenage anthem "Popular" (whose video was filmed at Bayonne High School). Nope, we're not talking about '90's alt, although we probably should, this Delorean is set on traveling back to '02/'03 when Nada Surf came out of nowhere to release a power pop gem in the vein of Big Star's #1 Record.

One of the things that always struck me about Let Go is it's relative lack of innovation. Don't get me wrong I'm all for innovative thinking of all sorts, but this is something different. Nada Surf aren't inventing a genre, or experimenting with studio theatrics or piling on Phil Spector layers of sound, no none of that is present on Let Go. What you'll find here are catchy, hook laden pop songs thrown over mildly distorted power chords and glowing harmonies. Sound familiar, it should, as this is what was played on the radio when we were kids, when terrestrial radio still mattered. Let Go is pop music for kids who hate pop music, kids raised on Tripping Daisy and Veruca Salt, kids who used to rent Sonic Youth albums from their public libraries and kids who still rock out to the Smashing Pumpkin's "Cherub Rock." It's oddly nostalgic for years not so far gone, yet still representative of post-millenial shifts in the musical landscape. The record kicks off with the "Blizzard of '77", a short story documenting the neurotic boredom of one stuck in a figurative blizzard, a place your just not sure how to get out of. Not to mention the lyrics which reflect on a youthful drug experience ("In the blizzard of 77 the cars were just lumps on the snow/ and then later, tripping in 7-11 the shelves were stretching out of control"). "Happy Kid" could've been sandwiched between Pavement's "Cut Your Hair" and Chavez's "Unreal is Here" on a mythical Maxell XL-II mix tape from your youth. Personally, I think that's a damn good thing.

While many have hailed Let Go as an under rated masterpiece from a band almost everyone had written off, I was stunned to see that the rating mongers at Pitchfork(3.8) chose to exercise their critical backwash by urinating on a record that 5 years later is as catchy and bouncy and exciting as it was when I was a fresh faced 18 year old bound for college. Any review that spends more than half it's time shit talking a band's efforts from 7 years prior, and limits the album under review to a few worthless bullet points isn't really worth reading anyway. Another reason why you shouldn't always listen to P4K.

On a positive note, peep a few tracks from Let Go and judge for yourself.

Nada Surf- Blizzard of '77
Nada Surf- Blonde on Blonde
Nada Surf- Happy Kid

we saw: The Rosebuds

"I'm Not Crazy I'm Just A Little Boy"

Our love affair with The Rosebuds is quite complex. You see, besides being major fans of The Rosebuds Make Out, Birds Make Good Neighbors & Night of the Furies, we also sweat the backing vocals they laid down on the Shout Out Louds Cure-conjuring Our Ill Wills, not to mention they are good buds with our Fall obsession Bon Iver, who used to play second guitar in the Rosebuds and whom we were introduced to the last time we saw Ivan and Kelly during CMJ at the Bowery Ballroom. So yeah, we like the Rosebuds and all their friends and their various incarnations, alot.

Last night we had a chance to catch Ivan and Kelly at Maxwell's on the last stop of a 4 show January tour. Surprisingly, Hoboken's itsy bitsy rock club never really filled in, which was great as we were able to pogo bounce with the rowdy kids up front all night long. And bounce we did as The Rosebuds brought a swinging '60s dance party to the best club in the Tri-State area. Culling from all three albums, with an extensive foray into their debut The Rosebuds Make Out, Ivan & Kelly, accompanied by drummer Matt McCaughn, played one of the most invigorating sets of live pop music I've seen in a while. This shouldn't come as a surprise as their CMJ show at the Bowery was a ton of fun, however the lack of a restricted set time and the coziness of Maxwell's made it feel like one of the best house party we've ever been too. Yeah, it was that kind of intimate goodness (Ivan even laughed at a few of our jokes). All in all a great night, unfortunately they won't be coming North again until the Fall. So until then, we leave you with this, The Rosebuds covering Salt N Pepa's "Push It" with their dog.

"This is for the sexy people"

under rated: Holland

"Have You Ever Been Up Salinas Way?"

It's hard to deny that the Beach Boys hit their stride on masterful Pet Sounds, but I'd like to argue that that peak merely plateaued around Pet Sounds, breeding the lovely Sunflower & Surfs Up and the majestic Holland, which was recorded in Baambrugge, The Netherlands. In a classic case of the record industry making ludicrous financial decisions, Warner Brothers allowed the Beach Boys to build a new "Clover Systems custom quadrophonic console: 30 input channels, 1000 position patch bay, 20 Dolby noise reduction units," a wide variety of microphones, custom monitoring system and a boat load of custom JBL speakers. "All equipment was designed specifically for this project by Brother Records (The Beach Boys label) in Los Angeles, then flown to Holland for this recording." Must've been sweet to be a rockstar in the '70s, when rock stars still existed.

Technically, Holland is one and a half long playing records, as Brian Wilson's bewildered "Mount Vernon and Fairway: A Fairy Tale" is included as a 7" record separate from the 12" LP. Why? Probably because Warner Bros. was freaked out by Brian's monotone spoken word about a magical transistor radio that comes alive at night and awakens teenage rock fans. The 7" is weird, and I say this as someone who eats weird for breakfast, and comes with instructions: "Please listen in the dark." Needless to say, it's a stoner's delight and one of the most fascinating, albeit bizarre, Wilson compositions.

Holland kicks off with the funky, piano driven "Sail On Sailor", a Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks collaboration with lyrics by Jack Rieley and Ray Kennedy, a bit of a departure from the usual BB's penned tunes. (You may know the song from Martin Scorcese's "The Departed".) While "Sail On Sailor" is all harmonies and pop and everything you've come to love and respect about the Boys, the real highlight here is Mike Love's mini-opera "The California Saga" made up of "Big Sur", "The Beak of Eages" and "California." It's the type of mini-epic you can't really explain, so take a listen below and enjoy the wonder that is post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys.

The Beach Boys- Big Sur (Part 1 of The California Saga)
The Beach Boys- The Beak of Eagles (Part 2 of The California Saga)
The Beach Boys- California (Part 3 of The California Saga)

we miss: The Boy Least Likely To

"Trying to Retrace Our Footsteps in the Snow"
It's been such a long time since we've heard anything about The Boy Least Likely To that I was worried we'd forget about them. Lucky for me when I was looking for a CD to take a shower to this morning the bright yellow spine of The Best Party Ever jumped out at me. Technically, TBLLT hasn't released a record since 2005 but we can cut them some slack for the rash of killer b-side singles and the precious cover of George Michael (and Limp Bizkit's) "Faith." We don't really have any Boy Least Likely To news or info to offer, but they did just have a great post on their blog which quotes from an article that Laura Barton in The Guardian regarding the difference between listening to music in the car and listening on a bus or train.

"sitting behind the wheel you are filled with the exhilarating sense of possibility, the feeling that you could go anywhere", whereas on bus journeys "your destination is always limited by the bus route, and your music is, by and large, confined to your headphones rather than billowing out of a car speaker system." and so, she writes, "the best music for bus journeys always seems characteristically introspective, the kind of music made for dreamers and loners.

Here is a list of songs that X from The Boy Least Likely To enjoys listening to on the Bus:

Saint Etienne- Hobart Paving
Kenickie- Lights Out in a Provincial Town
Isobel Campbell & Eugene Kelly- Time is Just the Same
Glen Campbell- Gentle on My Mind
Bright Eyes- First Day of My Life
Lambchop- The New Cobweb Summer
The Tindersticks- Tiny Tears
The Field Mice – Willow
The Smiths – Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
Felt- There's No Such Thing as Victory

Below is a ridiculous video of TBLLT performing on a British morning show, complete with lip synching, a backing track and dancing furry animals (which totally makes up for the lip synching and shitty backing track). And to hold you over until whenever TBLLT drops some new shit, here's some old B-sides.

The Boy Least Likely To- Faith (George Michael cover)
The Boy Least Likely To- Rock Upon A Porch With You

"I won't ever be happy unless I'm unhappy and hugging my grudge"

next: dubstep

The new sound of UK urban music

It is difficult to describe the dubstep sound, but a few words immediately come to mind: heavy, dark, bass-driven. Visually, dubstep evokes images of a dimly lit, grimy underground club with cavernous sub-woofers, or a late-night walk on deserted city streets with headphones on and hoodie pulled up.

Because of the genre's newness, it is difficult to say exactly what makes something "dubstep" as opposed to some other genre. But at the very least, dubstep is a heavily modified version of UK Garage (aka 2-step) infused with dub-reggae elements. Sparse yet intricate rhythms and deep sub-bass lines are two major aesthetics of the genre.

Burial is ironically the poster-child of the genre (nobody knows his true identity), but Skream and Rusko are two rising producers that are expanding the palette and reach of the genre. Stream two tracks and watch a short documentary below. [Quality headphones most definitely recommended.]

Skream- "Midnight Request Line"


Rusko- "Cockney Thug" from Fabriclive.37


Dubstep doc, from the BBC

classick: The Commodores

If I had a time machine I would set it to 1970s Soul Train

Funk legends The Commodores are playing a short, four show run in the NJ area in mid-February, which gives me the perfect excuse to post the video above: a 1974 performance of the dance-floor slayer "Machine Gun" in front of the perpetually-funky Soul Train audience. I'm not sure which I like best about this video (besides the music): the ridiculous costumes on the band, the flashing "Soul Train" lights behind the stage, or the dude in the front row with his back to the stage gettin' DOWN. Decide for yourself.

The Commodores Tour Dates

we saw: Allen Toussaint

This past week, Blue Note Jazz Club hosted Nawlins R&B legend Allen Toussaint for a string of ten sold out shows in the heart of Greenwich Village. We were lucky enough to catch the final performance last night, and were enraptured by his funky set of soulful pop that had us grooving in our seats. Toussaint has worn many different hats over his career, including producer, songwriter, arranger, session pianist, solo artist, and entertainer. And last night's show was entertaining to say the least, as he mixed together originals and covers while weaving in humorous and heartfelt stories about his life and music. We only wished that he could have played longer, but he did mention that he will likely be back next year. Not to be missed.

Allen Toussaint- Brickyard Blues (live)
Allen Toussaint- Southern Nights (live)