"Wilder than Moonlight" (photo by damusic) While reading P4k's review of To Be Still, I came across a mention of a set of covers Alela Diane did for a project dubbed Headless Heroes. Apparently, the super group, consisting of Hugo Nicolson, Josh Klinghoffer, Woodrow Jackson III, Gus Seyffert, Alela Diane, Leo Abrahams, Joey Waronker, Dirty Pretty Strings, Pocketknife, Mike G., Irana Douer, Sarah Lynn Graves, & Eddie Bezalel, released an album of covers in November. The disc, The Silence of Love, which features Diane's timeless voice on every track, includes songs by Vashti Bunyan, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Daniel Johnston, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, just to name a few.
Hearing one of my favorite vocalists cover two of my all time favorite songs (Johnston's "True Love Will Find You In The End" and Bunyan's "Here Before") is quite the Thursday morning revelation. Excitement level for Alela's show at Music Hall just went through the roof.
"The Truth is I Have No Idea" Bushwick-based chanteuse Sharon Van Etten brought heart-wrenching, "sad prairie folk" to Zebulon last night, which is a second home of sorts for Ms. Van Etten. Coincidentally, the show marked the celebration of Sharon's 28th year in the world, and family and friends were strewn about the audience. The show started with cuts from Ms. Van Etten's debut EP, including "I Wish I Knew", "For You" and "Consolation Prize." Before long Sharon invited friends from Motel Motel and She Keeps Bees to join her in, giving her often sparse balladry a more fleshed out sound. While the guest vocalist from She Keeps Bees didn't seem to remember her lyrics, her downtrodden hum, along with finger-picking accompaniment, wrapped Sharon's downtrodden folk in a warm haze of muddy atmospherics and gentle ooohs. Being that her EP couldn't get much more lo-fi, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that her forthcoming debut LP will (hopefully) feature the "fuller" sound we were treated to last night.
I should also mention Melanie Moser and the Eleventh Hour Band who helped open the show and brought a sort of VU/Nico-meets-Jefferson Airplane by way of Mazzy Star vibe. This band, which included a horn section and a guy playing a "zaga" (or maybe zaza? not really sure), which is some crazy cross between a banjo, a sitar and a zhonghu, would be an ideal soundtrack for a post-millenial acid test. Definitely a band to watch.
If you missed Sharon's show last night, don't worry, as she'll be playing the Arthur Magazine benefit at the Market Hotel on Saturday, and another show at Glasslands on Sunday.
Shot atop the World Trade Center in April of 1996 on the Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space tour, these intimate videos not only provide an up close and personal view of the band at its peak, but also show just how much J. Spaceman and his evolving troupe have grown since their heyday as the Spacerock band of '90s. In layman's terms, no string sections or Gospel singers, just face melting, heart pounding psychedelia. I haven't snagged it yet but there is also a torrent of the show that has been hovering around the web. And if that doesn't cure your fiendish appetite for old school Spiritualized, then head over to the "Complimentary Medicines" section of band's website for some rarities, live cuts, alternative mixes, demos, outtakes and a few choice John Peel recordings.
"Ohhhhhhhhh Ohhhhhhhh" Somewhere in between Henry Mancini, JDILLA and Brian Eno is Quiet Village, an avant sound project from Britain's Matt Edwards and Joel Martin. I found this one in the new arrivals portion of the used bin at Permanent Records last week. Still in the shrink wrap, with a price tag of $20, I knew I couldn't resist this one, if only for remembering that GvB included it as one of his favorite records of 2K8. Whistful, dreamy, funky, sexy and fresh, Silent Movie is the film score that DJ Shadow (or Lemon Jelly) never made, or, conversely, the hip-hop record Mancini never made. Whatever it is, Silent Movie is the perfect companion for both breakfast, lunch and dinner, as it, like you and me, evolves with the sun. Oh, and if, as a friend once said, Panda Bear's Person Pitch is the elevator music on the way to heaven, than I'm pretty sure "Victoria's Secret" is the music playing when you arrive at the pearly gates.
"And Jesus Was A Sailor" Francoise Hardy is the prototypical bohemian French icon. The essence of all things cool, Hardy is sort of the equivalent to the French Nico, equipped with a better voice and an almost preternatural beauty. She simply exudes cool, and does so no better than on her 1968 record Comment Te Dire Adieu, which features covers by Leonard Cohen and Serge Gainsbourg, both of which are available below.
The Undisputed Truth is often considered Norman Whitfield's Motown "lab rats"--a way for Whitfield to experiment with psychedelia and dark instrumentation which he would later infuse with his more popular group, The Temptations. Whitfield recorded a handful of psychedelic soul albums for the Temptations (Cloud Nine, Puzzle People, Psychedelic Shack) after 'out-producing' Smokey Robinson with the Temptations "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" in 1966.
Whitfield was one of the most daring and edgy producers in all of Motown in the late 60's and early 70's and this is never more apparent than his work with The Undisputed Truth, a group originally comprised of a few 'Motown muts': Joe Harris from the Preps and Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce, backup singers for Diana Ross, The Four Tops, and others. When Whitfield left Motown in 1975 to start his own label, he convinced The Undisputed Truth, Rose Royce, and others to follow. Calvin and Joyce soon left the group, and Whitfield brought in Chaka Khan's sister, Taka Boom and a few others reincarnating The Undisputed Truth as more of a spectacle of black funk-adelia. Their 1975 album, Cosmic Truth, contains one of the oddest 1-2 punches on wax: a soulful cover of Neil Young's "Down By The River" followed by the album's funk-saturated hit single, "UFO's."
"Please Don't Pass Me By" If I had to dislike something about Vetiver, it'd be that they are just so easy. Almost like easy listening of the folk variety. While this could easily tarnish their reputation, fact is their sound is so effortless and carefree that the simplicity doesn't bother me, rather it enchants me, giving their sylvan folk a preternatural quality, comparable to dawning sun. If your looking to get into the band, I highly suggest checking out "Sleep a Million Years", a collaboration with Vashti Bunyan which appeared on Vetiver's covers album Things of the Past, which, like all thigns Vashti, is absolutely magical. Vetiver released their latest, Tight Knit, this week on Sub Pop and will be heading on tour with current Bobka favorites Papercuts this Spring. The pairing will hit the Bowery Ballroom on May 3rd and Brooklyn's Bell House on May 7th. I highly suggest penciling this in on your calendar.
Computers crashing, all around us business fails, the times are hard, or so they say
"Information Age", one of my favorite tracks from Damon & Naomi'sMore Sad Hits, could have been written last week, as thousands of Americans (specifically New Yorkers) scrapped by to pay rent, patiently/anxiously awaiting the passage of President Obama's Stimulus plan. Of course, the song was written nearly 17 years ago, as the country teetered on the edge of the digital era and war waged in the Middle East. While the song has certainly provided solace for those seeking clarity in uncertain times, it's affect may not have been felt greater than in Louisiana in the early 90's when Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Magnum was writing On Avery Island. Legend has it that the song "Naomi" on Neutral Milk Hotel's debut "was written after listening to the first [Damon & Naomi] album on repeat for a week while trapped in Louisiana feeling sad." You really can't make this stuff up.
Wealth I seek not, hope nor love, Nor a friend to know me; All I seek, the heaven above, and the road below me Robert Louis Stevenson
Lonely, broke and desperate, yet brimming with optimism, the song of the great American highway is deeply ingrained in the psyche of anyone born from sea to shinning sea. Some say it's Manifest Destiny, others merely an idyllic hobo's dream. Whatever it is, it's easily felt on cold, dark nights on lonesome highways, heading off the grid, or to some fabled watering hole, or, simply, home, wherever, or whatever, that may be. As Gillian Welch once said, "I dream a highway."
Bobkast #23: I Dream A Highway Utah Phillips- Starlight on the Rails Bob Dylan- Thunder on the Mountain Marissa Nadler- River of Dirt Karen Dalton- Down on the Street (Don't You Follow Me) Townes Van Zandt- Waiting Around to Die Magnolia Electric Co.- Hard to Leave the City Dr. John- Travelin' Mood Peter and the Wolf- Safe Travels Woody Guthrie- Hard Travelin' Antony and Bryce Dessner- I Was Young When I Left Home Solomon Burke- Memphis Gram Parsons- Return of the Grievous Angel (w/ Emmylou Harris) Bruce Springsteen- Reason to Believe Bonnie 'Prince' Billy- Goodbye Dear Old Step Stone Tom Waits- Home I'll Never Be
While perennial fan favs like "Tom Courtenay" and "Autumn Sweater" appear on the greatest hits collection, reinterpretations of both indie staples also appear on the Outtakes and Rarities disc, which plays out like a wet dream for the Electr-O-Pura, Painful, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and ...And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out faithful. My Bloody Valentine leader Kevin Shields lends the woozy "Autumn Sweater" an even more hypnotic element, which, in typical Shields fashion, took forever and a day to complete. Oh, and in case you were wondering if Yo La could reinterpret their own tunes, well, they can, as exemplified by the acoustic version of "Tom Courtenay", which features Georgia's subtle, sublime and absolutely enchanting vocal. Simply put, the cutting room floor for Yo La Tengo tends to be miles above most bands most accomplished works, a profound testament to their oeuvre.
"It Looks Like It's Gonna Be a Long Long March" In anticipation of You Can Have What You Want, I've found myself revisiting Papercuts mesmerizing sophomore release Can't Go Back. Full of melancholic indie pop of the best variety, Jason Quever has a knack for masking sad songs with uptempo melodies and meandering instrumentation, giving Can't Go Back the feel of a long walk by the shore on a windy afternoon. Subtle and introspective, his songs are like old homes, all knowing and full of knooks and crannies, in which real gems lie hidden like Stuart Little. His soon to be released You Can Have What You Want, which, like its two predecessors, will be released on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label, features contributions from Beach House guitarist Alex Scally, which practically guarantees maximum dreaminess.
"Hallucinogen headlamps / my sane scape's disrupted in a pickup truck" In the wake of their reunion and the publicity of last year's Coachella, underrated 90's British shoegazers Swervedriver just re-released their first 3 albums (Raise, Mezcal Head, Ejector Seat Reservation) in the UK and now their first 2 here in the US. All three albums get a modest treatment, only adding a handful of tracks (a few of which are previously un-released), however, none of this excitement pours onto a second disc. That being said, the US reissues have been remastered and their kick-ass debut, Raise, is as energetic as ever. The addition of fan favorite "Kill the Superheroes" is a pleasant but ultimately safe surprise. The only new track on Raise is "Andalucia", a b-side from 1991 that's been circulating around the world wide web for years. In the end these reissues might not attract hardcore fans but instead act as a replacement to their predecessors for new fans discovering Swervedriver 18 years later.
On a side note, it seems everyone loves the southern Spanish province, Andalucia:
"You Say Your Looking For Someone" (photo by grandchildren) He's done it again, this time covering Bob Dylan's classic "It Ain't Me Babe." As expected, absolutely majestic, most notably the doubled vocals, which give it a sort of campfire deep inside a cave sing-a-long vibe. Apparently this was on the White Antelope MySpace page, although it seems to have been removed. Oh well, you can snag an mp3 below. Thanks to Peenko for the heads up.
"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'sSounds 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.
"Love Is Enormous" Reclusive Seattle ambient provocateur The Sight Below performed his first ever live radio set on Seattle's KEXP back in September. Just after the new year, Ghostly made it available as the 18th edition of its highly subscribable Ghostly Cast. The impressive set was also listed as one of KEXP's "Live In-Studio Sessions You May Have Overlooked." While this 27 minute live set is the perfect companion to The Sight Below's Glider, it only makes me even more excited about the ambient artist's set this weekend at (le) poisson rouge. Not only will the Sight Below be making his NYC debut, but he'll be doing it as part of a lineup that also includes the Portland's Grouper, whose Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill has kept me company on many a long, cold winter's night.
Billed as "An Evening of Sensual Machine Music with Lusine, Grouper, Michael Brofman performing pieces by Erik Satie, and The Sight Below, I'm not exactly sure this is the best place to take your significant other, that is, of course, unless your significant other is J. Spaceman or Yoko Ono. Regardless, I'll be there spacing my face and sipping on a can of Pork Slap. Romantic, eh?
"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.
"Love Comes Tumbling Down On Me" Quite the departure from his day job fronting psychedelic janglers The Black Angels, "I'd Rather Be Lonely", a demo recording by Alex Maas, is a not cover of the Eddie Spencer's Canadian soul classic "If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely)." However, the rough gem certainly borrows from Spencer's timeless chorus. Upon my first few spins I likened it to Arthur Russell'sfolkier side, specifically "Eli" and "Close My Eyes", both of which were compiled on last years Love Is Overtaking Me. The demo I have is labeled as part of the "Honeysuckle Folk" genre, which I've never heard of, though it would be an apt description of Mr. Maas's minimalist retro leanings. It's sunny and gothic all at once, as if the repetitive strum of an effected electric guitar and Maas's high lonesome vocal creates a vacuum in the sky which swirls all parts joy and sorrow into a harmonious cumulonimbus cloud. A rough Angels jam or a budding solo project, whatever it is, I'm intrigued and will certainly be keeping my eyes out for more. Alex Maas- I'd Rather Be Lonely
"Look Your Best Friend In The Eye" The other day we mentioned that Slumberland finally issued The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self-titled debut. Like Bill, we think this one is a mega-contender for 'Best New Music.' No doubt about it, POBPAH write some of the catchiest indie pop anthems in recent memory. We're pretty psyched for Saturday's sold-out show at the Mercury Lounge, as you should be too. Got shut out? No worries, as the band will be back in NYC in March for a show at The Bell House.
"The Magic Rat Drove His Slick Machine Over the Jersey State Line"
Nearly four years ago, Columbia remastered and reissued The Boss's American masterpiece Born to Run for its 30th anniversary. Complete with two incredible DVD's, one following the intensely epic recording sessions, the other a full length a cathartic, goosebump inducing, heart wrenching, dance-your-ass-off 1975 concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon, the box set is an essential piece of the Rock and Roll history puzzle. Personally, I've never seen better footage of Bruce. The recording captures him at his peak, performing like a rag doll in his signature beanie, with the Big Man by his side. If you thought the Super Bowl Half Time Show was sweet, peep this asap, as its proof that the Boss is absolutely the coolest, most genuine guy alive. Period.
"I'm Over Being Sober" Dent May, aka Mississippi's most talented ukulele player, takes on "When You Were Mine" from the Purple One's third record Dirty Mind. Handclaps, uke, some squeeze box, a pleasant Casio synth riff and some sweet vocal harmonization make this an irresistible companion to The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele, which, coincidentally, came out today on Paw Tracks. Snag Dent's Prince cover below.
"Said the Knight on the Road" Just a little follow up on the last post. AtEaseWeb member Robin Pecknold confirmed that it was he who recorded and posted the two songs on the White Antelope MySpace page. In his own words:
Ey!!!
I used to post demos of songs on that page before the record came out. The Guitar Duet thing dates from when we were recording the LP and the cover of False Knight I did about two weeks ago. I posted the first demo of Blue Ridge Mountains (when it was called Stirring, before the other Stirring) on there before. I might put that back up, it had different instrumentation and was kinda cool....
Right now I am alone in this house we've rented to record the next record in and tomorrow I'm going to record a cover of Ridge Rider, the Judee Sill song, for this compilation. Trying to write new stuff is hard right now for some reason.
I want to do a record of really spare stuff for White Antelope so it may be recorded this year. I dunno if that is a good name though.
Thinking out loud.
I guess I can add the White Antelope (or Robin solo disc) to my increasingly elongated list of albums I'm anxiously awaiting to hear in 2009. The two tracks in discussion are available below.
"And He Stood, And He Stood" A good friend in a quaint, psychedelic fishing village just passed along a fascinating piece of information. White Antelope's MySpace Page. I told him" I know nothing" of said band. But the first song, "False Knight on the Road", automatically started playing and its gentle finger picking felt pretty good. Then, about 30 seconds in, I heard this familiar voice, angelic in its tone, come weeping through the tree's. Robin Pecknold? My IM box bounces and it, coincidentally, reads "Robin Pecknold." Some extremely light research showed that he was "friends" with Fleet Foxes and fellow Seattle folkees the Cave Singers. Still somewhat skeptical, I took a look into the pics section of White Antelope's profile and noticed a picture of someone who looks a lot like the dude that sings in that pretty awesome band with the Peter Breugal painting on their album cover. Well, the songs, the second being "Guitar Duet", an instrumental, are stunning, especially in their ability to summon the heart and soul of American folk music. Pecknold's(?) voice is timeless, able to conjure Woody Guthrie, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon and James Taylor in one fell swoop, without sounding like neither an imitator nor an impostor. It's quite wondrous to fell a century's worth of history in the voice of a young man.
ED Note: So the Kids on AtEase have verified "False Knight on the Road" as the b-side on the Mykonos 7". White Antelope is all but confirmed as the solo work of Robin Pecknold. Great news all around. Anybody have any info on the Mykonos 7"?
"I Wanna Sleep All Day" (photo by alexadan) We saw the Sundelles rock a shabby set of lo-fi three chord doo-wop at Dead Herring Friday night and were pretty impressed by their knack for head bobbing, hip shaking melodies, vocal rave ups and their relentless use of the fuzz box. Simple and straight forward, their brand of loft pop will sound familiar to fans The Muslims (now the Soft Pack) and the Vivian Girls, as well as older heads jonesing for some new Nuggets and Pebbles for the 21st century. RCRD LBL has a few tracks for download, so expect to hear more about the Sundelles in the near future. There is certainly a place for them in the DIY cassette/7" scene.
Moccassing Pocahaunted: Mystic Los Angelino's making post-modern, lo-fi psychedelic drone. Perfect for end-of-the-day Subway rides, food comas, and starring at the wall.
"I Feel Space" (Photo by Passetti) Tomorrow night Norweigan space-disco provocateur Hans-Peter Lindstrom will invade Brooklyn on the first night of a super select, increasingly rare U.S. tour, set to hit Chicago and San Francisco this weekend. While Lindstrom has played in the U.S. before, this may be his first time doing a "live set", as previous visits were either solo DJ sets or DJ sets with his cosmic partner-in-crime Prins Thomas. We at Bobka HQ are hoping for a full out exploration of Lindstrom's instant space oddity epic Where You Go I Go Too. If you don't hear from us on Friday, it's because we've been swept up in a wave of cosmic disco and are now chilling on an Alien space craft somewhere near Alpha Centauri. We've heard the view is fucking phenomenal from up there. (BTW, Lindstrom live at Studio B @ 1 AM.)
"Just Another Night" Last night Greenpoint luminary Zach Condon treated the neighborhood to a free show from the latest incarnation of Beirut at Coco66 on Greenpoint ave. A sort of warm up/drunken rehearsal show, the bar filled to capacity with ravenous onlookers. Having never seen Beirut live before, nor being the worlds biggest Beirut fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, which saw Zach and his stripped down band take on Flying Club Cup staples like "Nantes" and "Sunday Smile", as well as the always enjoyable Lon Gisland jam "Elephant Gun" and brand spanking new Dark Was the Night contribution "Mimizan."
Apparently, many in attendance thought the show was subpar, and, appropriately, are venting their frustrations in the comment section of Brooklyn Vegan (where else!). Truth be told, I had a great time and thought it was a phenomenal show. Hardly life changing but the vibe was jovial and the band treated the audience to a lengthy show, a lot longer than I expected it to be. Despite the angst expressed by many anonymous commenters, I'd like to thank Zach for treating the kind people of Greenpoint to a drunken night of musical revelry and reminding us that BV commenters are just a bunch of fucking wankers.
Oh, and anybody willing to sell their BAM tickets should get in touch with me. Thx.
Setlist Nantes Sunday Smile The Shrew Elephant Gun The Concubine La Javanaise (Serge Gainsbourg cover) Postcard from Italy Akara Mimizan After The Curtain East Harlem Cherbourg Cocek
My Night With the Prostitute in Versailles Wroclia
"I'm Going To Drive Until It Burns My Bones" (Photo by Natasha Ryan) 20 minute Ambient set into a propulsive set of synthetic, intergalactic, melodramatic pop = splendid way to spend a Saturday night. Only wish they would've played for a bit longer.
M83 (headlining) Setlist: Run Into Flowers * Moonchild Kim & Jessie We Own the Sky Graveyard Girl Teen Angst Highway of Endless Dreams Don't Save Us From the Flames Skin of the Night Guitar and Heart Encore: Couleurs
A Decade In The Making In celebration of Ghostly's 10th birthday, self-titled magazine, who recently hosted the Ghostly/DFA bash at LPR, commissioned recent signee Michna to "craft a mix of Ghostly’s scene-spanning influences." Curated by Ghostly cofounder Sam Valenti IV, Michna's mix is a heady blend of dream pop, gaze, tech, electro, house and dark 80's pop. Great way to kick start your weekend.
Michna/SV4, Seeing Colors: Ghostly Influences Orbital - Halcyon & On & On (FFRR) Joey Beltram - Enegy Flash (R+S) The Persuader - What’s The Time, Mr Templar (Svek) Sascha Funke - Safety First (Kompakt) Pantha Du Prince - Suzan (Dial) Klein & MBO - Dirty Talk (Zanza) Gino Soccio - Remember (Atlantic) Giorgio Moroder - The Chase (Casablanca) Der Zyklus -Elektronisches Zeitecho (Gigolo) I-F - Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass (Interdimensional Transmissions) Kraftwerk - Numbers (WEA) Air - Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi (Dopplereffekt Mix) (Source) Depeche Mode - Everything Counts (Maxi Single Live Version) (Mute) The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before (Rough Trade) The Cure - Close To Me (WEA) The Cure - Close To Me (Closest Remix) (WEA)
Further Away The Sight Below's icy ambiance has properly positioned itself as the electronic counterpart to my Grouper winter blanket. Ghostly puts it best, describing The Sight Below's crystalline minimalism as "half-remembered dreams and soft-focus sentiments with elegiac beauty." Space cadets and eternal dreamers can rejoice in the announcement that The Sight Below will play a special Valentine's Day edition of the Wordless Music Series with none other than Liz Harris (aka Grouper). That means you've got less than a month to get your hands on some of Dr. Price's Edible Treats.
"Take Me Back" Stereogum just premiered a brand new track from Marissa Nadler's highly anticipated Little Hells. I must say, it is quite stunning. Guess she let someone hear the record after all. I hate to get overly excited but this very well may be her best work to date. Needless to say, my anticipation for Little Hells just shot through the roof.
"Am I Really All The Things That Are Outside of Me?" (Photo by Jonny Leather) Wow. That was one hell of an Inauguration. As if they'd been locked in a travel dog cage for months, Animal Collective absolutely tore the 7th floor of the ole Manhattan Center apart. Frightening squiggles of sound, industrial strength polyrhythms and guttural bass, the evening felt as much like a celebration of all things AC as it did a welcoming party for some bizarre new world order. The folks at BV said "the show could have been louder", which is perplexing considering the sound was, for lack of a better term, "in your fucking face." When Geologist dropped the bass during "Guys Eyes", I could literally feel my legs buckle. The sheer physicality of it was so raw, you couldn't help but feel moved. So much so that during "Brother Sport" I was fairly convinced the floor at the Grand Ballroom would give out and a handful of revelers would fall through and end up on the 6 floor only to continue dancing, listening as sound trickled through an Alice-like rabbit hole above. Not only did this show eclipse the mega-hype of MPP, but it proved, once and for all, that, if anything, Animal Collective are band of the people, and they do a damn good job of making the people happy. As if my general lack of hearing, and the "my face was melted by the arch of the covenant" look wasn't enough to take away from the show, NYC Taper, God bless his soul, captured the evening and has made the whole thing available in both FLAC and MP3. Download Animal Collective Live at the Grand Ballroom HERE.
Setlist (from NYC Taper) In The Flowers Leaf House Blue Sky Guys Eyes Summertime Clothes Daily Routine Lion in a Coma Lablakely Dress Fireworks My Girls Brother Sport Encore Beat Slippi
"I Need Another World...This Ones Nearly Gone" (Photo by automaticbobby) It's funny how a little bit of snow can bring a city to a stop. Aimless and carefree, it floats amongst smoke stacks and skyscrapers, lulling the avenues to a quiet hush. Quickly, it builds, hypnotizing wide-eyed onlookers as it dusts dirty streets with crystalline sparkles that shine under street lights like diamonds in a summer sky. Quiet. It swirls, whirls and falls. You stick your tongue out and taste its frozen delight. "Ahh, nurishment." And all of the sudden, the world is anew. Bobkast #22: Listen...The Snow Is Falling Galaxie 500- Listen, the Snow is Falling Yo La Tengo- Nowhere Near Alela Diane- White As Diamonds (Daytrotter) Bjork- All is Full of Love Grouper- Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping Koushik- Morning Comes Apollo Sunshine- Happiness Japancakes- Blown A Wish Julianna Barwick- You Were Waiting Mum- I Can't Feel My Hand Anymore, It's Alright, Sleep Tight Mogwai- Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home Antony & the Johnsons- Another World
"I Was Dreaming Of The Past" In keeping with our "highlighting albums we're really excited about" posts for the week, Marissa Nadler upped a few goodies just after the New Year, a sort of "non-denominational holiday gift" of covers, remixes and demos. Like she said before, her new record, Little Hells (3/7/09 Kemado Records) "will not be heard till it is released, at all", but that's just fine considering she's been posting a steady stream of videos and unreleased material on her blog. It's also worth mentioning that Mexican Summer, the vinyl only subscription record label, named after a Nadler song, recently reissued her debut Ballads of Living and Dying. Oh yeah, and if that isn't enough, Marissa will be gracing our lovely neighborhood with her presence on February 27th, when she, along with MV & EE, will play the Lutheran Church of the Messiah located right down the street from Bobka HQ. So yeah, we're pretty excited about that one. 'Til then, stay warm with some of these unreleased gems.
If you happen to be in Paris, you can catch Marissa tonight at Au Presbytère de Saint Eustache.
"I Wish I Had A Pizza & A Bottle of Wine" With only one official release under their belt, we're getting sort of antsy for some more Girls. Certainly the Morning Light/Lust For Life 7" is a doozey, but its been over half a year since the band released it (and sold it out) on True Panther. Luckily good news is on the way. Last week the band posted this message on its MySpace:
The album is oh so close guys and girls... We just got back to San Francisco from our own studio in my parents house in Santa Cruz... The future is very exciting this album is a great album its honest, loose, ethereal, obnoxious and perfect. We cant wait for you to hear it.
Not long after, I received an email from Dean at True Panther, noting that "The next Girls release will be a 7" of Hellhole Ratrace along with a brand new song. The LP should be coming near the end of April or the beginning of May." Super good news for all you pop savvy, navel gazing boys and girls with major crushes and some handshake drugs. If you find yourself in the Bay Area, you can catch Girls tomorrow with Hospitals at The Eagle, which is apparently a Gay Biker bar home to the "nouveau leather boy crew." Sounds like the perfect place to see Girls.
"Our Lives Are Buried In Snow" From To Be Still, one of my most anticipated records of 2009. Below snag a the goosebump inducing solo version from a Daytrotter session in 2007. Alela Diane- White As Diamonds (Daytrotter)
Not Not Fun Ridgewood, NJ based Ducktails has a lot planned for 2009. Not only will he release his debut LP on Not Not Fun, but the tropical loop specialist is also set to release a slew of other recordings, including a split LP with Sun Araw on Not Not Fun, Ducktails "Acres of Shade" on Arbor, a Ducktails CD on Holy Mountain, a Ducktails CD compilation on RTB and a Ducktails/TOMUTONTTU 7". Big things indeed. If you can't wait for the LP, peep this radio session Ducktails did on the venerable NJ indie station WFMU. Also Ducktails is playing a host of upcoming shows in NYC, including one tomorrow night at Monster Island in BillyBurg.
Listen, the snow is falling o'er town, Listen the snow is falling ev'rywhere. Between Empire State building And between Trafalgar square. Listen, the snow is falling o'er town.
Listen, the snow is falling o'er town, Listen the snow is falling ev'rywhere. Between your bed and mine, Between your head and my mind. Listen, the snow is falling o'er town.
Between Tokyo and Paris, Between London and Dallas, Between your love and mine. Listen, the snow is falling ev'rywhere.
A cold, rainy night in Brooklyn couldn't have been better for taking in the lonesome, urban folk of Sharon Van Etten. Ms. Van Etten, whose voice is as haunting as it is lush, is quickly becoming a favorite in the live music scene in New York. (If you've checked out NYC Taper anytime in the last 3-4 months you probably already knew this.) Fans of Karen Dalton and Susan Christie will find solace in Sharon's painfully honest, utterly gorgeous hymns, which ring out like bells for the broken hearted. Honest and true to form, last nights show at Zebulon was a hushed affair full of absolutely enthralled onlookers. When I re-emerged into the Williamsburg night, I was somehow shocked to be surrounded by rusty motorcycles, as I was pretty sure I'd been transported to the depths of Germany's Black Forest. A compliment of the highest regard for an artist who is quickly becoming one of the strongest acts in Brooklyn. NYC Taper has a few live recordings of Sharon, including a recent show at Pianos.
"And I Want For You To Be A Good Man" "Oh, God. Oh, my nose is itching. Do y'all say when your nose is itching someone's talking about you, or someone's thinking about you. Well I hope so. Ok, now I have to think of one more song. Ok."
"We Will Never Ever..." Due to the ubiquity of Atlas Sound posts in 2K8, I'll keep this one short. Bradford Cox played a (surprise?) hometown show on New Year's Eve at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta. He prefaces it by saying "Happy New Year everybody...Did everybody get kissed? (Yeah) Good. Well, I'm here to depress to the shit out of you with my longwinded ambient music." From then on its a typically droopy, psychedelic mess of spiraling loops, droney synths and freight-train powered drum beats. Consisting of choice cuts from last year's phenomenal, and absolutely gooey, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel ("Quick Canal", "Cold As Ice"), the set also features "Logos", the self-titled track from the accidentally leaked Atlas Sound album Bradford planned to be the follow up to Let The Blind.... Southern Shelter has the whole thing for DL, in FLAC too! If you're looking for a companion to aid in slipping back into the Holiday food coma, this is it. Highly recommended.
"Meet Me In The Garden" After a bitter NYE we're more than ready to welcome warm, sunny afternoons back into our lives. While that certainly isn't going to happen anytime soon in Brooklyn, one can always dream. Inflatable kiddie pools, zinc on ye nose, old episodes of Magnum PI and a quick call to your most favorite delivery guy can prove a MacGuyver-like solution. After all, what else do you need to feel like your in Hawaii? OK, a cocktail would be nice. And maybe some spam and Reese's.
Bobkast #21: Mowee Wowee 1. Reefer- May Belene 2. Dent May- Meet Me In The Garden 3. Koushik- Lying In The Sun 4. Little Joy- The Next Time Around 5. Miracle Fortress- Beach Baby 6. El Guincho- Cumpleanos en Los Lagares 7. Os Mutantes- Ando Meio Desligado 8. Animal Collective- Brother Sport 9. Air France- No Excuses (The Autumn Cantata) 10. Jeanette- Esucha 11. The Magnetic Fields- Take Ecstasy With Me 12. Panda Bear- Untitled (Guys Eyes) 13. Caribou- Cherrybomb PT. 2 14. High Places- Jump In (For Gilkey Elementary School) 15. Nadia Cattouse- Long Time Boy
all songs are posted because we love them and think they make the world a better place. they are for sampling purposes only (duh). if you like what you hear, buy the record or see the concert!!! if you own the copyright to anything that appears on this site, contact us.
