You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September 2009.
TONIGHT
Counting Crows, Allison Krauss, Peter and Paul at Central Park (Ken Burns screening), 7
Screaming Females at Maxwell’s, Hoboken, 8:30
THURSDAY
HEALTH and Tanlines at Bowery Ballroom, 8ish
Wavves and Ganglians at Santos Party House, 8ish(and Friday at the Market Hotel)
Polite Sleeper and Jean on Jean, at Union Hall, 8ish
Sam Hillmer, Arrington De Dionyso (of Old Time Relijun) at the Maze at Death by Audio, 8ish
FRIDAY
Phoenix and Passion Pit at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, 6 (also on Saturday)
Effi Briest, Electroputas, Regattas at the Maze at Death by Audio, 8ish
Suckers at Glasslands, 8ish
Yo La Tengo, the Black Lips at Roseland, 8
Violent Bullshit, These Arms Are Snakes, DD/MM/YYYY at Shea Stadium, 8
SATURDAY
Screaming Females at the Maze at Death by Audio, 9ish
Slow News Day at Spike Hill, 9ish
SUNDAY
Sharon Van Etten at Bowery Ballroom, 8ish (and Monday at Williamsburg Music Hall, 8ish)
pic by tiger lily
I love the Yardbirds vibe on this Mantles track. The Mantles is from San Francisco and you can feel that the sunniness of their music is mixed with fuzzy wet clouds- just like the weather in San Fran. It’s all in the bass line I think. The bass is not just background on this song- it sets the tone and moves the song along with it. Jangly guitars perfectly accentuate it. It’s also pretty awesome that this song, which could focus on vocals, really doesn’t at all. Big up’s to GVB for posting this.
The Mantles: Don’t Lie
The Mantles: Don’t Lie
photo by nicole poppi
Hush Arbors is the work of Keith Wood, a Charlottesville, VA native. Hush Arbors is music for cloudy fall days in the city, like today. The music is a little dream-like, the vocals moody and affected. Hush Arbor’s new album, Yankee Reality, is out on Oct. 6 on Ecstatic Peace! Hopefully some live dates will be announced soon. (Wood is playing a few in London and Rome.)
The drumming on this track,”Day Before,” moves this song along at a quick clip- and the staccato nature of it reminds us that the days are getting shorter. Give an ear.
Hush Arbors: Day Before
Hush Arbors: Day Before
We all know that David Byrne is devoted. He’s devoted to music, he’s devoted to hipness, he’s devoted to environmentalism. What he is especially devoted to is bike riding. More specifically, urban bike riding and accessibility.
Byrne’s book, (memoir, how-to-guide, manifesto?), Bicycle Diaries, is a cute and somewhat whimsical ride through Byrne’s somewhat scattered brain. (Literally the book is chapters on Byrne’s bike adventures in different cities.) It’s a quick and fun read.
Byrne does seem to be riding a little too high at times. His voice has a slight condescension to it, which is something you don’t hear when he wears his other hat and sings rather than writes. But his last chapter about looking forward and redesigning cities to make them more bike friendly, is pretty spot on. Byrne does some good by drawing attention to the idea that cities need to be more livable.
Tonight he is joined by Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, an avid bike enthusiast (who also leases a Lexus i’m told…), and Transportation Alternatives guru Paul Steely White. The event starts at 7 and is at the Union Square Barnes and Noble. I’d get there early.
Amie Street was developed about 4 years ago and makes songs available through a distinctly democratic system- based on popularity. Variable pricing, as it’s called, has worked well for Amie Street, who has partnered primarily with small labels through The Orchard. That’s about to change- Amie has made a deal with Sony. See more over at TechCrunch.
While the Sony deal differs from Amie’s usual model, Michael Arrington says this is hopefully a step toward something “purer.” It makes sense to me that new, unheard artists work well through this system- (the songs are free and then go up in price the more downloads the song garners). I’m not sure if this will work for an already established name.
No, not really. I don’t think there are any crows to count in the park. But, Counting Crows is going to be there! I can count leadsinger Adam Duritz’s dreadlocks! I think he cut those off when the 90s ended actually…Anyway he dates Emmy Rossum from The Day After Tomorrow. Remember that scary, terrible movie? I’m getting off topic…
Counting Crows is playing Wednesday night, and so is Alison Krauss (no word on if Robert Plant will be there).
All of this is happening to kick off the new Ken Burns’ made for PBS film, “National Parks: America’s Best Idea” and National Parks Week. The event is sponsored by Feel Free and there will be a screening of the film, music, speakers for sure, and maybe some weed in the air (and hopefully in your lungs!). It all goes down in the East Meadow at 7.
It’s supposed to be very beautiful on Wednesday. Say goodbye to summer in one of the only green spots in NYC…
The Drums has exploded like a hi-hat hit really hard or a kick drum beaten to death. These guys played their first show in May and have been garnering much-deserved buzz ever since. Originally from Florida (woah) and now Brooklyn based, the foursome play summery pop without the haze. They sound kinda like vodka mixed with lemonade- but with a side of maraschino cherry sweetness. The Drums songs are tender and fun, and although summer is now over, their debut EP, Summertime!, just hit the “shelves.”
The band plays Mercury Lounge tomorrow night and is then off to Europe. Dates here. Keep reading for Christian talk, what The New York Times got wrong, Obama talk and mp3s.
You just recently formed. Did you expect so much attention so quickly?
Jacob Graham (gtr): No, not at all. We actually didn’t expect any attention. But it’s so nice to think that other people are in tune with what we’re doing.
Jonathan Pierce (vox): We weren’t expecting anything really, other than to stay in Florida and finish flight school.
You mentioned the Tough Alliance as an influence on your MySpace. But you also mention The Smiths. How did you find these two different genres and blend them?
Jonathan: Both of these bands made me feel amazing at a time that I felt stupid.
Jacob: I don’t know how we found found them (well, I know I found a Smiths tape at a library sale when I was eleven). But I think you just gravitate towards things you like. And are those two band’s really that different?
Jonathan and Jacob, you met at camp, how did the rest of the band come together (just 8 months ago, right?) How long have you all known each other?
Jonathan: It’s been a pretty exciting time, having Adam and Connor join The Drums. They were there from the very start, without any of us knowing it.
Adam: I’ve known Jon since I was 18, we played in a band together called Elkland. Jacob and Connor I met about 3 months ago, wow but it seems like much longer, I love them all dearly!
Connor Hanwick (drums): Well my brother (Adam- Guitar player for the Drums) told me about his new band. I heard and liked it alot, so I flew from Pasadena and begged them to let me audition. And then they did.
It was a Christian camp, was that forced on you by parents? Or are you both religious?
Jonathan: I don’t believe in much anymore…I barely dream anymore… we’ll see.
Jacob: I’m a nun.
What’s your songwriting process like?
Jonathan: I don’t really know how to answer that. It’s always a different process. I usually…
Jacob: A boxing match, fighting over every little detail.
Dude, this new Fresh and Only’s track, “Dude’s Got a Tender Heart,” is baffling. I literally don’t know where to begin. The song starts with a pretty basic garage sound, echo-y vocals and all. But then it turns into a new beast all together. Two voices repeat “you and your” over and over again, the song cuts out, returns for more “you and your” and then heads back to the original melody. Repeat. Thanks to MBV for this, and to Woodsist for putting this shiiiit out.
Fresh and Only’s: “Dude’s Got a Tender Heart”
Fresh and Only’s: “Dude’s Got a Tender Heart”
Damon and Naomi at Le Poisson Rouge
by David Chiu
Anyone who has sort of followed Damon and Naomi‘s career from 1992 to the present knows that they can rock quietly. That’s what Damon and Naomi proved again in their subtle and soulful performance Saturday night.
Damon and Naomi are most famous for their work in 90s supergroup Galaxie 500. It has been almost 20 years since that alternative trio broke up, and although it only recorded three studio albums, it left an indelible and influential mark.
Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang, who played drums and bass respectively in Galaxie 500, carved a niche in psychedelic folk music as Damon and Naomi, with a sound that hearkens cult artists like Tim Buckley and Nick Drake.
(Not surprisingly, the other former member of Galaxie 500, Dean Wareham, hasn’t drifted into obscurity either. Wareham went on to front Luna and is now part of the husband-and-wife musical duo Dean and Britta with Britta Phillips.)
In live shows, Krukowski plays acoustic guitar and Yang performs on the keyboards, which was the case on Saturday when the duo returned to New York City for a show at Le Poisson Rouge (formerly the Village Gate) as the opening act for A Hawk and Hacksaw. The performance coincided with Damon and Naomi’s recent release The Sub Pop Years, a 15-track compilation of music recorded for the Seattle indie label between 1995 and 2002.
The short live set was interestingly bookended by a pair of covers: Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren” and Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire.” In between were songs that drew from Damon and Naomi’s time at Sub Pop as well as a few tunes from their own label 20/20/20. Krukowski and Yang alternated on the lead vocals with the former strumming on his acoustic, and the latter providing atmospheric textures through her keyboards. Both of them contributed wonderful harmony vocals as well as some strong individual performances: Yang on the very moody “Lilac Land,” and Krukowski on “Turn of the Century.”
Damon and Naomi: The Mirror Phase
Damon and Naomi: The Mirror Phase
I saw Ari Up perform at CMJ last fall- it was unreal. The woman has so much fire and passion and attitude. And she was up on the stage at Santos Party House with tons of boys and men and still dominated and commanded respect. Ari Up mixes her British punk rootsy background with dub beats. The result is a glorious clash- it can only be described as a sensual meeting of the minds.
Up is most famous for her work with The Slits- a late 70s British dub group made up of all women. After 25 years the group is back with a new album. I’ve been listening to Trapped Animal for months- but it’s not officially out until Oct. 20. A track, “Ask Ma,” is available for stream over at RCRD LBL.
“Men who need us, to be their mother, men who hate us, because of their mother.” INDEED.
