31 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Twenty-five

A brief update here, not on my own computer. We made it to Champaign yesterday and Goes Cube played a good set to an average sized audience at a club with bad sound. After the show we accidentally ran over some large rocks in the middle of the street which cracked the heck out of our engine oil pan. The minivan is currently at the shop and won't be repaired until Monday at the earliest. We're now scrambling to find a way to make it to Chicago for the shows tonight and tomorrow. One way or another that's going to happen. Unfortunately this means that the show in Ypsilanti is going to be cancelled. More updates with pictures tomorrow (hopefully).

*I also wanted to mention that today is David's birthday (from Goes Cube), so let's all wish him a happy birthday and hope the day ends better than it began.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

31 March - Elbo Room
Chicago, Illinois
Listening to right now:
The sounds of many hurried phone calls to parts stores, car rental places, and parents

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace.

Full tour schedule HERE

***also be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

30 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Twenty-four

This is the story of Goes Cube at The Ground Floor. It will be told in pictures and mismatched writings. See if you can correctly pair the picture with its corresponding description.

Goes Cube makes a fan out of at least one happy single mother in Belleville, who then offers to carry two guitars to the car as we load out.

Though there were at least 20 people at the bar, very very few decide to get close to the stage.

David (far right in pain), Kenny (center), and Matt ("waving" to the other band members) on stage before the show.

The guys are seriously really rocking each show by now. Last night's Goes Cube Song 42 was AMAZING.

Another show, another broken drum head.

David hits his knee on the stage trying to jump onto it and proceeds to ice the injury with a large can of PBR.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

30 March - The Iron Post
120 Race St, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Listening to right now:
Explosions In The Sky - "Welcome, Ghosts"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace.

Full tour schedule HERE

***also be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

29 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Twenty-three

Yesterday we made our way to Kansas City. By now, you know the routine. We stopped in lovely Topeka, KS on the way to take the above photo. Then we stopped by Oklahoma Joe's for some excellent Kansas City BBQ (photo below). I'm fairly disappointed that we never actually got any Memphis BBQ on this trip; but out of the three regions I've had, I'd place KC barbecue last behind North Carolina and Texas. Though their spicy BBQ sauce here in KC is pretty darn tasty.

The show last night was fairly unremarkable. The venue was old and gross with no alcohol, terrible sound, and even worse bathrooms. I mention these things simply because they may explain why nobody showed up to the club. Or not, who knows. Anyway, the band before Goes Cube (Witch and Hare) were entertaining in a ragtime meets The Pretenders kind of way. Check out their songs on MySpace, but know they don't tell the whole story. Their lead vocalist has endless energy and wails. If you're in Kansas City go check out their live show sometime.

Goes Cube were super tight as usual. Go figure, they've only been playing every day for a month. I can't wait for the homecoming show. They're gonna kill Mercury Lounge. As for last night, they played well but there just wasn't anyone there to see the show other than me and three people from other bands on the bill. After the show I went outside and saw some people in the parking lot. They had started out standing in the venue but left soon after Goes Cube took the stage. When I asked why they came outside their collective response was "Goes Cube was too loud". Um, it wasn't really that loud. And to be honest, the guitar and vocals should've been louder.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

29 March - The Ground Floor
215 E Main St, Belleville, Illinois
Listening to right now:
The National - "Fake Emipre"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Witch and Hare
Goes Cube

Full tour schedule HERE

I forgot to mention a few days ago that our tour mates Foreign Islands were forced to withdraw from the tour and head back to New York. Read more about it HERE.

***also be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

8+

"Estranged" by Guns N' Roses which clocks in at 9:24

The following is part 3 of 4 (part 1 HERE, part 2 HERE) in a special series of Guns N' Roses related 8+ posts written by my friend Ryan Vanderboosh.



Estranged

The dull thud of being taken down a peg or two can sometimes serve to open one’s eyes to a quieter sort of beauty. This poignant meditation on humility is deftly punctuated by Slash’s fifth solo (out of seven). None too Rumsfeldian --it’s true-- but as gorgeous, fragile, & irreplacible as a 5,000-year-old Assyrian frieze looted from the National Museum in Baghdad. Here we have the most soap-operatic of the four. Estranged’s virtuosity & unapologetic grandstanding make it the most take-it-or-leave-it.

i’ll take. Much like the sight of a clown costume & the whiff of chloroform will for some conjure memories of losing their virginity, the hallmarks of popping our musical cherry will stir our sympathy forever. (Which is why i fear my younger brother will never get over Dave Matthews, and has a better than average chance of being charged with date-rape before he finishes college.) Quick story: feeling crotchety late one night at a Colombian bar, the soul-crushing progression of Men at Work songs on the overhead tv inexplicably gave way to the Estranged video. At that point where Slash levitates up from what the viewer can only surmise is his jam studio in Atlantis, and those magical plasma-charged electro-dolphins leap into the air above him, crapping out the flaming, headless corpses of Cobain, Hemmingway, and Robespierre --let me tell you, it was a warm blanket made out of chicken soup-flavored Bengay on my nerves. i was a hair’s breadth away from joining FARC, but instead i just got cocked and air-drummed as obnoxiously as i knew how.

(to be continued...)

Buy Use Your Illusion II HERE on Amazon.

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Guns N' Roses - "Coma"
Guns N' Roses - "November Rain"
Sleep - "Jerusalem (Pt. 4)"
The Velvet Underground - "The Gift"
Elton John - "Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding"
Jenő Jandó - "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2"
The Temptations - "Take a Stroll Thru Your Mind"
Deerhoof - "Look Away"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

28 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Twenty-two

Yesterday was our final travel day of the tour. That meant no show, lots of driving (we've currently driven over 6,000 miles). We got a late start (due in part to the fact that David was demanding a shuffleboard rematch, Dan and I lost - go figure/serves me right after all of that boasting) and ended up stopping at a Days Inn in Russell, Kansas.

From here it's on to Kansas City tonight and then 7 more shows in a row before we get back to New York. Keep in mind the homecoming show on April 6th at Mercury Lounge - I expect to see all of you there ready to marvel at my tour beard.

Now, how about a few links:

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:
28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri
Listening to right now:
Bell - "Expanding File"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

Full tour schedule HERE

***also be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

27 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Twenty-one

Well, the brief weekend away from the tour was a nice break, and I enjoyed the time with my family, but it's awesome to be back with the guys. Yesterday I flew into Denver around the same time as the van pulled into town. I was greeted at the airport by Kenny's brother Dan (who happens to live in Denver, we're staying with him - he's super nice and a great teammate to play bar shuffleboard with...we're undefeated) and then met up with the band a few minutes later. As I was saying, we went to a bar near the apartment we're staying at and played a bit of shuffleboard. Dan and I teamed up to beat the heck out of Goes Cube over and over again. They must like to lose because they're currently asking for another shot at us. Patience Goes Cube, I must tell the world how much you kicked ass last night. THEN you can taste defeat all over again. Shake annnnd bake.

Last night Goes Cube played Larimer Lounge. Supposedly the past two shows haven't gone so well, and last night started out seeming to be another so-so show. The sound guy (smelly) disappeared as soon as they started and the sound during the first two songs was awful. No vocals, barely any bass - not how Goes Cube should sound. And I should know. I've seen them a few times. Well, once Dr. Smell returned to the sound board things got worked out and the band kicked it into high gear. They ripped through song after song as those in attendance danced and jumped and basically went nuts. It was fantastic. Goes Cube gave Denver all they had and Denver gave it right back. I was really happy to have my friends Wes and Cameron come out to the show and had a blast catching up and hanging out with them. I think Cam ended up with two broken drumsticks, a shirt, and a CD. After playing about 12 songs (roughly 3 more than usual), and selling quite a nice amount of merchandise, we packed up the van and headed back to Dan's apartment. On the way we stopped for another trademark capitol building jump shot (above) and hit up Denver's chicken tender district (Burger King).

Denver, we love you.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri
Listening to right now:
Electric Soft Parade - "If That's The Case, Then I Don't Know"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

Full tour schedule HERE

Read about what happened on tour while I was away HERE.

Be sure to visit Blog Fresh Radio to listen to their most recent episode where you can hear a brief phone interview with me about Jarvis Cocker.

***also be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

23 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Seventeen

The Viper Room is tiny. Did you know that? I didn't. I expected something much larger. Not like it matters. Goes Cube slayed the audience last night with their best performance of the tour. The audience (including some industry types) appeared to be very impressed, and they should've been. The guys poured everything they had into the show last night. I was equally proud and blown away. (lame simile alert) They killed the Viper Room like the Viper Room killed River Phoenix. Sorry.

I wasn't able to catch Street Drum Corps (as I left early to head to my parent's house in the OC - they moved here from NC a few years ago) but the other two bands I saw (Foreign Islands and Daughters of Mara) also had great performances. The night was a definite victory for all involved.

Now, I'll be taking a few days off from the tour to spend time with my family here in Southern California. You can expect a return to tour diary postings after I rejoin the band on Monday in Denver. Here's wishing them the best in Bakersfield and San Francisco!

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

23 March - Studio 99
Bakersfield, California
Listening to right now:
Low - "Breaker"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Foreign Islands
Daughters Of Mara
Goes Cube
Street Drum Corps

Full tour schedule HERE

Be sure to check out the newest addition to my links section - Cat Dirt Sez. It's written by a guy in San Diego who I met at the Goes Cube show at Beauty Bar. Nice guy, nice blog.

***also be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

22 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Days Fifteen and Sixteen

On Tuesday we needed to cover nearly 700 miles so we headed out early, drove in shifts, and did just that - made it all the way from Las Cruces, NM to San Diego, CA. Not a whole lot to report about our adventures on that day other than quite a bit of driving and looking at the beautiful scenery as it passed by. My time in the back seat was spent watching The Grudge (awful) and some Adult Swim (awesome), my time driving was nice and easy. Kenny, on the other hand, ended up with the final shift and faced a barrage of natural elements and tough driving conditions that were pretty extreme. We were going up a mountain as we neared San Diego and got hit with harsh wind, super thick fog, rain, and tons of traffic. And this was at night. It was very tense and Kenny did a great job.

We arrived safely in El Cajon (which is not NEARLY as lovely as this site would lead you to believe) and spent the night at a Motel 6. On this trip I've so far discovered that Motel 6 resides at the very bottom of the roadside motel food chain. No internet ever, beds none of us would dare get into, and consistently swinish rooms. Still, it served the purpose and we got out the next morning to Guitar Center (to replace a broken cymbal) and Sears Auto Center (to replace one of the tires on the van). With those tasks accomplished, and time to spare, we hit up the beach in San Diego and managed to find some amazing fish tacos.

The show yesterday was at Beauty Bar. Those of you in NYC, Austin, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and LA might recognize the name of this mini-chain...anyway, this show marked the beginning of Goes Cube's tour with Foreign Islands (who had an excellent set last night by the way) and was to be the warmup show for tonight's rather important performance at the Viper Room in LA. The stars must've been aligned last night because everything was perfect. The sound was excellent. The band was perfectly on top of their game. The set list was powerful, punishing. And the people in attendance were enthusiastic. The guys clearly sensed all of these factors and truly unleashed fury last night. It was the best overall show in quite some time, if not the best so far this tour. Couldn't have asked for more leading up to tonight's show. Protect your ears and hide your love for over-hyped buzz bands, oh people of Los Angeles. Goes Cube is coming.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

22 March - The Viper Room w/ Foreign Islands and Street Drum Corps
8852 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California
Listening to right now:
Ted Leo - "Sons of Cain"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Foreign Islands
Goes Cube

Read more about last night's show over on Cat Dirt Sez

Read a great article about Goes Cube from the Denver Westword (with an extra interview HERE)

Full tour schedule HERE

***be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

8+

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

20 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Fourteen

Today we've got to make it all the way to San Diego so I'm going to make this brief. Yesterday we went to White Sands (pictures below), ate more tasty Mexican food, and then went to The Bean (venue, below). The first band on the bill was a ragtime/hot jazz/folky outfit out of Philadelphia called The Extraordinaires. At times they reminded me of certain Squirrel Nut Zippers songs written by Jimbo Mathus. Not particularly well matched to play before Goes Cube, but a fun band no less. If you can check them out on their current tour be sure to take a look at their handmade CD books. As for Goes Cube - the sound at The Bean was terrible, and there were a few equipment mishaps, but they fought through it and still delivered well enough to make some new fans and sell some CDs.

I have to say I've enjoyed our time in New Mexico but I'm really looking forward to California. San Diego tomorrow and then Viper Room on Thursday. LA is going to go nuts when they see Goes Cube. No doubt.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

21 March - Beauty Bar w/ Foreign Islands
San Diego, California
Listening to right now:
Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Wash Jones"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
The Extraordinaires
Goes Cube

Full tour schedule HERE

Check out a review of Goes Cube's EP Beckon the Dagger God on Popmatters HERE

***be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

19 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Days Twelve and Thirteen

Because Austin during SXSW is filled with revolting wankers, we decided to skip out on trying to see any shows and to instead hit the road Saturday night to work our way towards the next stop on our tour. First we spent the afternoon with David's family. They graciously served us lots of food and drinks, and it was a blast meeting Dave's brother, sister-in-law, neice and nephew, and their pets. Beautiful house and really kind people - it was a nice change of scenery.

We then got on the road around 7pm in an attempt to knock a few hundred miles off our rather long drive from Austin to Las Cruces. The goal was to make it to Fort Stockton, but that didn't work out so well when every single hotel we stopped at had no vacancy signs hanging in the window. We decided to continue towards New Mexico. Well, in case you don't already know, there's not much out there in west Texas. And when you're driving at 1am, alone in the darkness, there's pretty much nothing but you and a sky full of stars. And the wind. And creepy people in white pickup trucks. After changing to our third driver since leaving Austin (around 3am, I think) we found sanctuary at a motel in Van Horn, TX. We awoke to find very beautiful mountainous scenery all around us and continued on to Las Cruces.

Yesterday we rolled into Las Cruces very early (thanks to making so much headway the night before) and proceeded to find ourselves a motel with a pool. Having no show scheduled we were able to treat the day as a total vacation day and went bowling, swimming, and found some excellent Mexican food. I've never had Mexican food like that. Man. So good, so spicy, so fresh. Then, one thing led to another, and David and I found ourselves buying each other disgusting drinks at the Applebees across the street from our hotel. Like an adult version of making suicides in the kitchen during a sleepover. And by adult I mean childish, but with alcohol. I think the final drink was an Applebees margarita with a shot of Goldschlager and a side of honey mustard floated in it. Gross? You have no idea.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Listening to right now:
My Morning Jacket - "Anytime"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

Full tour schedule HERE

***read more written by David from Goes Cube HERE and be sure to go HERE and submit some questions for me to ask the guys***

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

17 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Eleven

Yesterday we got up and out for another daytime show. The venue, Ruta Maya, turned out to have a nice sized stage and very good sound. Unfortunately, the turnout for many of the bands wasn't the greatest. Still, each band played well and it was awesome to see Takka Takka and Foreign Islands. The new Takka Takka songs sounded really great live and it's going to be a lot of fun to get to see Foreign Islands day after day in the second part of this tour. And, even though they arrived late because of their other show on the same day, A Place to Bury Strangers kicked ass. Go figure, they rule. You can hear a few songs from two of these bands below.

Goes Cube had the benefit of the biggest crowd of the day and they played an excellent set. Tight, loud, rocking. Lots of clapping. It was a great show overall and lots of fun to see the other three NY bands. Today we'll be heading out towards New Mexico, so it's time for me to grab a quick shower before we hit the road. But first, an idea. I'd like you to let me know (in the comments section of this post) if there are any questions you'd like me to ask Goes Cube on camera for the documentary. You post your question here and I'll ask it. And I will indeed ask whatever questions you post here. No guarantee they'll make it into the final film or anything, just thought it might be a fun little experiment. So off you go then, bring on the questions.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Listening to right now:
Takka Takka - "Ratio Song (Finding Things With Numbers)"
A Place to Bury Strangers - "Never Going Down"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Takka Takka
Goes Cube
Foreign Islands
A Place to Bury Strangers

Full tour schedule HERE

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

16 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Ten

Yesterday Goes Cube was slotted to play the Rainbow By Rainbow West show with nine other bands appearing on two stages. I figured it would be a pretty nice show but for whatever reason it wasn't exactly that. The turnout ended up being far less than I expected and while Goes Cube played their set on the inside stage most of the few people at the club decided to hang out outside. It was a beautiful day, so that's pretty understandable. Except that I'm not too sure why many members of the other bands couldn't muster the decency to hang out and watch Goes Cube when that's precisely what the three guys from Goes Cube had done during their sets. At any rate, the guys were supremely tight and professional and decided to reenergize by heading to the capitol building for another patented picture (see below).

After the jumping we all headed back to our temporary residence to unwind and watch Stranger Than Fiction. Spoon song after Spoon song appeared in the film and then suddenly a song by The Jam showed up near the end. It's posted below, enjoy. We're off to another show with a killer lineup. Show, sleep, show, sleep...that's entertainment.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

16 March @ 4:00 PM - Ruta Maya w/ Foreign Islands, Takka Takka, and A Place To Bury Strangers
3601 S Congress Ave, Austin, Texas
Listening to right now:
The Jam - "That's Entertainment"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Catfish Haven
Black Tie Revue
The Midgetmen
Reykjavik!
Goes Cube

Full tour schedule HERE

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

15 March 2007

8+

"November Rain" by Guns N' Roses which clocks in at 8:59

On the road for a month. Constantly documenting the adventures of a rock band as they tour the country, it's not quite the fertile ground for writing that I'd imagined it would be. Not yet at least. Though the seeds of a hundred posts are germinating, currently, in the down time, I've found that I prefer to unwind. To sleep. Not prefer, but that I need to rather. So, as a very special treat for readers of EAR FARM I've asked a good friend to contribute a series of entries (the following was most probably not originally intended to be split into four separate parts yet that is precisely what has happened) in the 8+ feature that will run each of the next four weeks while I am away. What follows is part 1 of 4, written by Ryan Vanderboosh.

“Real People”
(or: i get up around 7, get outta bed around 7:00:05)


“One thing that’s nice about dating a real person is that they buy, like, groceries & shit.”
-D.J. Moser

Reaching that point when we define those who are fundamentally dissimilar from ourselves as “real people” was meant to be a bedrock of identity. Us fake people, we are not real people. Tautology, folks. And sure we might date these real people; we might mooch their groceries; we might endure their civilized invitations to pan-Asian restaurants; and perhaps we might cladestinely slip 100mg of chlamydia-eradicating dioxycyline into their miso soup while they’re in the bathroom. But we will never become them. For the dirtbags, real people –& their creeping proximity in our lives-- only serve as handy foils & procurers of highspeed internet.

But oh, W. Axl, how i’ve betrayed you. As the forty-seventh electric kazoo track off any Chinese Democracy song surely demonstrates, you have no idea what a compromise is. But let me tell you: compromises abound in this shitty world. If only i had your fortitude to gracefully become a chunky, dreadlocked laughing-stock instead of the marginally functional human being i aspire to someday resemble. It was in fact to that eventual end that i recently noticed myself in my jammies at no later than 11pm with my alarm set for 7 the next morning, necktie ready for action. A disturbing predicament indeed.

Well, time passed, and with each utterance of the words “leveraged buyout” or “synergistic” my foolhearty quest for self-esteem coughed & wheezed. Eventually it died altogether, but not before i had splashed out a bunch of tainted scrilla on some trappings, thus becoming the final non-Amish on earth to purchase an iPod. yeah & a whole computer to plug it into. Sure i could now listen to music on the subway and enjoy Earfarm from the comfort of my own self-loathing, but i was mildly aghast at such a display of material attachment. This was not helping in my desire to stay Rumsfeldian –which is to say, pursuant to our dearly departed Defense Secretary’s paradigm of tactical flexibility, operational swiftness, & easily recalibrated standards of success. Was i detecting a quagmire?

Until recently it had been years since i had given any G’N’R a proper listen. But with my cd-drive whizzing through untold copyright infringements, it was high time to put my new technology to good use…

November Rain

The summer this song was a hit, i was riding shotgun in the family car, and when it came on the radio, i reached over to turn the volume up. A few stanzas in my mother asked me if we were listening to Weird Al. Ahh, what a stupid lady.

It would appear that Mr. Rose, ever the romantic, has fallen spandex-over-aviators for a bit of a tramp. Now, we’ve all known crisply agonizing days of crisis & uncertainty… days when we find ourselves wikipedia’ing “spastic colon” out of more than mere idle curiosity. It is the pits. But when all the aching muscles of your heart are trained on a piece of ass more tapped that Seymour Hersh’s phone, you clearly have little recourse but to hire the Boston Philharmonic for some absurd intro. It turns out that our first song in the quadfecta, the best known & most lucrative, is also the lamest.

None the less, the indulgent arc does payoff in a great G’s-up-ho’s-down guitar shredding, as if to say, “Though you will never rehabilitate your slatternly ways, my dear inveterate slut, my own regret is still dwarfed by what a miserable, snivelling pussy my friends now see me as. If my tearful, franitc masturbation to the postcard you sent me from Amsterdam simply reading IT’S OVER were channeled through a guitar, it would sound like this.”

(to be continued...)

Buy Use Your Illusion I HERE on Amazon.

EAR FARM's 8+ is a weekly feature that showcases songs longer than 8 minutes. In the recent past these songs were featured on EF's 8+:
Sleep - "Jerusalem (Pt. 4)"
The Velvet Underground - "The Gift"
Elton John - "Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding"
Jenő Jandó - "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2"
The Temptations - "Take a Stroll Thru Your Mind"
Deerhoof - "Look Away"
Tan Dun - "Symphony 1997: II. Earth (Yi3)"
Jane's Addiction - "Three Days"

To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

Goes Cube Tour Day Nine

No time, no words!

The Isles

Nakatomi Plaza

Beat The Devil

Goes Cube

The Jealous Girlfriends

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

15 March @ 1:00 PM - RXRW @ The Chain Drive w/ Catfish Have, Midgetmen, Black Tie Revue and more (more info HERE)
504 Willow St , Austin, Texas
Listening to right now:
Nakatomi Plaza - "Not Hopeless"
Beat The Devil - "Plea Bargain"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
The Isles
Nakatomi Plaza
Beat the Devil
Goes Cube
The Jealous Girlfriends

Full tour schedule HERE

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

14 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Eight

Yesterday I awoke in a child's bed, it was the best sleep I've had so far during the tour. That's not supposed to be a metaphor. I literally slept in the room of the son of the kind people we're staying with. And no, I didn't forcibly take the kid's bed away from him - it was offered to me. I attempted to politely refuse to no avail.

Shortly thereafter Kenny, Matt, and I headed out to locate a cable so that I could make a copy of the evidence I currently have in my possession. Then, while I worked on some videotape duplication and website maintenance, the band went bowling. Around 8pm we made our way over to the venue to load in, grab some food (yet another grilled chicken sandwich for me), and get settled. Goes Cube was to be the second of the two bands playing.

The first band, Black Tie Revue, took the stage around 10pm and hit the ground running with their surgical pop infused power rock. I'm not sure you'll hear it in the song I posted below, but during their show (when the sound wasn't baaad) I got a sense of some Buzzcocks mixed with Oasis and Blur. I can't believe Pittsburgh has been keeping this band a secret. These guys are super tight and know how to weave sharp hooks into their dual guitar attack. I'm telling you, Black Tie Revue is destined to find many fans with the upcoming release of their new record. Great guys too. I look forward to seeing them again in Austin.

Goes Cube went on around 11:15 and battled with awful sound the entire time. For most of their set there was either ear splitting feedback, or no vocals at all. Big thumbs down to the sound guy. Sorry Fauxhawkus Majorus. You might want to try doing something other than ruining the sound of bands that play at Lakewood Bar & Grill. The band battled through the sound problems only to run into a hardware issue with the drums. As Kenny was working to fix his pedal (a nice guy in the audience ran out to his car to grab a Leatherman) Fauxhawk Face got on the PA and announced to Goes Cube that karaoke was going to start at midnight and announced that they'd need to finish up by 11:45. Thanks guy.

Well, the pedal problem got resolved and Goes Cube played one more song before the karaoke. Awful karaoke. Glorious karaoke. Just about everyone from the two bands got up and sang a song or two (some favorites were Matt's "Taking Care of Business" and David's "Take On Me", as well as "Kiss" from the Black Tie Revue crew) and then we headed back to our temporary home for some rest before heading to Austin. And no, I did not steal a bed from a child this time... I think the other Matt did.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

14 March - Woody's w/ Jealous Girlfriends, Beat The Devil, Nakatomi Plaza, The Isles - more info HERE
321 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas
Listening to right now:
The Rosebuds - "Get Up Get Out"*
Black Tie Revue - "Absent Radio"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace
Visit Black Tie Revue on MySpace

Full tour schedule HERE

*this is a brand new song from the upcoming album Night Of The Furies by The Rosebuds.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

13 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Seven

Not a whole lot to report from yesterday. We made it from Memphis to Dallas (where we're staying with a friend of the band) and stopped in Little Rock, AR on the way for a picture.

In lieu of further commenting on events that took place within our van yesterday (Dave and the other Matt watched New Jack City and Cocktail, Kenny drove the van, I reviewed the footage I've shot thus far) I will instead give to you some recent finds from around the interwebs:

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:
13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas
Listening to right now:
The Isles - "Major Arcana"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

12 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Six

Memphis. Large room, muddy sound. But a pretty nice turnout of fans and Goes Cube's first marquee (above) and mosh pit of the 2007 tour. Also, the guys are getting extremely tight. The show was the best so far in terms of their playing and the audience seemed to agree.

Unfortunately I've got no time to write as it is checkout hour at this Red Roof Inn. Therefore, we're off to get some BBQ and then it's back on the road as we head to Dallas. What are the chances our Honda Odyssey stops by Little Rock on the way for a capitol building picture? Nearly 100%.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas
Listening to right now:
DJ Plays Shit Backwards Over Random Songs - "Smash Falls Silent Remix"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

Goes Cube Tour Day Five

Yesterday we left Louisville and headed directly for the Maker's Mark distillery in Loretto, KY where the guys in the band got to dip bottles of bourbon in wax (see above). That's right, if you buy a bottle of Maker's Mark there is a chance that it'll be one of the three bottles hand dipped by Goes Cube.

After that brief stop we headed directly for the venue in Nashville where, no wait. Of course we didn't do that. First we had to stop by the capitol building in Nashville for a photo op (above). Then we unloaded our personal stuff at the apartment we were staying at and THEN we headed to the venue Ruby Green. Oh Ruby Green, so much to answer for. I'm not even sure how to begin to tell the tale of Ruby Green.

The venue is a small art gallery in an industrial area of Nashville and the gig was arranged by the guy we were staying with. He got a friend to play first and it is this friend who became the focal point of the show. He started things out with some whiskey influenced bluesy singer-songwriter stuff, but it wasn't his music that would have the most impact on the evening. No, it was his bottle of Jack Daniel's and his unquenchable thirst for destroying art.

What actually happened is something you're going to have to wait to see. The footage is rather amazing. But basically, this guy got extremely drunk and started pulling pieces of art off the wall of the gallery. He then proceeded to smash the art on the drums, on the band members, and on the floor. All totaled he trashed over $1600 in original art before being hauled off to jail by the Nashville police. Goes Cube was pretty beaten up (literally too - Kenny got bloodied by a painting) by the fact that their music incited someone to destroy an artist's work. At some point my footage of this event will be used in a court of law - not something any of us expected to happen on this trip. On to Memphis.

Goes Cube tour 2007 next show:

11 March - Newby's
539 S Highland St, Memphis, Tennessee
Listening to right now:
Joy Division - "Something Must Break"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

Read more about this show HERE (written by David from Goes Cube)

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

10 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Four

Do you know what makes bourbon so special? The sweet Kentucky water, according to our friend Phil. Day four started in who-knows-where West Virginia and ended in Louisville, KY. Someplace in between the two we managed to stop at a gas station directly next to a sign which read "Woodford Reserve to the right". Without much discussion the Odyssey took a detour towards this rather famous distillery where we were served bourbon balls, coffee, and...bourbon. On the way we managed to get lost and asked for directions at a horse farm. Thankfully they knew exactly where we wanted, and needed, to go. You know, come to think of it, Kentucky appears to be a whole lot of horses and bourbon and not many people who like to go see live music. I've formed this opinion based upon a very limited amount of knowledge but I stand by it.

We got to Louisville with time to spare and found another motel before loading in to the venue. Smart boys here. Once we got to the Rudyard Kipling we were made aware of the lineup for the night: Goes Cube, Vixen (some "burlesque" performer - see picture), and then Halophile. Already fearing the worst we made plans for a swift getaway. I keep thinking of the people who come out to see Goes Cube when they play in NYC and wonder what it feels like for the guys to play to virgin ears every night on this tour. Last night, not so many ears.

The band ended up playing to an audience of about 5 people. Disappointing yes, but it didn't stop Goes Cube from getting busy. They ripped through a fierce set backed by what turned out to be the best overall venue sound thus far. The lack of audience members made it possible for me to roam around wherever I wanted to grab choice angles for filming. Angle angle violin bow boom crash guitar shred thunder bass angle angle scream yell fill chorus guitar shred angle angle zoom cymbal cymbal double bass scream - tons of great footage. Ultimately I feel like the show left the band with an empty feeling but I'm rather certain at least one fan was made this night.

Do you know what makes Goes Cube so special? They'll rock your venue ten times harder than any other group can, Kenny's like Conan, David's like Tarzan (and Matt's like a skinny King Kong)...in other words, they're runnin' the show. But no, seriously, it's on to Nashville for us - country music capital of the world. Perfect. But first, we're going to need to stop by Maker's Mark (here we go again) for one more sip of Kentucky perfection. Oh Kentucky, could you be any less wonderful yet full of liquid/equestrian excellence?

Goes Cube tour 2007 upcoming shows:

10 March - Ruby Green
514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

11 March - Newby's
539 S Highland St, Memphis, Tennessee

13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas

14 March - Woody's w/ Nakatomi Plaza
321 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas

15 March @ 1:00 PM - The Chain Drive w/ Catfish Have, Midgetmen, Black Tie Revue and more
Austin, Texas

16 March @ 4:00 PM - Ruta Maya w/ Foreign Islands, Takka Takka, and A Place To Bury Strangers
3601 S Congress Ave, Austin, Texas

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico

21 March - Beauty Bar w/ Foreign Islands
San Diego, California

22 March - The Viper Room w/ Foreign Islands and Street Drum Corps
8852 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California

23 March - Studio 99 w/ Foreign Islands
Bakersfield, California

24 March - Brain Wash w/ Foreign Islands
San Francisco, California

26 March - Larimer Lounge w/ Foreign Islands
2721 Larimer, Denver, Colorado

28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri

29 March - The Ground Floor w/ Foreign Islands
215 E Main St, Belleville, Illinois

30 March - The Iron Post w/ Foreign Islands
120 Race St, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

31 March - Elbo Room w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

1 April - Town Hall Pub w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

2 April - Elbow Room
6 S Washington, Ypsilanti, Michigan

3 April - Cafe Bourbon St w/ Necropolis
Columbus, Ohio

4 April - Garfield Artworks
4931 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

6 April - Mercury Lounge w/ Bang Camaro
New York, NY
Listening to right now:
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - "Here We Go Again"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace
Visit Halophile on MySpace

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

09 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Three

Day three: the first travel day. Our goal was to cover a fair amount of distance on our way to Louisville by game time and then find a motel room and some beer. Game? Oh, just a certain college basketball team from Raleigh, NC who happened to wreck (final score, NCSU 85 Duke 80 in OT...not technically a "wrecking", but a fine win no less) another certain team from Durham. Happy happy WOLFPACK.

As the game went to overtime the guys in the band decided to head to the bowling alley near our small corner of Almost Heaven, WV and I celebrated the win (and my large role in it) by fielding a few celebratory phone calls.

Other highlights from the day included lots of time in the van on the highway, inventive beer bottle opening, and a trip to Bojangles for lunch. Tomorrow promises to be much more eventful with a show scheduled at The Rudyard Kipling and a probable photo stop at a state capitol building or two. Don't worry, this all looks much cooler on camera than it does here in writing...

Goes Cube tour 2007 upcoming shows:

9 March - The Rudyard Kipling w/ Halophile
Louisville, Kentucky

10 March - Ruby Green
514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

11 March - Newby's
539 S Highland St, Memphis, Tennessee

13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas

14 March - Woody's w/ Nakatomi Plaza
321 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas

15 March @ 1:00 PM - The Chain Drive w/ Catfish Have, Midgetmen, Black Tie Revue and more
Austin, Texas

16 March @ 4:00 PM - Ruta Maya w/ Foreign Islands, Takka Takka, and A Place To Bury Strangers
3601 S Congress Ave, Austin, Texas

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico

21 March - Beauty Bar w/ Foreign Islands
San Diego, California

22 March - The Viper Room w/ Foreign Islands and Street Drum Corps
8852 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California

23 March - Studio 99 w/ Foreign Islands
Bakersfield, California

24 March - Brain Wash w/ Foreign Islands
San Francisco, California

26 March - Larimer Lounge w/ Foreign Islands
2721 Larimer, Denver, Colorado

28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri

29 March - The Ground Floor w/ Foreign Islands
215 E Main St, Belleville, Illinois

30 March - The Iron Post w/ Foreign Islands
120 Race St, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

31 March - Elbo Room w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

1 April - Town Hall Pub w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

2 April - Elbow Room
6 S Washington, Ypsilanti, Michigan

3 April - Cafe Bourbon St w/ Necropolis
Columbus, Ohio

4 April - Garfield Artworks
4931 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

6 April - Mercury Lounge w/ Bang Camaro
New York, NY
Listening to right now:
The Muggabears - "Dead Kid Kicks"

Visit Goes Cube on MySpace

*sorry about the lack of 8+ yesterday...stay tuned for a series of special guest postings in the coming weeks.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

08 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day Two

Day two began with us waking up at Matt's cousin's apartment and hunting for internets with which to post the update from day one. That worked out just fine and then we were off to Chapel Hill for the second show of the tour at The Cave. On the way we stopped near the United States Capitol building for a few pictures (see above and directly below) and then got on the road. I ended up driving from DC to Chapel Hill, given that I know the area well, and we stopped at a random Waffle House in NC for lunch. Kind of a bad idea, but I'll spare you the details.

On the road it occurred to all of us that we needed to find some relief for our overly stuffed minivan so David called Goes Cube's friend Tammy who helped us locate a roof storage unit at Pep Boys in Raleigh. After hitting up Guitar Center for a new snare drum head, and taking a few pictures at North Carolina's Capitol building (see below), we headed directly for Pep Boys (moving at a typically slow Southern pace, the guy at Pep Boys said "yeah, ya'll look like Honda Odyssey owners"...I think it was sarcasm) and purchased our new best friend. Now the driver can actually see what's behind the van and the band can access the music gear much more easily for load in/out.

We got to Chapel Hill early and went to a bar close to the venue. David had a nice surprise waiting for him at the bar as he ran into his parents who'd made the drive up from Hilton Head to see the band play, and I was happy to see four of my close friends who came out to see what Goes Cube had in store for Chapel Hill. Even on day two of this tour you might already expect what Goes Cube had in mind for Chapel Hill - namely, face melting rock.

The guys really killed it last night. I have proof on video. All in attendance seemed to agree with me (though their ears might say differently) and I even noticed Dave's parents rocking out at times during the set. The band made a nice amount of money from merchandise sales and donations, further proving that Chapel Hill was a definite success. Next up was Red Collar who blazed through their set with confidence. I absolutely have to have them play an EAR FARM show once I get back home. Do check out their song posted below and stay tuned for more from me, from the road.

Goes Cube tour 2007 upcoming shows:

9 March - The Rudyard Kipling w/ Halophile
Louisville, Kentucky

10 March - Ruby Green
514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

11 March - Newby's
539 S Highland St, Memphis, Tennessee

13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas

14 March - Woody's w/ Nakatomi Plaza
321 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas

15 March @ 1:00 PM - The Chain Drive w/ Catfish Have, Midgetmen, Black Tie Revue and more
Austin, Texas

16 March @ 4:00 PM - Ruta Maya w/ Foreign Islands, Takka Takka, and A Place To Bury Strangers
3601 S Congress Ave, Austin, Texas

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico

21 March - Beauty Bar w/ Foreign Islands
San Diego, California

22 March - The Viper Room w/ Foreign Islands and Street Drum Corps
8852 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California

23 March - Studio 99 w/ Foreign Islands
Bakersfield, California

24 March - Brain Wash w/ Foreign Islands
San Francisco, California

26 March - Larimer Lounge w/ Foreign Islands
2721 Larimer, Denver, Colorado

28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri

29 March - The Ground Floor w/ Foreign Islands
215 E Main St, Belleville, Illinois

30 March - The Iron Post w/ Foreign Islands
120 Race St, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

31 March - Elbo Room w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

1 April - Town Hall Pub w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

2 April - Elbow Room
6 S Washington, Ypsilanti, Michigan

3 April - Cafe Bourbon St w/ Necropolis
Columbus, Ohio

4 April - Garfield Artworks
4931 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

6 April - Mercury Lounge w/ Bang Camaro
New York, NY
Listening to right now*:
Red Collar - "Hands Up"
Fall Silent - "No Shit For Supper"
Smashmouth - "California Got Sunshine"

Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Goes Cube
Red Collar

*a note about the songs posted above..."Hands Up" is my current favorite Red Collar song (which was dedicated to me last night by the band - and hey, big thanks to them for helping Goes Cube load in) and the other two songs have thus far been quite a source of entertainment for us. The Smashmouth song is a vocal-track-only song that was never released (wonder why) and the other song is the last song on a record by Fall Silent. It's okay (maybe even normal) if you don't find the humor in these songs; however, we think they're pure gold.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

07 March 2007

Goes Cube Tour Day One

At noon I brought myself, three bags of camera gear, my clothes for a month, the few VHS tapes I still own (Wonder Boys, Bowfinger, Terminator, and Legally Blonde (that's right)) and a sleeping bag to the bassist Matt's house. He owns the van, our home away from home. Within a few minutes massive amounts of musical instruments and bags were skillfully set in place in the back of Matt's Honda Minivan and we were on our way.

05 07 08 33 41 MEGA #29

An aside...shit. As I type this right now, remembering the events of yesterday, I just realized that we bought a Megamillions lottery ticket. The four of us put in $0.25 each hoping to win a share of the $370 million jackpot. The drawing was last night! Did we win? Tell me - did we?

We had an incredibly easy trip down to DC in terms of traffic and arrived early enough to unload our personal items at our residence for the evening (the other Matt's cousin's apartment) before heading to the venue. Once that was accomplished we loaded in gear at The Red and the Black and I got myself a nice bowl of red beans and rice (at the venue) for dinner.

The first band was a five piece from College Park, MD called Dawn Treader. They exploded with a wall of noise and well timed larynx shredding. My ears today send thanks to their Marshall stacks.

Goes Cube played second and hit the ground running with a very tight set that seemed to fully impress the audience. Strangely, at the end of each song, however, people seemed to forget that they were yelling "fuck yeah!" mere minutes before during the song and instead offered up some rather lackluster clapping. Still, the guys had a great show and, with a few people there to just see them, managed to make enough money to pay our way thus far.

Third band was Constants from Boston (who rolled up in a converted old school bus fueled by vegetable oil) and they brought a full on stadium style show to the diminutive venue. They had a wall of amplifiers and a coordinated light show that ended up looking pretty sweet on my camera. I'll show you sometime, if you're lucky.

Not much to report after that, as we just hung out at the bar a bit before loading out and heading back to our beds on the floor. Today brings a show in Chapel Hill (yay hometown area) and I'll be manning the controls of the Honda for the journey down there. After that it's on to Kentucky and Tennessee. Yay South! Yay tour.

Goes Cube tour 2007 upcoming shows:

7 March - The Cave w/ Red Collar
452 1/2 Franklin, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

9 March - The Rudyard Kipling w/ Halophile
Louisville, Kentucky

10 March - Ruby Green
514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

11 March - Newby's
539 S Highland St, Memphis, Tennessee

13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas

14 March - Woody's w/ Nakatomi Plaza
321 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas

15 March @ 1:00 PM - The Chain Drive w/ Catfish Have, Midgetmen, Black Tie Revue and more
Austin, Texas

16 March @ 4:00 PM - Ruta Maya w/ Foreign Islands, Takka Takka, and A Place To Bury Strangers
3601 S Congress Ave, Austin, Texas

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico

21 March - Beauty Bar w/ Foreign Islands
San Diego, California

22 March - The Viper Room w/ Foreign Islands and Street Drum Corps
8852 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California

23 March - Studio 99 w/ Foreign Islands
Bakersfield, California

24 March - Brain Wash w/ Foreign Islands
San Francisco, California

26 March - Larimer Lounge w/ Foreign Islands
2721 Larimer, Denver, Colorado

28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri

29 March - The Ground Floor w/ Foreign Islands
215 E Main St, Belleville, Illinois

30 March - The Iron Post w/ Foreign Islands
120 Race St, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

31 March - Elbo Room w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

1 April - Town Hall Pub w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

2 April - Elbow Room
6 S Washington, Ypsilanti, Michigan

3 April - Cafe Bourbon St w/ Necropolis
Columbus, Ohio

4 April - Garfield Artworks
4931 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

6 April - Mercury Lounge w/ Bang Camaro
New York, NY
Visit the bands from this post on MySpace:
Dawn Treader
Goes Cube
Constants

PS - this is post # 1,000 and I'm stealing these internets in the hallway of the building we're staying in...next time I hope to post some songs we've been listening to and maybe even a picture. You're right to be quivering with anticip-p-p-pation.

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

05 March 2007

Beckon the Tour God

First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who came out to EAR FARM Presents... L'amour (or Less) on Saturday. The show sold out and was a great success/lots of fun. More on that in a later post perhaps.

Secondly, I'll be leaving tomorrow for a month long trip with the band Goes Cube to shoot a documentary (above picture of myself with camera and David with guitar taken from HERE) of their first ever US tour. It's a very exciting time for both the band and myself and I urge all of you to please come out and see one of these shows if we'll be coming to a venue in your neck of the woods. Check out a bit more about what we'll be up to HERE, see the tour dates posted below, or check in with Goes Cube's MySpace page. As for what you should expect over the next five weeks in terms of EAR FARM content, I can't say for certain. I will tell you this: I'll be writing and listening to/seeing live music each day and I'll post updates on this site when possible.

Alright, that's all. Time to pack. Below are the dates for this tour and a song to get everyone in a proper tour state of mind. See you on the road.

Goes Cube tour 2007:

6 March - The Red and Black w/ the Constants
1212 H Street St NW, Washington, DC, Washington DC

7 March - The Cave w/ Red Collar
452 1/2 Franklin, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

9 March - The Rudyard Kipling w/ Halophile
Louisville, Kentucky

10 March - Ruby Green
514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

11 March - Newby's
539 S Highland St, Memphis, Tennessee

13 March - Lakewood Bar and Grill
6340 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas

14 March - Woody's w/ Nakatomi Plaza
321 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, Texas

15 March @ 1:00 PM - The Chain Drive w/ Catfish Have, Midgetmen, Black Tie Revue and more
Austin, Texas

16 March @ 4:00 PM - Ruta Maya w/ Foreign Islands, Takka Takka, and A Place To Bury Strangers
3601 S Congress Ave, Austin, Texas

19 March - The Bean
2011 Ave De Mesilla, Las Cruces, New Mexico

21 March - Beauty Bar w/ Foreign Islands
San Diego, California

22 March - The Viper Room w/ Foreign Islands and Street Drum Corps
8852 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California

23 March - Studio 99 w/ Foreign Islands
Bakersfield, California

24 March - Brain Wash w/ Foreign Islands
San Francisco, California

26 March - Larimer Lounge w/ Foreign Islands
2721 Larimer, Denver, Colorado

28 March - El Torreon w/ Witch and Hare
3101 Gillham Plz, Kansas City, Missouri

29 March - The Ground Floor w/ Foreign Islands
215 E Main St, Belleville, Illinois

30 March - The Iron Post w/ Foreign Islands
120 Race St, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

31 March - Elbo Room w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

1 April - Town Hall Pub w/ Foreign Islands
Chicago, Illinois

2 April - Elbow Room
6 S Washington, Ypsilanti, Michigan

3 April - Cafe Bourbon St w/ Necropolis
Columbus, Ohio

4 April - Garfield Artworks
4931 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

6 April - Mercury Lounge w/ Bang Camaro
New York, NY
Listen:
"The Micro Disneycal World Tour" [High Llamas Remix]

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...

02 March 2007

EAR FARM Presents... L'amour (or Less): An evening of rock from Paris to Brooklyn

LAST REMINDER: Tomorrow - March 3, 2007, EAR FARM will present the first-ever evening of French and Francophile indie rock in New York at Union Hall. Featuring Anglophone bands from Paris, and expatriated old Europeans from Brooklyn, the echoes of rusty accordions will mesh with the jingle jangle of punk, dance-rock, and the psychedelic jaunts of the following fine bands*:

La Laque (above) is a French infused band from New York who create music full of lofty atmospheric melodies and breathy vocals. Theirs is a sound heavily influenced by the same ladies of '60s pop whose songs inspired a young Morrissey. Melody Nelson explains: "The music they play is gorgeous. Think 60's French new wave soundtrack, with prominent string parts and lush melodies and almost child-like vocals that reminded me of a cross between France Gall and Jane Birkin ... They're also great performers, especially singer Devery ... exuding the sex appeal of a Brigitte or even a Marilyn."

Listen:
"La Sirene dort"
"Le Week-end"

Visit La Laque on MySpace.


Mancino (above sketch by my friend Franz) has been featured rather frequently on EAR FARM, and for good reason. Their sound blends the Beach Boys and Pavement with touches of jazz and classical musical while never losing sight of a whimsical approach and a razor sharp delivery. Be sure to bring some extra money with you because, after their set, I can pretty much guarantee that you'll want to pickup their debut album (EF review HERE).

Listen:
"Hetchie Hutchie Footchie"
"L'amour (or Less)"

Visit Mancino on MySpace.


Die Romantik (above) are from New York (and France) and will be featuring Melody Nelson as guest on a few songs at the show. Their set is not to be missed. I've been wanting to have them play an EF Presents... show since the very first one and I'm extremely excited to have them on the lineup for tomorrow night. Oh My Rockness says: "Brooklyn's Die Romantik, whose members originally met in Paris, got their name from a German compilation of romantic classical composers from the early 19th century. This is important background information because, well, their music sounds a lot like Paris meets moody romance meets the 19th century. Their sound kind of falls in line with what fellow Brooklyn boy Beirut is doing... other-worldly nomadic notes that belong to another time and place. But mostly, this is entirely unique. I mean, Brooklyn bands generally don't have grand piano flourishes in their songs, but Die Romantik does."

Listen:
"Tik Tok"
"Narcissist's Waltz"

Visit Die Romantik on MySpace.


Clint (above) is a five piece from Paris who bring to the stage their own unique blend of Bloc Party meets Queens of the Stone Age meets Placebo. They've already played two shows in NYC, with another tonight at Baggott Inn, and I'm excited to have them bring some raw rock energy to the EF Presents show tomorrow night.

Listen:
"Video Clip"

Visit Clint on MySpace.


Michael Higbee (above) is an extremely talented singer-songwriter originally from Paris. He's currently making a name for himself playing gigs around New York showcasing his adept one man, two guitar parts playing style and excellent voice. Think Dave Matthews (in terms of playing style except, well, with some darker French influence too) meets Jeff Buckley or Roy Orbison. Do yourself a favor and listen to "All I should have told you" and then plan to be there early enough tomorrow night to see Mike's set.

Listen:
"All I should have told you"
"Where do we go to be alone?"

Visit Michael Higbee on MySpace.

The evening will start with a free hour of Pastis and pétanque on two indoor bocce courts and the music will start at 6pm with one band every hour and DJ sets in between by Melody Nelson and myself.

*the order in which the bands will be playing is the reverse order of which they are posted here with Mike Higbee starting the show at 6pm and La Laque playing last. Also, Elodie O was originally listed as being part of this show but will unfortunately not be able to perform on Saturday night.

Okay, I think that's all - je vous verrai la bas demain soir!

Click HERE to continue reading/view comments...