Paul Simon renewed his month-long residency at BAM Wednesday night in a concert billed as "American Tunes", an obvious foil to the two previous series "Under African Skies" and "Songs from The Capeman". The three separate concert runs were designed to highlight different periods of Simon's songwriting career with "American Tunes" revisiting his years as a songwriter working with Art Garfunkel into his early years as a solo artist, "Under African Skies", quite obviously, highlighting those years in the '80s and '90s when Simon delved into the music of Africa and South America, and "Songs from The Capeman" giving New York one final listen to music from Simon's Broadway disaster The Capeman.
EAR FARM skipped out on "Songs from The Capeman". But! We were lucky enough to attend the other two Simonfests (check out the EF review of "Under African Skies") and I was, in particular, looking most forward to seeing Grizzly Bear and Gillian Welch and Paul Simon perform Simon's earlier work. You know, the stuff that came from his soul, rather than from the mind of someone else. The American songs! Songs to be proud of as an American, because they were written by an American, in America! (gratuitous Trey Parker nod alert) America! Fuck yeah!
What follows is a song by song recap (in order) of we what heard and saw on Wednesday during night one of "American Tunes".
"American Tune" performed by The Roches and Paul Simon
Appropriately, from a thematic standpoint, the show began with the song that gave the final run of Simon concerts its name. However, because of the mellow nature of the song and below average performance by The Roches, it was an altogether lackluster start to the concert. Par for the course, really, when you've decided to begin a show with a song about "trying to get some rest" and being "weary to the bones". Simon remained in the background for the entire performance feebly strumming along, perhaps exhausted before he even began...
"Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" performed by Paul Simon
Or not. As The Roches exited the stage Paul Simon launched into "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" and the cloud of doom that had permeated the building gave way to applause and dancing and joy. One of the great lessons learned during Simon's April residency is how automatically pleasing many of his songs are on the most basic of levels. Even when they're about drug deals and mothers witnessing illegal activity and all the whatever else this song is about. (side note: anyone else remember that video for this song featuring Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Spud Webb, Mickey Mantle, et al.? The one that came out like 15 years after the song?)
"Graceland" performed by Grizzly Bear
Simon exited the stage and the crowd waited for what seemed an eternity as the crew setup the stage for the next performance. It was a recurring theme throughout the night - the lull. Maybe they too were "weary to the bones"? Whatever the case, Grizzly Bear entered and launched into a mind-bending deconstruction of "Graceland" that split the crowd in two immediately. A surprise song choice, given that the song was also played at the "Under African Skies" concert, but easily one of the two major highlights of the night.
"Mother And Child Reunion" performed by Grizzly Bear
Grizzly Bear continued their too-brief appearance with an elegiacally poignant twist on "Mother And Child Reunion". The arrangement and the band's performance were both outstanding. It is, after all, and contrary to its upbeat reggae vibe, a song about a "strange and mournful day". Regardless, the audience seemed largely perplexed and the band departed with little fanfare. Marty McFly chided them in my mind, "I guess you guys aren't ready for that, yet. But your kids are gonna love it."
"Peace Like A River" performed by Amos Lee
Another lengthy change-over later and Amos Lee took to the stage. His take on Simon was much shallower water for the majority of those in attendance and they cheered with appreciation. If there was a time to visit the restroom, this was it.
"Jonah" performed by Amos Lee
In fact, if I hadn't noted the set list as I was watching the show, I'd have completely forgotten that Amos Lee even performed. His two songs were far from bad, but also nowhere near memorable.
"Slip Slidin' Away" performed by Olu Dara
Olu Dara is the father of Nas? And... I learned something from Stereogum? Weeeeird. Anyway, Dara's presence was animated and magnetic. "Slip Slidin' Away" was the perfect song for him and his band.
"50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" performed by Olu Dara
However, he didn't hit full stride until he twisted and reworked the lyrics to "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover". Dara hit something like 1 out of every 5 lines correctly, but this was intentional. He was flippin' it. For our sake, and likely his own too. Who hasn't heard "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" 50,000 times? It was roborant, it woke me up a bit from my Amos Lee-induced daze, and was entirely entertaining.
"Still Crazy After all these Years" performed by Olu Dara
But wait, Olu Dara's a one-trick pony... I see. Well, why'd he have to butcher one of my favorite Paul Simon songs? Butthead.
"Another Galaxy" performed by The Roches
No! What freakin' song is this, and who let these women back on stage?! Yaaaaawn.
"Cecilia" performed by The Roches
"Cecilia" is one of Simon and Garfunkel's most rousing songs and a near can't-miss for an artist picking a Paul Simon song to cover. Unless, of course, you're The Roches. Not good.
"America" performed by Josh Groban
Josh Groban? Okay, I'm pre-disposed to dislike him, probably owing to the fact that he's like a black hole of indie-cred (hey, I can be honest with myself), but this was actually an excellent, if very straightforward, rendition of my favorite Simon and Garfunkel song "America". Groban's voice is good. Too good?
"Silent Eyes" performed by Josh Groban
It struck me during Groban's performance of this song that he sings rather like Superman would: perfectly, and utterly devoid of even a tiny hint of human emotion.
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" performed by Josh Groban and Paul Simon
This was the one. The one I'd been wondering about heading into the show: "who's going to sing Garfunkel for 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'?" I queried. Obviously it was going to be Groban. He was born to sing songs like this... And to save our planet from evil masterminds like Lex Luthor and Brainiac!
"Gone At Last" performed by Gillian Welch
Boy oh boy was Gillian Welch a site for sore eyes. Here, finally, was a performer with the ability to liven up BAM just a little bit. And that's precisely what she and guitarist David Rawlings with their take on "Gone At Last". Their bluegrass barnburner performances were far and away the highlight of the evening, much the same way David Byrne was at "...African Skies". I was a casual fan of hers before this show, now I need MORE GILLIAN.
"Duncan" performed by Gillian Welch
Is David Rawlings in Megadeth? I know that they too were in town this night, can anyone confirm or deny that he and Dave Mustaine are/aren't in fact the same person? Both play guitar, same first name... I'm just saying, dude can shred.
"The Boxer" performed by Gillian Welch
A pure classic, this song, and an audience favorite. But again, the impotent booms (rather than hefty BOOMs) that followed the "lai la lai"s should've been much mightier. Solid, but a missed opportunity. Grizzly Bear should've done this one.
"The Sound Of Silence" performed by Gillian Welch and Paul Simon
Pictured above, this performance was elegant and very good, if a tad on the "weary" side. It is, however, important for younger listeners (note to self) to remember that downtrodden, tattered, torn, weary, embodying ennui yet somehow beautifully full of harmony, is precisely what Paul Simon first made a name for himself with before he discovered the music of Africa, Jamaica, and Central America.
"Mrs. Robinson" performed by Paul Simon
As Welch and Rawlings left to a well-earned round of applause, Paul Simon and his backing band turned a corner and finally energized themselves and the audience by launching into a bluesier than expected version of "Mrs. Robinson". Paul beamed and clearly enjoyed performing this one.
"Train In The Distance" performed by Paul Simon
Inconceivably, Simon seemed to rise up to another level during "Train In The Distance". As if he was merely annoyed before that all of these guests had stayed so long at his party, but now he finally had the house to himself. His backing band soared here, most notably the sax solos at the end.
"How Can You Live In The Northeast?" performed by Paul Simon
Thanks to Paul's infatuation with appearing on Saturday Night Live, I was already familiar with his 2006 song "How Can You Live In The Northeast?" - a refreshingly relevant song for an artist in the twilight of his career. Again, Simon obviously enjoyed this one and so did I. A surprise favorite.
"The Only Living Boy in New York" performed by Paul Simon and The Roches
Ah yes, an obvious inclusion. But perhaps poorly placed within the set as the first song in the encore and... there are those damn harpies again! Who invited them back onto the stage??
"Late In The Evening" performed by Paul Simon
Right, well it was late in the evening at this point - probably 10:15? - so definitely late if you're... a sixty-six year old hobbit, weary from hearing three harpies slaughter your songs, and eager to get back to your Shire in New Canaan. What? I kid the living legend Paul Simon... But really, I was expecting "Kodachrome" as a final song and was more than pleased with "Late In The Evening". The song soared, helping Simon and crew to end the evening on a series of high notes (nudge nudge); unsurprising, perhaps, since "Late In The Evening" serves as a creative bridge to the vibrant Graceland. Which, ultimately, left me wanting to revisit the far superior concert that was "Under African Skies".
*above photo courtesy of Kathryn Yu.
Listen:
"Graceland" by Grizzly Bear
Also at this show: NY Times, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Thepunkguy, and Guac & Roll.
See Paul Simon perform "American Tunes" from April 24-27 at BAM.
Visit Paul Simon on MySpace.
25 April 2008
Paul Simon "American Tunes" @ BAM - 23 April 2008
24 April 2008
8+
"You've Got to Want to Be a Star" by The Besnard Lakes which clocks in at 9:32
A real housewife of New York City lives in my neighborhood.
That one there in the picture, with the wind-blown hair and smug grin. She’s mugging like that because she thinks you might recognize her, and dammit she’s worked hard for that rewarding whiff of self-satisfaction. She may have failed in her attempts to become a serious actress (save for her role as “Lead Toothpick” in a music video) but real stars never say die. They keep hustling and persisting and persevering, because to be a star, you’ve got to want to be a star!
(How do I know that she played “Lead Toothpick”? Well, wanting to be a star means mastering the art of self-promotion, like running a web-page devoted to yourself , or even more exploitative, of your whole family. Icky)
And so it goes…she wanted to be a star so badly she opened up her neighborhood, her home, her entire LIFE – which includes two kids, a French au pair and a husband (whose own nefarious hunt for fame rivals hers) – to prying television cameras in order to gain a bit of recognition...
For those of you blessed with the purity of not knowing what I’m talking about, let me give some quick context. The show in which our star was born is The Real Housewives of New York City. It’s a reality show on Bravo that, as the title suggests, follows the lives of five housewives around the city as they spend money, boast about spending money, bitch and talk shit about one another, and make comical attempts at child-rearing, It’s actually a spin-off of yet another reality show – The Real Housewives of Orange County – which in itself bit off of the one-time mojo of The O.C. Blah.
So to recap, our neighborhood star has hustled her way onto a reality show that’s a spin-off of another reality show inspired by a teen soap opera. Bravo (pun intended?)! She wants recognition, she should have it! Forget for a moment how the show actually portrays these miserable women and in turn how mainstream media outlets have received them; the "Grey Lady" herself The New York Times offered up an analysis of the Prada posse, describing them as follows:
“The housewives are hungry for attention, and even a bit desperate, and their entwined vanity and vulnerability distinguishes these kinds of arriviste reality series from competitions like “Project Runway” or “Top Chef.” On those, viewers judge the contestants’ ability to make clothes or prepare a meal. On “Real Housewives” they measure the gap between the image the heroines hope to project and what they actually look like through the lens of a reality television camera.”
Still loving the camera's glare, neighbor? Conversely, on a grassroots level message boards have bleen ablaze with housewives-bashing, just one example:
These women actually make the Orange County housewives desireable (sic). Maybe this is a regional issue, but i cant stand these women...I cant find one single positive thing about the New York Housewives...So what do the rest of you think?
Yes, what do the rest of you think? For the unitiated, get a little taste of our star in action below:
God help us. Look, I know what I’m about to say has already been grist for the mill of every pop columnist out there, but it still begs addressing: what the hell happened to the concept of the “star”? The definition of the word – well okay the 8th definition once you get past all the scientific “celestial gaseous body” ones – is “ a person who is celebrated or distinguished in some art, profession, or other field.”
Let’s go back to the above video. Does she qualify for any of these star parameters? NO NO NO NO NO NO a million times no. But can you watch that and honestly tell me that she doesn’t believe she’s a star now from all the show's exposure, negative or positive (note: EF research has found positive exposure elusive thus far)?
You know the deal by now: reality television and viral videos have transformed everyone from our scarecrow housewife to sinister squirrels and a guy who spent two days trapped in an elevator into overnight celebrities, with Good Morning America appearances and book deals waiting in the wings.
But personally, perhaps the most distressing aspect of all of this is that I RECOGNIZE THIS HOUSEWIFE WHEN I SEE HER ON THE STREET. Which means the following: 1) I’ve seen an episode of The Real Housewives of New York City (but my girlfriend is entirely to blame for that), 2) when I do see the housewife on the street now I can’t help but have one of those kinds of double-takes people do upon seeing someone who looks familiar, which then results in 3) our star feeling validated that people are looking at her and recognizing her, meaning that 4) I’m feeding the machine!!!!
And perhaps I am to blame for all of this. I know who the housewives are, I know who Heidi Montag is, I know that she dates some manipulative elfin named Spencer, and I know that O.J’s attorney isn’t the only Kardashian in the headlines. Does this mean these people have succeeded in becoming stars? Well in a sense, maybe...
Look, at this point the Human Giant sketch where Rob Huebel mutilates his own genitals in order to become famous could be a self-fulfilling prophecy. At least whoever ends up doing that in reality will prove they realllllly want to be a star. And at the end of th...oh sorry, gotta go, Work Out is on!
Buy Volume 1 on Amazon/on iTunes.
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+:
M83 - "Couleurs"
David Byrne - "Happy Suicide"
Fleetwood Mac - "Oh Well"
Phish - "You Enjoy Myself"
Green Day - "Homecoming"
Billy Bragg - "Joe Hill"
Van Halen - "Year to the Day"
Kraftwerk - "The Telephone Call"
To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.
Frauke, Monster Eiffel Tower, and Holy Moly @ Cake Shop - 22 April 2008
Frauke had their album release show two nights ago at Cake Shop and attacked the room the way they always do, with wit, guile, and tightly imperfect pop-punk songs about boyfriends in prison, fake Canadian girlfriends, and hiding one's grade school erection with a Trapper Keeper. They had the room blushing, laughing, and singing along with them in what was the band's final show for an indefinite amount of time. Yes, it's true, Frauke is with Frauke and expecting the pitter-patter of little Frauke feet in the coming months. As a result, we expect the next Frauke show to include a brand new miniature Frauke and fresh lyrics about the pains of not having your diaper changed quickly enough and what it's like to be burped by a stranger.
Also on the bill were Monster Eiffel Tower and Man in Gray offshoot Holy Moly. Holy Moly's got a nice folk-country thing going with solid songwriting, excellent guitar work from Jeremy Joseph, and a pleasant male/female vocal balance. The hints of country music that showed through when Jared Friedman sang lead really resonated with me and I'm hoping the band expands on this facet of their music.
Both Frauke and Holy Moly were bands I was already familiar with heading into the show (and are both friends of mine, if you must know), but ultimately it was Monster Eiffel Tower who dominated the night for me. Sure, it probably has a lot to do with how prog-y my listening habits have been lately, but this band caught the attention of everyone else at the show too. And I'm certain that most of those other people weren't nerding out on them solely because of their chops, copious effects pedals, or resemblance to a certain Canadian band whose name rhymes with "hush". Not that they're overly Rush-esque or anything, but the comparison crossed my mind a few times watching their set. I mean, tell me that there's not a heavy dose or two of "La Villa Strangiato" in their song "Monolith" (posted below). Definitely a band to watch out for if you live in NYC. Check out more pictures from this show, and a few MP3s from Frauke and Monster Eiffel Tower, after the jump...
Listen:
"Monolith" by Monster Eiffel Tower
"Dock War" by Monster Eiffel Tower
--
"Canadian Girlfriend" by Frauke
"Parasite Fungus" by Frauke
Visit the bands on MySpace:
Holy Moly
Monster Eiffel Tower
Frauke
OPP
Wire to play South Street Seaport on May 30th
The L Magazine does their annual 8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear
Barsuk Records signs Menomena drummer's side project
Islands' Nick Thorburn has yet another band, Human Highway, with former Islands alum Jim Guthrie
The Strokes are alive and well and ready to record album number four
Grateful Dead archives going to UC Santa Cruz
Microsoft will no longer provide customer support for their now-defunct music store
All Tomorrow's Parties New York set for Sept. 19-21, with My Bloody Valentine, Built to Spill, Thurston Moore and Mogwai among initial lineup
"Don't tase me bro!" inspires Mick Jones to write a song
Honda Robot will conduct Detroit Symphony
23 April 2008
Band of the Week: Bombadil
Band: Bombadil
From: Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
Sound: You got intricately arranged indie-pop in my playfully literate lyrics! You got playfully literate lyrics in my intricately arranged indie-pop!
Similar Artists: Danielson, Vampire Weekend, Ben Folds, Sufjan Stevens, Jonathan Richman
Listen Now: "Julian of Norwich"
"the record is a collection of stories
that spans our three years together as a band
i like to think of the record as a coloring book
some of the songs are color by numbers
some are black and white
some you probably dont have to color on
at all" - from my inbox, April 7th, 2008
As if anticipating our mild obsession with synesthesia by an impressive 10 days, Bombadil piqued our curiosity with the above simple (yet cryptic) introduction last week. And insisting on sending said record via snail mail as opposed to a few straggling compressed MP3s, the Durham quartet were making a statement: coloring books, physical album copies, all tangible and tactile, all substantive and worth our time.
And with the arrival of their full-length debut A Buzz, A Buzz on Monday (and out 4/29 on Ramseur Records), I have to agree with them: this is worth your time.
A hand-written note accompanied the album, scrawled on the back of a comic strip and telling us that we had to supply our own crayons in coloring the album. Were this actually a possibility (and still trying to will myself a synesthetic perhaps?), it made me wonder what colors I might have chosen do so.
Probably every single crayon possible...
A splash of yellow to capture the group's upbeat and exquisite harmonies, scribbled over with a burnt sienna to show the depth and muscularity (read: the absence of fey or twee-ness) within these harmonies. A midnight blue to suggest the depth and emotive range behind such clever passages as "sing all alone, singing's just talking in tones, rhymestones, and get off your cellphones because they're tracking you home, skin and bones all alone" (from "Smile When You Kiss"); perhaps a brown and green combo for the earthy acoustic guitars and plaintive vocals that anchor the entire song cycle? True, the end result would certainly resemble the child-scribble fridge-art most likely found in this woman's home, but Bombadil make all these elements work with a fluid grace, in the process sculpting 11 pitch-perfect pop songs that sound even better as a cohesive whole.
Named after a character from The Lord of the Rings, Bombadil first came together three years ago in Bolivia, where Duke alums Daniel Michalak and Bryan Rahija first met and began collaborating on songs (John Michalak and Stuart Robinson would soon round out the band). According to their label's website:
The folk music indigenous to the region lit a creative spark and inspired the two to begin writing songs that incorporated international instruments and styles. That influence, paired with their collective backgrounds in Piedmont blues, psychedelic rock and Robinson’s background as a classical pianist, stands as the driving force behind the band’s unique sound.
Add to this description bouts of circus-like melodies fresh from the Disney Main Street Electrical Parade, spurting woodwinds, traditional American folk, vaudeville, inventively off-kilter percussion bursts, and tribal call-and-response vocals and you begin to get the idea. Like I said, this album takes on every color in the Crayola box.
Of course, a smattering of sounds so disparate could prove disastrous if not utilized in proper doses, and perhaps the band's biggest strength throughout A Buzz, A Buzz lies in their wonderful arrangements and instrumentation. Though it is a "big" sounding album, it never feels overburdened or crowded; instead, every piece works and services the broader song. Listen, for example, to "Julian of Norwich", a perfectly constructed pop song that manages to shake any initial likeness to Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" by multiplying the infectious central melody through layers of fife, Colonial Williamsburg marching drums, cascading banjo, nimble grand piano arpeggios, clattering sea shells (?) and at least a dozen other elements.
Currently touring in support of A Buzz, A Buzz's forthcoming release, Bombadil's immense talent and promise leaves me believing that they really couldn't have come up with a more appropriate and prescient title for their debut (well, except for maybe Synesthesia).
Listen:
"Julian of Norwich"
"Smile When You Kiss"
See Bombadil Live:
23 April - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
24 April - Johnson City, TN @ The Acoustic Coffeehouse - CD Release
25 April - The Triangle, NC @ 91.5 WUNC's The State of Things
25 April - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle - CD Release
27 April - Decatur, GA @ Eddie's Attic
29 April - Raleigh, NC @ Schoolkids Records - In-store Performance
30 April - Charlotte, NC @ Fox News Rising WCCB TV 18
30 April - Charlotte, NC @ Manifest Disc - In-store Performance
01 May - Greenville, SC @ Horizon Records - In-store Performance
02 May - Knoxville, TN @ Disc Exchange - In-store Performance
07 May - Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Chop Shop
08 May - Charlottesville, VA @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
09 May - Easton, MD @ Coffee East
10 May - Washington D.C. @ The Red & Black
11 May - Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
14 May - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Wealthy Theatre
15 May - Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
16 May - Bristol, TN @ Border Bash
17 May - Knoxville, TN @ Time Warp Tea Room
24 May - York, SC @ Sylvia Theater
29 May - Kansas City, MO @ Knucklehead's
31 May - Denver, CO @ Dulcinea's 100th Monkey
04 Jun - Bend, OR @ Old St. Francis School
05 June - Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield
06 June - McMinnville, OR @ Hotel Oregon
07 June - Gearhart, OR @ McMenamins Sand Trap
10 June - Centralia, WA @ Olympic Club Hotel and Theater
12 June - Portland, OR @ Kennedy School
13 June - Forest Grove, OR @ Grand Lodge
15 June - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
20 June - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
21 June - Winston-Salem, NC @ Summer On Trade
27 June - Boone, NC @ Private Party
28 June - Boone, NC @ Private Party
5 July - Chestertown, MD @ Andy's
10 July - New London, CT @ The Oasis Pub
11 July - Burlington, VT @ TBA
26 July - Floyd, VA @ FloydFest
28 July - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall
01 Aug - Portland, OR @ Pickathon
02 Aug - Portland, OR @ Pickathon
07 Aug - Cottage Grove, OR @ Axe and Fiddle Pub and Music Club
29 Aug - Boone, NC @ Black Cat
12 Sep - Mount Pleasant, SC @ Fiery Ron's Hometown BBQ
19 Sep - Bristol, VA @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
20 Sep - Bristol, VA @ Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
17 Jan - Riverside, CA @ Private Party
Visit Bombadil on MySpace
--
In the recent past, the following bands have been featured as EAR FARM's Band of the Week:
Tapes 'n Tapes
White Hinterland
Man Man
We Barbarians
The Dodos
Hey Hey My My
Amy LaVere
Beach House
See the entire list of bands featured as EAR FARM's Band of the Week HERE.
Dead Confederate 2008 tour dates, EXCLUSIVE video of their SXSW show with R.E.M.
Dead Confederate opened for R.E.M. at Stubb's Bar-B-Q on the first day of SXSW and EAR FARM was lucky enough to spend the entire day with the band. We got all kinds of exclusive video as a result, including hanging out backstage with Michael Stipe and their entire kick-ass set from that night. What follows is a snippet of documentary footage of the band being interviewed before the show as well as their final song from their set at Stubb's, "Tortured Artist Saint". In addition to this video footage, we're very excited to share with you some 2008 tour dates for the band - that's right, Dead Confederate is coming to your neck of the woods very soon and they're going to blow you away. So do yourself a favor and click through for the tour dates and this EXCLUSIVE video...
Dead Confederate have lined up a summer tour that begins on the 23rd of May with a KEXP session in Seattle. The rest of the dates are listed below, including seven West Coast stops with Drive by Truckers and performances at the Bonnaroo, Sasquatch!, and Rothbury festivals.
The band spent January and February in Austin, TX recording a full length follow-up to their acclaimed debut EP. The album was produced by Mike McCarthy (Spoon, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead), and includes many of the tracks they played at the amazing shows we saw them play in Austin. Frankly, we can't wait for the album.
Be on the lookout for more EXCLUSIVE video from our time with Dead Confederate at SXSW in the future. And if I might offer a viewing suggestion, watch the QuickTime that's posted below instead of that ugly YouTube stuff.
Watch:
"Tortured Artist Saint" live @ Stubb's - 12 March 2008 (QuickTime, higher quality than YouTube)
Listen:
"Tortured Artist Saint" (live @ Stubb's - 12 March 2008)
Dead Confederate live @ Stubb's - 12 March 2008 (entire show stream, via NPR)
Buy: Dead Confederate [EP]
See Dead Confederate live:
23 May - Seattle, WA @ KEXP
24 May - Quincy, WA @ Sasquatch! Festival
28 May - Washington D.C. @ DC9
29 May - New York, NY @ Piano's
30 May - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
31 May - Philadelphia, PA @ The Khyber
1 June - Boston, MA @ TT the Bears
4 June - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
5 June - Asheville, NC @ The Rocket Club
6 June - Knoxville, TN @ Barley's
7 June - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
14 June - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
17 June - Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Brewing Company*
18 June - Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff*
19 June - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre*
20 June - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern*
24 June - Sacramento, CA @ Empire Room*
25 June - Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom*
26 June - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy - Spokane*
5 July - Rothbury, MI @ Rothbury Festival
* with Drive by Truckers
See also:
- R.E.M. @ Stubb's BBQ - 12 March 2008 (SXSW Day 1, pics, live video/mp3)
- EF Band of the Week: Dead Confederate
Visit Dead Confederate on MySpace.
Sam Champion To Record Live Album...TONIGHT
The gents of Sam Champion are not content to simply sew the oats of rock upon a long sold-out Mercury Lounge tonight and never look back. They're just far too classy for that. Instead, they're making like the carnies at the Coney Island Cyclone and taking a little snapshot of the occasion...though it should here be made explicit that instead of an embarrassing pic of them shrieking on a rollercoaster we're referring to the recording of a LIVE ALBUM to immortalize every second of tonight's rocking goodness!
So, if you find yourself unable to score a ticket tonight, fear not: Sam Champion's got you covered, and in more ways than one. They've also released another exclusive track - the freewheeling "Uncle Drums" - on RCRD LBL last month and are set to drop "Be Mine Everyone", the first single from their long-awaited sophomore album Heavenly Bender (out July on North Street Records), next Thursday, May 1st. Your party may have been yesterday but the real jam starts tonight...
Listen: "Your Party Was Yesterday?"
See also:
Visit Sam Champion on MySpace.
OPP
Indie Rock trivia night descends upon Highline Ballroom on May 21st with Zach Galifianakis and Les Savy Fav
Musician reunited with $4 million violin he mistakenly left in a cab
Prefix has photos from last night's She & Him show at Webster Hall
NIN release surprise single yesterday...is another new album on the way in two weeks?
2008 Rock The Bells lineup features A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Nas and many others
Jarvis Cocker is playing two NYC-based shows in July!
Arcade Fire teams with Superchunk for two free live shows in North Carolina in support of Obama
22 April 2008
I Want My MTV - Earth Day (feat. Duran Duran, DEVO, The Pretenders, and more!)
In observance of Earth Day today, EAR FARM is joining with many of our fellow Earth dwellers in appreciating the beauty of our world and thinking about ways we can make our planet better. The best we've come up with so far in that regard is to offer a small collection of thematically relevant videos made by some musically gifted Earthlings...
"Planet Earth" by Duran Duran (above)
"Don't Cut Me Down" by Olivia Newton-John (above)
"Earth Song" by Michael Jackson (above)
"My City Was Gone" by The Pretenders (above)
"Emergency On Planet Earth" by Jamiroquai (above)
"Planet Earth" by DEVO (above)
"This Land is Your Land" by Billy Bragg, Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, and Mason Jennings (above)
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
Three for Free - My Morning Jacket, My Brightest Diamond, Wolf Parade
EAR FARM's Three for Free: three EF approved, free and legal MP3s posted each week. This week - three songs from 2008 albums that have recently found their way onto the interbahn. Click on the artist name to go to their site, click on the song name to listen to the song. UPDATE: we've been asked to remove the My Morning Jacket song, but it can still be found HERE.
Listen:
My Morning Jacket - "Evil Urges" (removed due to request)
My Brightest Diamond - "Inside a Boy"
Wolf Parade - "Call It A Ritual"
Today's NEW Releases
This week's new releases:
- Billy Bragg - Mr. Love & Justice
- Blind Melon - For My Friends
- Clipse - Re-Up Gang: The Saga Continues
- El Perro Del Mar - From The Valley To The Stars
- Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
- Frauke - Dirtier Than Horses
- The Jealous Girlfriends - The Jealous Girlfriends
- Jukebox the Ghost - Let Live and Let Ghosts
- The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement (Import)
- Monotonix - Body Language EP
- The Replacements - Hootenanny (Reissue)
- The Replacements - Let It Be (Reissue)
- The Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (Reissue)
- The Replacements - Stink
- Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
OPP
Behold, how rock stars got their stage names
Idolator has 4 reasons why music magazines are doing as poorly as the broader music biz
Presale for Wilco's 8/13 McCarren Pool show is TOMORROW at 10am
Business Week profiles Other Music's adjustment to the digital age
Philadelphia's POPPED! Festival (June 20-22) boasts a strong lineup
Check out the Top 10 "green" music acts
Speaking of, Radiohead to make a "green" appearance on Conan tomorrow night....from London
XLR8 has a Q&A with The Death Set
21 April 2008
Hit-or-miss: "II. In Taberna: Estuans Interius" by Carl Orff
Listen:
"II. In Taberna: Estuans Interius" by Carl Orff from Carmina Burana
View:
Image search results for II. In Taberna: Estuans Interius - above image is from the first page of results (and was originally from HERE).
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In the recent past these songs were featured in Hit-or-miss posts:
"Dangerous" by Frente!
"Keep Their Heads Ringing" by Dr. Dre
"At It Again" by Sublime
"The Day I Tried To Live" by Soundgarden
"I'm Comin' Down" by Primal Scream
"I See Spiders When I Close My Eyes" by The Boy Least Likely To
"Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)?" by Buzzcocks
"I Would Work If I Could" by Brian Michael Roff And The Deer
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EAR FARM's Hit-or-miss is a weekly feature (every Monday) wherein the EF music library is put on shuffle, the song that plays is then searched (using the song title) on Google images and a resulting photo (plus an MP3 of the song) is posted. You can see all of EAR FARM's Hit-or-miss posts thus far right HERE.
Tapes 'n Tapes @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - 19 April 2008
It's been awhile since I've arrived early and waited with this much anticipation for ALL the acts on a multiple-band bill; Saturday night was definitely a worthy occasion to break out such fanboy-ness. Capping off powerhouse performances from Vampire Hands and White Denim, Tapes 'n Tapes ripped through another fantastic set that leaned heavily on material from Walk It Off while occasionally peppering in favorites from The Loon.
At this point, I've lost count of how many times I've seen Tapes live (and this dates back to their first NYC show at Sin-e in 2004) and they always bring it, but apart from the music what stood about this particular performance was the BRO factor in the audience. Awesome as always, Tapes successfully overcame the fact that singer Josh Grier lost his voice prior to Friday's Fillmore show; however, they now seemed to have a bigger potential distraction on their hands....shirtless BROS throwing beer and thrashing about as though they had rubber bands tied around their junk (you know, like bulls at a rodeo? )! See the horror (and Tapes overcoming via rocking) after the jump....
Listen:
"Hang Them All"
See also:
*above photos by Tamsyn Ten Krooden
Visit Tapes 'n Tapes on MySpace
White Denim @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - 19 April 2008
White Denim delivered a blistering wake-me-up set every bit as frenzied, reckless and confident as when we last caught them during one of the billion sets they played at SXSW in their native Austin. On Saturday, they were especially on point, with every slinky riff and chugging rhythm coalescing so urgently that the arms-folded crowd was worked into a semi-gyrating fervor (and that says a lot, keep in mind we're talking about NYC) by the third song.
There's something about this band that is just so immediate and satisfying: is it the howling vocals, incessant wah-wah, nimble basslines or pummeling drums? I'm going with all of the above. More pics (as well as their latest music video) after the jump...
Listen: "Let's Talk About It"
Watch: "Look That Way At It" (video collaboration with Modern Plow Collective)
See also:
*above photos by Tamsyn Ten Krooden
Visit White Denim on MySpace
Vampire Hands @ Music Hall of Williamsburg - 19 April 2008
Saturday night's triple bill at Music Hall of Williamsburg couldn't have commenced any stronger. Minneapolis quartet Vampire Hands dropped their unique blend of pop polyrhythms on a room that was woefully underpacked given the level of this performance...which is too bad, and also not like we hadn't been warned about this band's greatness, though. If you'll recall, Tapes 'n Tapes' Josh Grier had sung their praises to EF last week, even speculating on the rumor that Iggy Pop would be sitting in on drums????
No Iggy Pop, but no problem anyhow, because the multiple drum attack and give-and-take of falsetto and gruff vocals was a winning combo, at times reminiscent of everyone from Animal Collective and Liars to Les Savy Fav and Enon. See more pics after the jump...
Listen: "Statuette"
*above photos by Tamsyn Ten Krooden
Visit Vampire Hands on MySpace
After the Jump Fest 2008
After the Jump Fest is the effort of 20 New York City music bloggers whose goal is to help new artists gain exposure while raising money for struggling school music programs. This year, After the Jump is teaming up with The Music Hall of Williamsburg and Galapagos Art Space for a festival stretching from noon until last call. In the next few months, After the Jump blogs will be making more announcements about the festival including new artists and pre-parties. Stay tuned and in the mean time, check out AftertheJumpFest.com for information on our past events and mark your calendars! It's going to be a doozy.
themusicslut . batteringroom . disconap . earfarm . ryspace . irockiroll . merryswankster . softcommunication . theunderratedblog . sitdownstandup . watercoolergossip . bumpershine . themodernage . productshopnyc . subinev . punkphoto . poptartssucktoasted . stereoactivenyc . jinners
For sponsorship and all requests, contact producer Jennifer Kellas: jkellas@afterthejumpfest.com
18 April 2008
EAR FARM's Muxtape #4: Rock Band Setlist
Rock Band + Muxtape = YAY!
EAR FARM's fourth mix mux is 100% self-indulgent. It's my personal top 12 favorite songs to play (I play guitar, rather than drums or vocals) in the video game Rock Band (full list of Rock Band songs HERE). So it stands to reason that this mux is all about rocking, shredding, finger-tapping, and making that guitar solo face. Check out the songs featured in this mix listed below and listen to the mix itself HERE.
EAR FARM's Muxtape #4: Rock Band Setlist
1. "Working Man" by Rush
2. "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. "...And Justice for All" by Metallica
4. "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer
5. "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
6. "Foreplay/Long Time" by Boston
7. "Green Grass and High Tides" by The Outlaws
8. "Train Kept a Rollin'" by Aerosmith
9. "Go With The Flow" by Queens Of The Stone Age
10. "Siva" by Smashing Pumpkins
11. "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones
12. "My Iron Lung" by Radiohead
See also:
EAR FARM's Muxtape #1: 12 Songs For A Cat Named Joe
EAR FARM's Muxtape #2: April Fools Edition!
EAR FARM's Muxtape #3: Fank Fod it's Friday and Finally Fpring!
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What's this Muxtape business? A Muxtape is a quite genius, very simple, way to create and share mixtapes. Please share your own ridonkulously themed mix in the comments. Or ELSE.
Drink Up Buttercup - New Songs (EF Premiere) ! More Shows!
BoW alums and ramshackle sorcerers of freaky bliss Drink Up Buttercup continue to dazzle our ears and blow our minds with the unveiling of two new tracks. First up, another full-throttle masterpiece - "Mr. Pie Eyes" - that picks up where the Syd Barrett-esque magic of previous stand-outs "Seasickness Pills" and "Gods and Gentlemen" left off. Then, there's the breezily melodic sing-along of frontman James Harvey's solo recording "Everything Else That's Been", a charming blend of early Beatles and The Moldy Peaches just in time for the perfect weather here in NYC today.
We've said it at least twice before, but here it goes again: go see them live okay?! It just so happens DUB will be playing a great show this Saturday evening, April 19th, at an awesome new venue - LESS ARTISTS/MORE CONDOS. You can read more about this show - which also features Cutter, J.A.C.K., and Bottle Up & Go - as well as the venue itself over at Sleep When Dead NYC. So there you have it, new song premieres and plans for Saturday all at once. Happy Friday!
Listen:
"Mr. Pie Eyes"
"Everything Bad That's Been"(DUB's James Harvey solo demo)
See Also:
- Drink Up Buttercup @ Pianos - 19 February 2008 (SXSW Day 2, pics, live video/mp3)
- Band of the Week: Drink Up Buttercup
See Drink Up Buttercup Live:
19 April - New York, NY @ LESS ARTISTS/MORE CONDOS (All Ages)
25 April - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
04 May - Newtown, PA @ Cambridge Sound Systems
09 May - Doylestown, PA @ Siren Records (All Ages)
17 May - New Hope, PA @ John & Peter's
30 May - New York, NY @ Cake Shop
14 June - New York, NY @ Pianos (Music Slut Anniversary Show)
31 July - Brooklyn, NY @ Galapagos (Crashin' In Party)
Visit Drink Up Buttercup on MySpace
OPP
Silver Jews reveal cover art to Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea and announce European tour dates!
Merry Swankster has a great interview with Islands' Nick Thorburn
The San Francisco Chronicle reviews Wednesday's Fillmore show of the reunited Mudcrutch, Tom Petty's first band
Other Music celebrates Record Store Day with in-store DJ sets from Tapes 'n Tapes, Grizzly Bear, Interpol and others
RIP Danny Federici, longtime keyboard player for the E Street Band, dead at 58
The Guardian blog: Willie Nelson - an outlaw to the last
Miss Kittin shares her 5 favorite goth albums with XLR8
Outkast talks new album in 2009
Lily Allen has new songs, new hairdo
British Sea Power, Fujiya & Miyagi and The Go! Team in pipe-organ face off?
Britney Spears to pay her lawyers at least $372,500
17 April 2008
8+
"Couleurs" by M83 which clocks in at 8:34
I started drawing again.
It's been a while and I'm a bit rusty. Well, it's been roughly 22 years actually. Something told me back then that I should probably give up drawing and I did. A patron's question stands out in my memory: "What is that, a black flounder with a sword? Where are the colors?" Ugh! Always with the colors! Nobody appreciates my weltanschauung in this 5th grade art community and... well, there are two swords actually. And no, it's not a fish it's a dog. You might notice the two long ears and pronounced snout? Clearly a canine.
I imagined that that was my response, and then I imagined her taunting reply: "Ears, those look like fins! It has five leg-fins and two ear-fins and then. Wait, are they tentacles? That's no dog, and it's clearly not a flounder. It's a messy black octo... septopus! Hey everybody come look at how much time Matt is wasting by drawing imaginary black sea creatures! He can't even use color!"
Black ink was my preferred medium back then, and always. No colors, colors were beyond my reach and I fear they still are. It's an austerely black and white world of extremes, the only couleurs exist dans le bruit. In sound.
In sound in sound in sound in sound...
I picked up my paper and pens and actually said nothing at the time. I sulked away with my head down, every bit the unappreciated/misunderstood artistic savant who'd been shunned into ceasing his creative endeavors. It's true! Excepting the artistic or savant parts. Or the shunning really. Truthfully, it wasn't that my peers didn't "get" me, and it wasn't a lack of support from my parents or teachers that made me give up drawing... Though, one day one of my teachers did confiscate my inspiration* because it posed a threat to "the other children" - and I don't think it helped my situation that I responded to said confiscation with "well it doesn't pose as much of a threat as your inept teaching does!"
I was vicious at ten. In my mind.
Perhaps, ultimately, I stopped pursuing visual art because I was hung up on drawing my own version of Snoopy (as a crime fighting ninja, that's where the black outfit and double swords came into play - my series of books of The Adventures of Ninja Snoopy were easily the greatest comic book series never published), which was an entirely demoralizing effort. Each and every holiday that rolled around I was hit with the irrefutable evidence that I couldn't technically draw Snoopy. Especially not all beautifully full of color the way he always was on those cursed holiday specials. Instead I made B&W fish-blobs with fourteen fin-arms extending into ambiguous weapon-tentacles. That bastard Schulz and his comic strip characters! Equally inspiring and taunting me at every turn.
Come to think of it, I was a lot smarter then than I am now. I was all high-concept and no execution, full of nothing but potential, and I got out while the getting was still good. And who's going to blame a ten year old for that approach? I should've just gotten an agent and sold the idea. I considered it at the time, but I didn't really even know what an agent was. I thought they were likely very shadowy figures who spent half their time in secret spy battles and the other half in secret contract negotiations. Turns out I was more-or-less right on the money with that assessment; and thus, I've once again proven how much brighter I was at ten than now.
Anyway, sitting in a coffee shop the other day, and staring blankly into space, I found myself looking at elementary school art on the wall. I thought, "I wonder if those are for sale, because I bet they're cheap."
In fact, they weren't for sale, but rather "on display to raise money." I asked, and that's what the guy said. And then I asked what the difference was. "I don't know man, they're just on display." And then I asked if they were still accepting submissions... if they might consider a black and white addition to all of their colorful pieces on the wall. To which he replied, "your kid an artist or something?"
Yeah, something. Or maybe I don't have a kid at all and I'm simply still seeking validation of my pen and ink Snoopy sketches? Or maybe I'm just looking for colorful art like that to put on display in my home to look at while I listen to music? Nooo, I swear it's not to get visitors to donate money to an imaginary children's fund that's actually a 'buy Matt a coin-op arcade game' fund - and yes, maaaybe so I can pass that art off as something I created when I was very young and really into Picasso (rather than silly old Peanuts). But see, I figure it might be hard to come by art like that in the usual way, and it would take years to conceive, birth, and half-heartedly train a child to draw in a typically childish, yet somehow partially Cubist, manner; so, when I was told I couldn't buy any of the fine works hanging in that coffee shop I decided to take up drawing again. Just black ink on paper for now. Black and white ninjas?! Perhaps. But I feel like I might be ready for some colored pencils or crayons soon. And maybe then I can fill these empty spots on my wall with art that everyone can relate to and enjoy, because of the colors.
*my inspiration back then was this little rubber Snoopy eraser to which I'd stuck pins through each of his hands so that it looked like he was holding two swords. The teacher found it dangerous in the hands of a ten year old - whatever.
Buy the Saturdays = Youth soundtrack on Amazon/on iTunes.
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+:
David Byrne - "Happy Suicide"
Fleetwood Mac - "Oh Well"
Phish - "You Enjoy Myself"
Green Day - "Homecoming"
Billy Bragg - "Joe Hill"
Van Halen - "Year to the Day"
Kraftwerk - "The Telephone Call"
Neutral Milk Hotel - "Oh Comely"
To see a full list of every song featured in EAR FARM's 8+ click HERE.
Guitarati - color us confused?
Sure, we've got iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, and even MySpace now chipping away at the lucrative digital music market. And while these behemoths quibble about presumably "important" selling points such as pricing, audio quality, and DRM-free content, until now another colorful issue has all but been ignored: who's looking after the synesthetics?
Huh? That's right, synesthesia - the phenomenon of combining senses so that you can actually hear colors - might be the next dormant cash cow. Or at least one site thinks so. Last week, we stumbled across an article in WIRED detailing the emergence of Guitarati, a new digital music site attempting to revolutionize the way we classify music by organizing downloadable tunes via color.
Still confused? You're not alone. If ever a site demanded a Frequently Asked Questions page, this would be the one. Our advice is to start by hitting up their FAQ and go from there. After being reassured there that you don't actually have to be a synesthetic to use the site (yes, that is one of the questions), go forth and click on the color black to get your paws on "War Pigs"! Wait, there's no Black Sabbath...oh okay...gimme some Black Keys! No? Bummer....Black Crowes? Still nothing? Black Angels, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Black Mountain, Black Kids, Black Francis, Black Tie Revue? Nope.
Oh. So it appears that it's more for undiscovered artists to submit and sell their music....that's all well and good but with all the confusion of dealing with a color wheel as a filter, wouldn't this only ensure that these artists will most likely stay undiscovered? And whose looking out for the colorblind? I guess Meat Loaf is screwed....
*above image found HERE
Listen:
"You in Color" by The Black Angels
OPP
MSNBC: 5 terrible songs from great albums
New documentary on the fate of the traditional record store features Noam Chomsky, Thurston Moore, Glenn Branca and many others
The Guardian: would Joy Division have been taken as seriously if Ian Curtis were still alive?
Man modifies old pipe organ to reproduce physical sound effects in his basement
Brigitte Bardot on trial for inciting anti-Muslim hatred
Check out the full schedule of shows at McCarren Pool this summer
David Byrne set to release album with Brian Eno while also collaborating with Fatboy Slim
Slash talks more smack about Scott Weiland
