The Whip
NY2LON Live Reviewby Rachy P from NYC
While many people at McCarren Pool this past Sunday were undoubtedly there to see The Breeders, I was pleasantly surprised to see that many in the audience were won over by the band I came to see--The Whip.
The Mancunian foursome, whose sound straddles the line between the Happy Mondays and New Order, managed to get the hippest of hipsters to unfold their arms and break a sweat (literally) by dancing in the hot hot heat. Though they're more suited for a dark, closed space (read: a warehouse), their music more than held its own in the sunny, open space.
Their lyrics may be few and far between (and, when there are lyrics, they are often repetitive), but this only increases audience participation, as it allows people to sing along with the band. Sunday's show proved this, as the people behind me--who were dancing and singing along--asked, "What band is this??" They'd never heard the band before, but they were instantly won over.
At a Whip show, the lyrics take a back seat to the music--it's intense and anthemic, and you'd have to try hard NOT to get into it. The Whip put on an amazing live show, and they happen to be playing a bunch of festivals this summer--which sounds like a great way to experience them live--so I urge anyone who can to see them this summer!
Jul 18 - London - Fabric
Jul 19 - Ibitha Rocks @ Hotel Ibitha
Jul 24 - Galway - Galway Arts Festival
Jul 26 - Cambridgeshire - The Secret Garden Party
Aug 16 - Hasselt - Pukklepop
Aug 17 - Chelmsford - V Festival
Aug 20 - Oslo - Studio Festival
Aug 22 - Leeds - Leeds Festival
Aug 23 - Liverpool - Creamfields
Aug 24 - Reading - Reading Festival
Aug 29 - Scotland - Connect Festival @ Invarary Castle
Sep 5 - Ibitha - Wonderland @ Eden
Sep 13 - Albi - Albi Summer Festival
Sep 17 - Beachbombing @ Ibitha Rocks Hotel Ibitha
Sep 19 - London - Hoxton Airwaves
Sep 26 - Brighton - Big Beach Boutique
Sep 27 - Marseilles - Marsatac Festival
To see more of Dese'Rae's great photos, click here.
Posted by ny2lon at 1:40 PM on Jul. 17 '08 | Comments (0)
This Week in Shows
NY2LON Concert CalendarGigaholics Anonymous, NY
Americans: Happy 4th of July! UKers: Happy Friday! Independence Day makes me wish we were still one [un]happy unit. If that was the case, we American NY2LONers could move to the UK and stalk bands whenever it struck our fancy to do so. Sigh...it's the American dream, isn't it?
This Week in New York:
Wednesday, 7/2 - The Feelies - Maxwell's
Wednesday, 7/2 - Kimya Dawson and friends - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Wednesday, 7/2 - Oxford Collapse, Frightened Rabbit - Southpaw
Thursday, 7/3 - The XYZ Affair, Rosewood Thieves - Le Royale
Thursday, 7/3 - Love as Laughter - R Bar
Thursday, 7/3 - Takka Takka - Union Hall
Friday, 7/4 - Sonic Youth, The Feelies - Battery Park
Friday, 7/4 - Phosphorescent - Glasslands
Friday, 7/4 - Titus Andronicus - Solar One
Saturday, 7/5 - Dengue Fever, Apollo Heights - Central Park Summerstage
Saturday, 7/5 - The Oranges Band - Gramercy Theatre
Saturday, 7/5 - Thurston Moore - Rehab
Sunday, 7/6 - Ronnie Spector - McCarren Park Pool
Tuesday, 7/8 - As Tall as Lions - Maxwell's
Wednesday, 7/9 - Fleet Foxes - Bowery Ballroom
Wednesday, 7/9 - The Vaselines - Maxwell's
Wednesday, 7/9 - Solid Gold - Pianos
Wednesday, 7/9 - Feist, Juana Molina - Prospect Park Bandshell
Wednesday, 7/9 - The Avett Brothers - Rockefeller Park
Wednesday, 7/9 - U.S. Air Guitar Championships - Music Hall of Williamsburg
This Week in London:
Wednesday, 7/2 - Cool Kids - Scala
Wednesday, 7/2 - Funeral for a Friend - KCLSU
Wednesday, 7/2 - The Whigs - 100 Club
Thursday, 7/3 - Duran Duran - O2 Arena
Thursday, 7/3 - Idlewild - University of London Union
Thursday, 7/3 - Matt Costa - Water Rats
Thursday, 7/3 - Jay-Z - Hyde Park
Thursday, 7/3 - The Presets - Scala
Friday, 7/4 - Glasvegas - The Forum
Friday, 7/4 - Morrissey - Hyde Park
Friday, 7/4 - The Music - Astoria
Saturday, 7/5 - Comets on Fire - The Luminaire
Saturday, 7/5 - Dolly Parton - O2 Arena
Saturday, 7/5 - Fatboy Slim - Hyde Park
Tuesday, 7/8 - Gnarles Barkley - Astoria 2
Tuesday, 7/8 - Panic at the Disco - Astoria
Wednesday, 7/9 - Band of Horses - Shepherds Bush Empire
More Listings:
New York
London
Posted by ny2lon at 3:34 PM on Jul. 2 '08 | Comments (0)
Jonathan Richman
NY2LON Live Reviewby Lauren, a product of california's public schools
The day I saw Jonathan Richman was one of the hottest days thus far of 2008's summer season. And I waited in this heat (by myself at first) for a few hours, because the show (lucky me!!) was at a tiny bar and was likely to be sold out. Now this bar, The Make Out Room, is a very warm location already, and combined with the weather and the sell out crowd, it was boiling. But I took it like a champ for one of my favorite humans of all time, Jonathan Richman.
When Jonathan stepped onto the stage and started setting up his minimalist equipment, so many bursts of excitement occurred, most notably, a woman in front of me said, "He's so humble, he sets up his own stuff!" Not like it's hard, when you only have one acoustic guitar and a few various hand held percussion instruments. He disappeared again, and I took in the fact that I was almost surely the youngest person in the hot, sweaty crowd. Perhaps that is why there was so little whining about the heat, no under 21 people, save me, and I was complaining inwardly. To kill time I started devouring some melted Hershey Kisses that were still in my bag from the Islands show.
Finally, Tommy Larkin, longtime friend and drummer, and Jonathan Richman hopped out to play some songs. They started with "El Mundo", which had a rocking dance jingle stick solo. Great way to start off the set. Next followed "My Baby Love Love Loves Me", which is a song that always makes me happy to think that Jonathan Richman has a great life somewhere. Most of his songs do that, actually, especially ones about love. He just seems to get it; in a new song "A que venimos sino a caer" he mentions that what is the point of living if everything is great all the time, there has to be some rough patches. Perhaps he's old and wise (or dignified and old, as he wished to be). He also doesn't have a cellphone, which was made painfully clear with his Cellphone song. "If I'm eating breakfast, I'm eating breakfast. If I'm at the beach, I'm at the beach, you can't reach me there." I thought, what if you have an emergency and there isn't any payphone! And he seemed to answer me, singing "I'd just walk to find a phone." The song also made my addiction to my phone painfully clear.
JR played one of my favorite songs, "When We Refuse to Suffer", right before intermission. We were all suffering from the heat (disgusting, really) by this time, and he made me feel like that was okay. "When we refuse to suffer, that's when the air freshener wins, and the real air loses." He announced that he could only pantomime hellos to fans, since the doctor told him he should not be exerting his voice anymore than he had to. This did not stop me from giving him my band's demo, and feeling so excited when he smiled at me with his big, round eyes as if to say, "thank you, Lauren." Too bad he doesn't have anyway of reaching us, since if he doesn't have a cellphone, there's no way he'll have a myspace or email. The break was short, and Richman and Larkin came back to do "No One Was Like Vermeer", a song about how weird the painter Vermeer was both in style, and in what his paintings evoke. "Vermeer was eerie, Vermeer was strange, He had his own color range, As if born in a more modern age... may be oh a hundred or so years ago."
Some things I realize about Jonathan Richman:
- He knows what his fans like. That's why he did "I was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" with such gusto, that he compelled the overheated crowd to dance along.
- His fan base are all marriage material. Many of them attractive, 20-30 somethings. Many of them willing to suffer for him (in the awful heat). I could fall in love at a JR show.
- He's as real as it gets. Who else would admit to wanting to be more masculine as a high schooler and tell –nay sing! - stories about that awkward age. Who else could sing about how their parent died as Jonathan did on "As My Mother Lay Lying"?
-He can lead successful singalongs to songs nobody has heard before. That's a real talent.
Posted by ny2lon at 10:50 AM on Jun. 30 '08 | Comments (0)
The Futureheads
NY2LON Live Reviewby SP from WO
Never can the adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder" be more accurately applied than with The Futureheads recent (and lengthy) absence from the US. I, not so fondly, recall when they were supposed to play Bowery Ballroom not one, but two Septembers ago, and oh how my heart broke when they canceled and never rescheduled that gig. But within their nearly two year absence, The Futureheads' have released News and Tributes along with their junior effort, This Is Not the World. Unfortunately, as noted above, they never toured (over here at least) to support News and Tributes. Thankfully, I do not think the same will be said for their more recent release as, much to my great pleasure they came over to New York for two, one off gigs (one was a secret, shhhhh).
I had the privilege of attending both shows, but I am here to talk about their more intimate gig at Pianos as part of BrooklynVegan's Rock n ROFL. The small space made for an intimate setting that allowed for quite humorous crowd and band banter all throughout the night. This Is Not the World had an absolute monopoly on the setlist both at their Bowery and Pianos gigs. As this new album is probably the best album released in all of 2008 (yes, I'm not even waiting for December to call it), I was extremely pleased by their choice of songs for the evening(s). Starting off with "The Beginning of the Twist" set the mood for a raucous evening of mild to not so mild pogo-ing. I was mildly heartbroken when I did not hear my favorite, and sexiest Futureheads' song to date, "Sale of the Century." But to be fair, every single track off of This Is Not the World are absolutely outstanding so the songs we were greeted with were an absolute treat!
Since T.I.N.T.W. is absolutely taking over, some of the other songs from The Futureheads' catalogue were left out. I believe only once did a song from News and Tributes make an appearance and that was their single, "Skip to the End." The last half of the set was fairly geared towards their self-titled debut and they played the songs they knew we wanted to hear, such as my favorite "Carnival Kids" and the "oh, oh, oh-ing" goodness of "Hounds of Love." While The Futureheads' absence did make my heart grow fonder, I thankfully will not have to wait as long to see them again as they are planning on returning to the States in September!
Posted by ny2lon at 10:37 AM on Jun. 24 '08 | Comments (0)
Islands
NY2LON Live Reviewby LR from Cali
I found out Islands were playing about four hours before the show. It was sold out. I had to run on down, stand outside (like a loser) and hope for a miracle...a miracle that came in the form of a sixteen year old boy from Sacramento (ah, my nemesis town). He happened to have an extra ticket, and I bought it despite a huge ATM fee.
The first band, Crayonsmith, were very nice guys from Dublin. After the show I asked them a million questions about the foreign country of Ireland (from IRA to Bono's asset). The three piece made a lot of noise without a drummer. Danceable, happy, and occasionally synthy music. At one point the singer left the stage abruptly, only to return in a furry, white costume and a roman-military style hat.
The second act was Despot, a pocketsized rapper from Brooklyn. The boy could dance almost as well as he could rap. I was particularly impressed by "the shrug" dance, which was just a shrug and a demure look. Despot's rap stylings impressed me to no end. "Get Rich or Try Dying" was my favorite of his live tracks, though the set was pretty much flawless, as were his choice of samples (which he sang along with adorably). His DJ was just a guy holding an iPod, but apparently the position is highly prestigious, as one of the Chow brothers (wearing a name tag that said "DJ," a hood and dark glasses) jumped on stage to fight with the DJ over the job. He then pushed around the rapper, knocked over some water, "You weren't here when I started my set," said Despot. The rapper told the crowd that he was too young for certain cliches, like "saying MY NAME IS...very special to me since my parents gave it to me. That's from a bygone era." Instead, Despot chose to do some aerobics, helped by the Chow brother that had earlier caused a scene, with the crowd. The aerobics consisted mostly of running and lifting your hands above your head, but the Islands audience was super enthusiastic. Definitely one of my new favorite rappers.
Islands. I've been waiting years to see Islands. So why did this show catch me off guard? It had been moved from April (when I wasn't available) to June (lucky me!) and I had no clue! I found out about four hours before doors opened, and rushed down to Bimbo's 365 in hopes that I could buy a ticket to the sold out show. I luckily met some wonderful teenagers all the way from Sacramento who had an extra ticket, and lovely manners. Some hours later, we finally got to see Islands. The stage was completely dark when the band made their entrance, lit only by plastic, glowing red trees. On the stage was a pleathora of instruments, including a huge chain to be dropped in front of a microphone for a certain sound, lots of maracas, three violins, a bass clarinet, and many other fun things. Islands started with "Vertigo" from their newest album, which was mellow, so I had no idea what to expect. The crowd kicked into gear for "The Arm," which was what I expected them to start with, and pushed much of the front row back (not me, though, I'm a rock). A lot of the set was from the new album, though the crowd went completely wild for the "old stuff" like "Rough Gem" (where a hipster girl stepped on my foot with her heeled shoe) and "Humans" and "Where There's A Will There's A Whalebone." Despot and his DJ joined the band for that last one, and expertly executed the rap sections. Every moment of this show was filled with something magical to watch.
A few highlights of this show:
*Putting candy on the monitor in front of me, seeing them slide down to the waiting hands of whoever happened to be in front of me, (most of the time it was one of the Chows not really brothers, by the way).
*Nick Thornburn's glasses that were totally painted white. They later were found broken, and he looked pretty sad about it.
*The Chows playing the classic piano at Bimbo's. Well, one was playing, and the other was sitting seductively on it, while playing violin
*Seeing some girl let Nick hold her puppy (that she brought to a rock show?). Another person said, "I have a cute dog too"...Nick: "well, is it here?!"
*Figuring out, due to people asking Nick about the vinyl coming out, that CDs truly are dead
Click here for a YouTube video of the show, enjoy!
Posted by ny2lon at 9:27 AM on Jun. 20 '08 | Comments (0)
The Kooks
NY2LON Live Reviewby Roy P Rogers from Highway 55
This past Wednesday the sun was shining, but not shining too brightly so as to burn us alive like the previous few days, so it was the perfect day for a late afternoon performance from The Kooks on EMI's rooftop. Though they only played four songs, (Naive, Ooh La, Always Where I Need to Be, and Tick of Time) it was a short-but-sweet set. The new songs sounded great and hearing the old songs made my heart skip a beat...yeah, I really love The Kooks. I love them so much that I filmed this video of "Ooh La" not only for myself as a keepsake but for the rest of the world to savor as well. Enjoy:
Posted by ny2lon at 4:35 PM on Jun. 16 '08 | Comments (0)
BFD
NY2LON Festival Reviewby Lauren R from San Fran
BFD, Live 105's radio festival, only cost around ten dollars this year. Tickets sold out. That being said, I never planned on going, but when things happened to work out in my favor, I couldn't have been more delighted. The fest is held in the parking lot/ground of Shoreline Amphitheater (where I saw Earth, Wind and Fire and the Arcade Fire last year), where the sun beats down, bands interact, and fans pay nine dollars for a beer. In fact, everyone has to pay nine bucks for a beer, since there wasn't any backstage (you should have seen the talent freaking out over this fact).
We arrived at BFD in style: two rented minivans packed with MGMT and crew. As soon as we spilled out of the vans it was time for reunions and hugs with friendband, the Whigs. Middle Class Rut, whom we had talked to in Sac, played a really good set at noon. We also recognized some more faces (pennywise??) from the previous day's festival in Sacramento, though I can't say the tattooed, older men were ready for hugs. The long period of waiting started. It wasn't even noon, and MGMT didn't play until 2:50! It gave me time to check out the bands, take a few notes, and munch on the free fruit.
Drive A was one of the first bands on the mainstage. I'm sorry that I could not have seen more of their performance, because I found them fascinating. The band is made up of young teens, I guessed between 14 and 16, and I was obsessed with them backstage. They looked like little punk rockers of the late 70s style. I even drank my Gatorade extra fast so that I could grab another one while one of the little Drive A boys was in the tent that held the sugary beverage! My friend really looked down on me for this (basically pedophilia, I guess) and said that he saw the kids giving away shampoo or some commercial product at a different festival (sellouts)... anyway I finally mustered up some courage and talked to one later in the day. It was disappointing because he actually was just a regular teenager who is homeschooled, probably because he has to tour all the time. Made me a little sad.
A more successful attempt at making friends came with the band Hottub, from Oakland. The brightly clothed youngsters (not teenagers, thank god) attracted us easily, with their blanket and tail gating mentality. The band, who has opened for MIA recently, was busy having fun, putting on makeup and outfits to hit the Scion Subsonic stage (sadly at the same time as MGMT, so I would have to hit the pavement several times during both bands sets). The three girls and two boys made some of the freshest tunes I've heard live since my encounter with the always wonderful Juiceboxxx. And they were some very BOLD girls. They taunted security guards, jumped into the crowd, and then made a bunch of people jump on stage with them. I laughed a lot at the expressions on security's face, a mix of happiness and bewilderment. I cut out before the last song so I could run backstage to watch the end of MGMT, but I am sure that Hottub rocked every moment.
I saw the beginning of MGMT's set from the huge crowd. I observed several people smoking illegal substances, heard many people say nice things about MGMT (one said that they were the only reason they came to the festival, others complemented the band's style). It was a far cry from Sacramento, which was a much more forbidding landscape (I'm relatively sure someone said "what you lookin' at, hippie??!" in a threatening manner there). The band played all the usual hits ("Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel", etc.) and ended with the ever popular "Kids". At this point Hottub had joined me backstage and we all had the pleasure of dancing in front of the crowd on stage for the song.
The Kooks, the last band I wanted to see, didn't come on for another forty minutes, so I killed some time exploring the festival and eating, and trying to talk to the teen from Drive A. When the Kooks hit the stage, I recognized one of them as the guy who I almost accidentally talked to because he was wearing a hat similar to Ben from MGMT (how the convo would have gone - Me: Ben, I didn't know you had a tattoo and dressed like Indiana Jones, weren't you wearing orange pants a second ago?! Him: uh...). In fact, most of the Kooks donned really nice hats! Probably a good idea, since it was still a very sunny day, and these guys looked pretty fair. The UK band, which formed at a music college, played a forty minute set of rock and roll. They were quite good looking, and I think the crowd was picking up on their vibe. I saw some heads bopping. It was fantastic. I could only imagine what this band's day was like. As far as I could tell, they were the only British act, and were pretty out of place in genre as well, sandwiched between Anti Flag and Everlast. I hope they had fun, and high tailed it out of there once they were done, perhaps to swim in the pool of whatever hotel they ended up in.
While we were packing up to leave I heard a familiar song... "Jump Around" by mothereffin House of Pain?! Everlast, frontman for the now defunct hip hop group opened with the classic hit that came out when I was four! Soon after he played "What It's Like," and I was sad that I couldn't go see it since we were leaving. Nostalgia hooks me every time. Lucky for me, there was a pool where we were headed, so I could drown my sorrows.
What I learned during my festival weekend:
Gas prices are over $4
Men are really attached to their beards
I should probably get a Mac
Sacramento is a scary place to be if you don't look like everyone else
Going to Chevy's at night on tour calls for pitchers of margaritas
Drive A Myspace
Drive A Website
The Kooks Myspace
The Kooks Website
Everlast Myspace
Everlast Website
Posted by ny2lon at 1:12 PM on Jun. 12 '08 | Comments (0)
The Young Knives
NY2LON Live Reviewby Rachy P from NYC
It was 100 degrees outside as well as inside of Mercury Lounge on Monday night, but it was the perfect environment for a hilarious, sweaty gig from The Young Knives, a band whose best-known song includes the line, "Hot summer/what a bummer." I have been so busy falling in love with TYK's latest album, Superabundance, that I forgot about their older songs, so it was a nice surprise when they played a few "oldies but goodies" during their short set, which focused mainly on new material.
TYK's new album is all sorts of amazing. Creative, smart, sometimes humorous, sometimes melancholic lyrics mixed with a dancey, excited rhythm section make this an album that you don't want to turn off. The new album is also more full than their last, with more guitars, trumpets, and even some orchestral sounds. Needless to say, I was more than pleased when their live show captured the sound from their record; many bands aren't able to do this and it's quite a feat. They played almost all of the songs from the new album, so those in the audience who hadn't yet heard the album got a nice sampling.
Aside from making great music, The Young Knives also make great banter. I've seen them a few times before but I forgot just how funny they can be onstage. Brothers Henry Dartnall and The House Of Lords (those are the names they go by) go at each other as if they were young boys, yet they do it in such a clever way that you can't help but laugh even though they're being awfully mean to one another. The audience was in fits of laughter, even as the band mocked our bands and writers, claiming nothing good ever came out of America. For those in attendance, it was a 2-for-1 deal: we paid to see a music gig but got the bonus of a comedy act.
The openers--all three--also made the ticket worthwhile. These days it's rare that I like one of the support bands, but I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying all three. Arriving to gigs early is worth it for nights like this one. A brief rundown on the support:
Who: Gustaf Heden
For fans of: Sondre Lerche
Sounds like: charming, endearing European who could model on the side and whose English is better than most native speakers'.
Myspace
Who: The Magic Wands
For fans of: The Kills
Sounds like: Sexy boy-girl duo who sing about...sex. They even use a drum machine, just like The Kills.
Myspace
Who: The Postelles
For fans of: Buddy Holly?
Sounds like: 1960s, surfy, preppy pop
Myspace
Posted by ny2lon at 3:34 PM on Jun. 11 '08 | Comments (0)
Juiceboxxx
NY2LON Live Reviewby L Dog from the West Coast
Juiceboxxx, the youngest of my favorite "indie" rappers, is worth just about anything to see. Even a sea of unappreciative hipsters. Even spilled drinks (on me). Even sweat.
When I met up with JB, I found him surprisingly charming for someone so tired. From what I could tell, the boy had flown from NY that day, by himself. Perhaps it was the drink in his hand (someone had gifted him absinthe!), or perhaps he just likes California. Either way I was more smitten with the now 21 year old rapper. He's very independent, he's lived on his own since he was a teen! And just his body and his lyrics and nothing else but an iPod filled with beats create a whirlwind of on stage punk rock energy. It was enough to move the regulars at "Blow Up," an indie dance club night, who are usually too busy with themselves to notice a live act. But then again, not all the acts there jump into the crowd regularly.
Juiceboxxx had twenty minutes to impress, distress, and make the audience dance. He totally did it, too. He played some of my favorites, the ever lovable "Thunder Jam III," "Center Stage," and "Sweat," which was the theme of my night since at the moment, my friend Brian was sweating up a Juice-inspired storm a little too close for comfort.
"They don't want to see me, they just want to see themselves," said JB before the show. It's true, or it was true. But Juice, you really showed them. Not only did the crowd respond, they freakin' loved this kid from middle America. And even if they hadn't, hey, you still got some rent moneys.
Posted by ny2lon at 9:40 AM on May. 12 '08 | Comments (0)
Rogue Wave
NY2LON Live Reviewby Lauren from San Francisco
I arrived at the Fillmore to find two spots right in the front of line waiting for me due to some real fans who got there a few hours ahead of time that I am lucky enough to know. I feel like, at my age, I deserve that kind of treatment. I had talked to Kristen, singer of Grand Ole Party, earlier and decided she needed a super gift (a St. Christopher visor clip for a band's van is a useful thing). I hadn't really heard the music of GOP, but was very impressed when, a few hours later, I got the chance.
The opening act, Snowblink, was as charming as you can get. This bay area group was led by a nice young lady, Daniela, whom I harassed about many things, insisting that we've met before, and asking her to show off her engagement ring. Almost married, pretty, sings like an angel and has a wireless headset microphone: yep the girl pretty much is livin' the life. Not to mention the rest of her band are pretty much just as charming, as they rock instruments like sticks, tambourines, a shared cymbal. For one song, a basket of bells was passed into the crowd and everyone grabbed one (or a few, as was my desire) and rang them. A fishing pole with ribbon was also utilized during the set. I'll definitely be seeing this band again.
Grand Ole Party took the stage a little after 9:30. I was already tired at this point (aging, remember?) but got re-energized. The San Diego three piece - simply guitar, bass and drums - really got the crowd going, whom I assume had not heard of this act. The band is fresh off a UK tour with Rilo Kiley, played their last date with Rogue Wave that night, and will be back in less than a month with the Fiery Furnaces. The band probably draws comparison to the Furnaces, and probably the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as it is simple, somewhat early rock and rollish, and woman led. Frontwoman Kristen pulled a Don Henley and sang with much emotion and energy (way better than anyone this side of Henley) while playing drums. How she can do both at the same time is a mystery. Someone in the crowd near me muttered that it was a gimmick - if so, it was working because I, and my hard to please red head friend, were pretty much won over. The smoke machine and fan behind Kristen added a great effect, even though from my position in front of a monitor she kind of looked like a floating head singing into a headset microphone. It was two for two good opening acts that night. At the end of their set, I asked the bassist for his set list, and he said, "sure but you won't be able to read it." When I looked at it later, I discovered it was just a bunch of letters on a notecard.
By the time Rogue Wave hit the stage, I was beat from a long day, and from all the previous dancing. We giggled at how cute Rogue Wave's older men vibe was, especially as we noted their guitarist's horn rimmed, ben Sherman jacket wearing style. He was the best thing on stage, making faces, jumping around, being older, and he was only five feet away. I was happy to hear some of my favorite songs, like "Medicine Ball" and crowd pleaser "Publish My Love," relative early, that way I could go home and not feel cheated. I was about to leave when I heard Zach Rogue asking Daniela to return to the stage, and one of my favorite men in town, John Vanderslice, to come sing a song with them. No words can describe my love for V-slice, I always love running into him... I made sure to holla for him, and I also got Daniela to show off her ring a little more. Despite everything the show was a little sad for me; this is the first show in the bay area since Evan died. From sfweekly's blog: "After an Elephants show at the Starry Plough in Berkeley on December 20 he slept at the home of Graham Lebron from Rogue Wave. When the basement furnace caught fire he woke everyone up in the house, but tragically was not able to make it to safety himself and died from his injuries three days later in the hospital."
Rogue Wave's Myspace
Rogue Wave's Website
Snowblink's Myspace
Snowblink's Website
Posted by ny2lon at 10:17 AM on May. 6 '08 | Comments (0)
Colin Meloy
NY2LON Live Reviewby Lauren from San Francisco
Colin Meloy, you are a gentleman and a scholar. Seriously. Who else could write a cautionary song about prostitute mothers and have it be so amazing?
I was running pretty late, and I was tempted to skip the Colin Meloy solo show at the Fillmore that my friend had gifted me his tickets to. But I persevered, and got to venue only a few songs into his set. It's really weird to think of one guy getting a huge tour bus, but it seems pretty appropriate for a man with such an obvious talent. Everything about him is wonderful, according to my show companion, "He's so good. He's over thirty, esoteric, and wears glasses and stripes." This thought would repeat in my head as I watched the hour long set of Decemberists and solo material. Also, every time he drank a sip of wine, she would squeal...something about older men and wine must be appealing.
For every solo jaunt, Meloy puts out an EP of covers by a specific artist. First Morrisey, then Shirley Collins, and now the wonderful Sam Cooke – the cover of "Cupid" can't quite capture the power of the original, but Colin Meloy is a white guy from middle America who was born in the 70s, and did amazingly well making an EP of these songs that I could listen to over and over. Colin sang many songs about San Francisco, much to our delight, including "Grace Cathedral Hill," and "O Valencia."
Meloy is a mix a musician and an actor, this is especially true when he is by himself, wearing no outfit, just jeans and a collared shirt. He still makes the story songs come alive, and even lets the audience in on Decemberists secrets: like how bassist Nate Query has a mic in front of him only for one specific yell - the captains wail in "Mariner's Revenge." He also encouraged audience sing alongs, reminiscent to a school teacher, and regularly talked to the characters in the front row (they even got a few laughs out of him). It had been a few years since I've seen Meloy in any form, and this was a splendid reminder that he is probably a genius, but not the creepy kind, the kind that gets along with people.
Colin Meloy's Myspace
The Decemberists' Myspace
The Decemberists' Website
Posted by ny2lon at 12:55 PM on May. 5 '08 | Comments (0)
MGMT
NY2LON Live Reviewby Lauren from San Francisco
I'm always delighted when MGMT rolls into town. Needless to say, I didn't think they'd ever roll into town with a huge tour bus, but that's not to say those boys don't deserve it. It's hard work being young and touring all the time. Since I first befriended the lil guys, they've been in San Francisco three times...that's an insane amount of times! I know that they are huge in England, and I'm pretty sure they are huge here too. Anywho, I'll skip all that and go straight ahead to the review.
Slim's is a strange venue. Not bad, just strange. They have a real cook to make the bands food (a man named Jose, I think, who is super sweet and claims, believably, to be friends with all sorts of big names). They have a big screen to drop between set changes. They have annoying poles throughout the room, which you could conceivably put a drink down on, but seem to serve the purpose of annoying me. MGMT's van, er, large tour bus of love, was parked right outside the little venue, for all the kids in line to gawk at as they approached the show and waited in a long line. I think there is a joke about tour busses being bigger than the places a band is playing...that wasn't quite the case here, but it was pretty close. I was lucky enough to watch from inside as some MGMT crew gave out schwag (shirts, jeans, other stuff they had picked up on the road) to some lucky people outside. Free stuff is great, but you don't smile really big unless the free stuff is given to you, in some way, by a band.
MGMT is a duo, Andrew and Ben, but as a touring band they are joined by some of the nicest boys ever: Matt on bass, James on guitar and Will on drums. The band played a set of songs from their recent release, Oracular Spectacular, including: Weekend Wars, Pieces of What, Time to Pretend, and Kids (the encore). All of which were big hits with the crowd! MGMT also played some covers (the kinks!); you've got to play covers when you only have one album, I would think. I like to think that in a perfect world, everyone loves Brown Eyed Girl, by Van Morrison, and if I were the judge, the crowd at Slim's that night would definitely be in my perfect world. So would MGMT, because they somehow decided to play Brown Eyed Girl (I was surprised, I didn't hear it soundcheck!), "sha la la la's" and everything! Nothing can get a crowd of girls - which was most of the front few rows of that show - excited like that song...it's a fact! I was tempted to run onstage and dance, but I decided to mind my manners, and dance from where I was.
I expect that this little band will get bigger and bigger, hopefully not exploding in the process. In fact, I'm pretty sure they legally have to grow in popularity, it's in the contract, right? Columbia Records is ensuring us of at least three more albums. They have to pay for that bus somehow! WORTH IT.
Posted by ny2lon at 10:47 AM on Apr. 29 '08 | Comments (0)
Rilo Kiley
NY2LON Live Reviewby Lauren from the Bermuda Triangle
Rilo Kiley. It has been years indeed since I've last seen you. And, despite what people say, you have not changed! Not negatively, anyway.
Michael Runion, boy superstar and my favorite LA local, opened up the Rilo Kiley show by addressing the fact that the ads for the show all said 8 pm, when really, the show started at 7:30. "It's hard to feel anything when it's light outside," he complained, in an endearing way. I've never seen Runion with a full band, but he had one, a five piece backing band that he seemed to really like. He even got to put his guitar down, wrap the microphone cord around his self and croon for a few songs, when Whispertown's Tod picked up the electric. Michael Runion explained to the crowd that over thanksgiving, he had learned that his last name is Irish, even though he is Mexican: "I'd like to thank us, we built this state, and I'd like to thank the Europeans for stealing it." Michael pleased me, although he didn't play my favorite, "Don't Let Her Hold You."
Whispertown 2000, yet another lovely LA band, was more what the crowd was looking for: two attractive, short-dress wearing women (Jenny's friend Morgan and Vanessa), a cute boy (Tod), and a mustachioed character (a fellow who replaced old W200 member Colt). They kicked off their set with "103," a song about my favorite topic, aging! The four musicians switched off instruments, which really impressed me. Whispertown even played some new material. The band ended with their signature jamboree style finale; all of Runions band returned to the stage, (except Runion who was very late for the jam session) picked up instruments, and rocked out. The guitar player from Runion's band plucked the bass strings, while Whispertown's bassist fretted the notes: it was too cool to believe. Runion finally made it back to the stage to play the acoustic guitar and jam out for a while before the set ended.
Rilo Kiley, the band that everyone was waiting for, came out at a respectable hour - 9:25. Jenny Lewis, front woman, child star, solo star, all purpose ginger!, looked smaller than the last time I'd seen her, and everyone was swooning as soon as she stepped on stage. The band all had silver, black and white outfits on; they are an impeccably dressed band, but I would expect nothing less from Los Angeles darlings. I believe I saw Orenda Fink, one of my other favorite artists, playing with Rilo Kiley (trumpet, tambourine, keys). The lighting was brilliant - someone did a great job managing strobes, black lights, blue lights, red lights. The band kicked off the set with three songs from their newest album, Under the Blacklight, "Close Call," "Moneymaker," and "Dreamworld," which sounded so much like a smooth 70's song that I couldn't stop smiling.
"Capturing Moods," from Executions of all Things, was messed up by Miss Jenny, but noone would have noticed if she hadn't stopped to apologize, which was adorable, as usual; one of the best sing along moments came during this song, when hundreds of people sang/screamed, "you could sell your baseball cards just to pay your rent." At that moment all I could think was, 'I've never owned baseball cards, nobody I know has ever owned them either.' The lighting guy, whoever he is, produced my favorite moment of show: during the emotional high point of "Does He Love You" the stage was completely drenched in red light as Lewis sang, "your husband will never leave you for me" – it reminded me of how good of an actress she probably is, she can capture every range of emotion in the songs she sings.
Blake had an important announcement, he had to introduce his new guitar that he had driven all the way from LA to SF to retrieve from a craigslist ad in a bar. Can you imagine selling your guitar online only to find out it was for Blake Sennett, former child star, current rock star? He then went straight into "Ripchord," from More Adventurous. So many sing along moments during this set. "Absence of God," and "With Arms Outstretched," were just two of the many songs that had the crowd hot and bothered and singing like mad.
I love balloons! I am putting that out there as a pretext to my next statement - I love balloons filled with glitter. Needless to say, Rilo Kiley had balloons filled with glitter and it made my freakin' night. I texted my friend during the balloon song, "Silver Lining," that 'these balloons are floating and fucking huge...I want to marry one...and live happy with glitter latex children." One balloon even made it to the end of the song with out it's glittery insides being torn apart. However, an even luckier balloon got popped just as Jenny Lewis ended, "I never felt so wicked, as when I willed our love to die (POP)." She smiled at the balloon. The band "ended" with "I Never," a song that holds precious memories for me - I was there the first time it was performed live - complete with an epic Blake guitar solo. Now it's a sure fire sign that the show ain't over if the band leaves something running, and sure enough Rilo came out to perform a few more songs, including "Picture of Success," and "Portions for Foxes," which made the crowd completely nuts. I think Rilo Kiley is just a band that people can go nuts for...I was proved right when my friend Jen got a water bottle from the stage, and proceeded to yell "This is JENNY'S WATER!!," and pour some on my head. I guess she thought it was a sort of holy blessing - maybe everyone at that show would agree with her.
Posted by ny2lon at 3:41 PM on Apr. 22 '08 | Comments (0)
The Gay Blades!!
A NY2LON Live Review...Spinner from N6th
A little Iggy and the Stooges, a little... Dane Cooke, actually. Clark Westfield, lead singer of this 2-man outfit, could absolutely be a talk show host or a standup comic - that is, if he weren't such a fucking good musician. His personality is as amped as his music. He kept the audience (i.e. me) throughly entertained, like when he goes to the people in the front row, "We're so close! It's like it's just us!" Or when he called out some dude in the audience, "You're not really on your Blackberry during the clappy hand part are you??" He threw love to the concert organizers, saying, "We'd like to thank Deli Magazine for voting us the 28th best band of 2007... 28 is where it's at. Number 29? Fuck that. FUCK that. That's white rabbit shit."
Curious about the other guy in the band? Drummer Puppy Mills aka The Snitch, like, could've been in The Stooges. His propulsive beats totally held their own with Westfield's wildly manic persona. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed watching a drummer as much as I did tonight. He just made it look so fun and easy. And as a failed drummer, I happen to know that alot of the stuff he was doing wasn't that easy.
The Gay Blades are just really fucking FUN to watch. That's basically all I can say. What a fucking blast. I want to get back in line and go again!
Epilogue: At some point during the set, I heard someone say "They're like the White Stripes but with a sense of humor!" which at the time I thought was a lazy and very lame comparison. But I know what she meant, which is why I mention it now.
Visit the Gay Blades at their Myspace
Posted by ny2lon at 3:49 PM on Apr. 4 '08 | Comments (0)
Deck of Jack
Starter Jacket Videoby Raleigh Paterson from Newark
The 90's were known for many great things-flannel shirts, grunge music, Seinfeld, Cindy Crawford, Wayne and Garth, Beavis and Butthead, Doc Martin boots, and Pulp Fiction. Besides these unforgettable goodies, the decade also brought us a handful of pop-cultural stains-one of those being the Starter jacket epidemic, an unexplainable phenomenon where certain suburban teenagers dawned puffy coats and began acting like gangsta rappers.
Deck-of-Jack, with the help of the Slack Pack (Long Island's favorite cable access comedy troupe) tries to shed some light on this mystery in their brand new music video, "Starter Jacket."
For those who were alive during this turbulent time, it's time to break out your pagers, peg your pants, and re-live the days when suburban kids thought Compton was Camelot.
"Starter Jacket" video:
Check out the rest of Deck of Jack's hilariously awesome (or is it awesomely hilarious?) videos here.
Posted by ny2lon at 3:49 PM on Apr. 3 '08 | Comments (0)
Dan Deacon and Liam Lynch
Drinking Out Of CupsTo Da Moon from NYC
For those of you who don't know, Liam Lynch is the guy who sang that cult hit a few years ago "The United States of Whatever." Dan Deacon is... I dunno who Dan Deacon is. But this video is fucking amazing.
"pa-little kid in the background going CRAY-zeh-hheh-heh-hehhhh.."
comic gold.
Posted by ny2lon at 8:55 AM on Apr. 1 '08 | Comments (0)
SXSW 2008
The Week That Wasby Rachy P in NYC
Unlike most bloggers, we don't live blog at SXSW. We're too burnt out--literally and figuratively, thank you 95 degree, record breaking heat!--when we return to our hotel/couch/floor at 4am to stay up until 8 am blogging about the previous day's happenings, sleeping until noon and then doing it all over again. But kudos to those who do! Plus, we think it's fun to go back in our minds, one week later, and relive the awesomeness that is SXSW. By now we're well rested, refreshed, recovered, and ready to reminisce.
I'm going to try something different this year. I will attempt to connect each band I write about to the following one. Think of it as Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon SXSW.
I think it's only right to start with the first band I saw, a great band that also just happens to be from Austin, Future Clouds and Radar. They play really lovely, mellow pop, accented by Robert Harrison's beautiful vocals. Their bassist, Joshua Zarbo (one of the coolest people on Earth), used to be in Spoon. On our way to another gig, we bumped into Spoon's sound/tech guy, Jeff Byrd (another cool dude), and he recommended we see a band he's currently working with, Corto Maltese, also from Austin. I'm so glad I did because these guys are like a more awesome Arcade Fire. It's kind of ridiculous how awesome they are.
Speaking of Spoon, their drummer, Jim Eno, (another cool dude!) was at New York band Longwave's showcase. They're one of the best bands from NYC, and any fan of shoegazey, Brit-inspired rock should check them out. Their live show is always great.
Longwave played a day party with Look See Proof, from England. I love these guys. They play crazy energetic dance-rock, and their live show is great. They've got choppy beats that keep you tapping your toes throughout their set. At that same day show, LSP played alongside their friends, Glaswegian band The Dykeenies. They're a little too emo, My Chemical Romance-ish for me, but their live show is anthemic and strong; very powerful stuff.
Sons and Daughters, who are also from Glasgow, played 11 shows, and I went to three of them, all of which were great. I love their sexy, dark, gothy dance-rock, and vocalist Adele Bethel sounded stronger than ever when showcasing the band's new songs live. While speaking to guitarist and vocalist Scott Paterson about their insane schedule, he said theirs was nothing compared to Lightspeed Champion, who was doing over 30 shows! I managed to see just one of those performances, and I'm sure glad I did. Lightspeed is the new band of Dev Hynes, formerly of Test-Icicles, which this new band sounds nothing like. Dev has a really great voice, and the slowed down, stripped down music in his new band really allows him to show it off.
Another band that arose from a disbanded group is The Rascals, who were my favorite band of SXSW '08. I saw them three times and all three sets were killer. Like I said before, they sound like a mix of The Coral and Arctic Monkeys, and if that doesn't sound good to you then you need your head examined. I actually think they're better live than on record, so go see them live as soon as you can!
I saw The Whip just before The Rascals. Rave party 2008!! They went on at 4 in the afternoon, but vocalist Bruce Carter told us to pretend like it was 4 in the morning, which is the appropriate time to see a band like theirs. Madchester is alive and well in 2008, as long as bands like The Whip keep it going! A must see for anyone who likes to dance their ass off.
Speaking of Manchester, I was so pleased to be able to see Manchester-native Jim Noir at SXSW, as it had been years since I'd seen him last. He's still making wonderful pop music, and his set consisted almost entirely of new songs, all of which sounded great. He is a pop genius who can do no wrong.
I also had the pleasure of seeing Ed Harcourt, another singer-songwriter from England. I'm not sure how to describe Ed's music. Words like deep, epic, and angelic come to mind, but that sounds too cheesy! Oh well, it's true. His show was amazing and wasn't lacking in humor, something Ed is known for.
I saw California's The Morning Benders at the same venue as Ed. I was excited to see how their perfect West Coast pop songs would sound live, and they sounded great. They've really mastered the beachy, sunny pop sound.
Scissors For Lefty are also from California, but their music is more dance-pop oriented. Their live show was really fun. It was nice to see a band really enjoy themselves on stage and their humbleness was refreshing.
Fellow Californians Two Gallants played a handful of shows and I knew to catch at least one. They play passionate, intense blues-country-rock and the passion and intensity is always magnified at their live shows, which are incredible.
Johnny Flynn also plays bluesy country rock, but he's from England, which is kind of strange but also really awesome, because he has NAILED the sound. He was great live and it was quite fitting, considering we were in Texas.
I saw The Voom Blooms at the same venue on the same day. Unfortunately, they were forgettable, which confuses me because their recorded music is AMAZING. I'm going to chalk it up to being really tired and hot (me and them) and give them another shot.
Speaking of forgettable, Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong did nothing for me. It seemed like they were trying too hard and I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be wearing a cape when it's 95 degrees out.
One band that you couldn't forget if you tried is The Pigeon Detectives, also from England. Lead singer Matt Bowman jumps around on stage as if he forgot to take his Ritalin. He swings his mic in the air (and almost always catches it; it's quite impressive), brings audience members onstage, climbs things, and jumps from things. Their music is also great, with clever, funny lyrics and dancey rock beats that get you moving. If their music doesn't get you pumped up then I'm pretty sure you're dead. One of the best shows of the entire festival.
Finally, the band that stood out most for me was Fanfarlo, also from England. I had never heard them before and I was surprised and completely blown away by them. They sound like Beirut mixed with Belle and Sebastian--a great combination if you ask me. They've got lots of fun instruments and they sound really great on record and live, so go listen to them and see them as soon as possible!
Well, there's SXSW 2008 in a nutshell, or a shell that's slightly bigger than a nut...It was great fun and I'm already counting down the days until next year. Can't wait!
For pictures and links, click here.
Posted by ny2lon at 8:42 AM on Mar. 22 '08 | Comments (0)
SXSW Is So Last Week...
a recap..Back In New York
Here's my take on SXSW. I've decided that there are too many people for too few legitimately good parties. So you get a log-jam at the Playboy party entrance, and about a thousand empty showcases where bands are playing to their manager, sound guy, and #1 fan (sometimes manifested in one guy, unshowered and with a ponytail).
That said, I had a fucking blast. Above is a picture of NY2LON favorite the morning benders getting interviewed by John Norris of MTV News - mics, cameras and all. Check out the background - not your average sxsw gig. It was taken at the +1 House party at Hank Sinatra's house, where the stage was made of junk, and there was a pen full of goats and chickens in the yard. Hank himself might be the coolest motherfucker in history. Picture's worth a thousand words:
Highlights from the house party? The whole fucking thing. Explorer's Club were a revelation. Peggy Sue & The Pirates impressed. The Morning Benders were fresh and the perfect vibe to complement the gorgeous Texas sunset. The Heavy and Two Gallants brought the thunder.
Other parties I crashed/attended...
Playboy Rock The Rabbit. (10 out of 10)
The party of the week. There were playmates walking around in their little bunny get-ups. I saw celebrities like Lance Armstrong, Elijah Wood, and Tom Morrello. Carson Daly and John Norris were spotted having a conversation. No word on who was interviewing who, or whether we had traveled back in time to the set of TRL circa 1995. The band of the night was definitely The Heavy. Their frontman is outrageous.
Behind the scenes? The VIP section was really smoky, the floor was slick from all the spilled booze and melted ice, the industry hustle was non-stop, playmates were running in and out, and Moby was trying to kick a door down in his dressing room. And yes, the MGMT guy kept his headband on for the duration of the evning.
The BLENDER after-hours (not bad out of 10):
Cool Kids slayed it. But the performance room was so crowded, I chose to remain outside where it was nice and... crowded. But not sweaty and gross. Backstage scene? Not too crazy. The Cool Kids seem to have their heads on straight: I overheard one of the Cool Kids say, "The life is glamorous until you're in it. I've been in my house for 4 days this year..." Diplo and A-Trak isn't really my thing, but the music was loud and the party stayed packed til 4am, which is something.
DIESEL:U:MUSIC Party (dankness out of 10):
She&Him played - Zooey Deschanel is an angel. Her voice makes me want to shoop. The Ting Tings were a perfect late night act, as my drunken ass hopped up and down til the bitter end. My ears rang for days.
This wins for best VIP section - bowling lanes! Watching musicians and hipster industry folk, all conveniently dressed in Diesel, trying to bowl after a night of free beer and vodka drinks might have been my favorite thing... Besides seeing Zooey up close. She doesn't even look real. She's perfection.
Posted by ny2lon at 1:31 PM on Mar. 20 '08 | Comments (0)
The Rascals at SXSWby Rachy P from NYC
Howdy, y'all! This year's SXSW was awesome. As your resident Anglophile, I made it my duty to see as many UK bands as possible (this site's not called New York 2 London for nothin!) In total, I saw 22 bands from the UK, 12 from the US, one from Australia, and one from Sweden. That's a lot of bands. The best band at this year's SXSW was, hands down, The Rascals.
This trio rose from the ashes of their previous band, The Little Flames (sorry, the pun was necessary). If The Coral and Arctic Monkeys had a baby, well, it'd be The Rascals. I was lucky enough to catch the band three times at SXSW, and all of their sets blew me away. Lead vocalist Miles Kane sure has some strong pipes!
Their three-song set for radio station The Current was short, but the sound was amazing, so I took the opportunity to film the band during their set.
The Rascals performing "The Freakbeat Phantom":
This is just a taste of what's to come from our SXSW coverage. Expect a big write up in the next few days, complete with pictures, links, and more!
Posted by ny2lon at 7:46 PM on Mar. 19 '08 | Comments (0)
Gone to Texasfrom the NY2LON Headquarters
It's fianlly my favorite time of the year, SXSW!! Unfortunately avid NY2LON readers, that means we will be M.I.A. (not the artist) for a week! But not to worry, when we come back, we'll have so many updates that you won't know what to do with yourself!
Posted by ny2lon at 3:33 PM on Mar. 10 '08 | Comments (0)
The Last Shadow Puppets
NY2LON Live Reviewby Rachy P from NYC
On March 4, we New Yorkers were treated to a surprise intimate performance by The Last Shadow Puppets, a side project for Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner and The Rascals' Miles Kane. They are in town to promote their debut album, The Age of the Understatement, and decided to do a last-minute gig. It was their first ever live performance as a duo and it gave them a chance to preview new material from their album.
Fans of both bands will be pleased by the band's sound. It doesn't seem like the recorded material will be as stripped down as this acoustic set was, but the music for this project is definitely more mellow than the Arctic Monkeys' or The Rascals'.
If you don't know who The Rascals are, I suggest you check them out. Aside from the fact that they're a great band, the overall sound of The Last Shadow Puppets' music has more in common with The Rascals than with Arctic Monkeys. The Rascals remind me of The Coral, and the music played at the show sounded like what you might expect The Coral to sound like if they played acoustically.
Overall, the songs have a haunting feel to them, especially when Turner and Kane sing together. And call me crazy, but the title track reminds me of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise!"
The album is out April 21 on Domino Records.
The setlist:
"In My Room"
"Standing Next to Me"
"The Chamber"
"Only the Truth"
"Calm Like You"
"My Mistakes"
"The Age of the Understatement"
"Meeting Place"
More information is available on Domino's website.
Posted by ny2lon at 4:06 PM on Mar. 5 '08 | Comments (0)
The Wallbirds
NY2LON Featured ArtistMeg from Quahog
In a day and age where literally any and every band adds you on myspace and calls you a "friend," it's hard to whittle down who you should and shouldn't listen to. A little initiative goes a long way, so when a band takes the time to send me a message, I put them ahead of all the other bands, and give them a listen that day. Thankfully The Wallbirds did just that and not only did I immediately listen to them, but I also immediately fell in love with their music.
What's really interesting about The Wallbirds is that they incorporate a couple genres of music in the course of one self-titled EP. On tracks like "Valentine" and "8 O'Clock Blues," you can expect to hear Bruce Springsteen like harmonicas with Ryan Adams' type folk rock. Then there is the stellar track "The Avenue" that is throwback, jangly, southern pop sung by way of Doncaster. Bridging the gap between these two genres is the track "Desperate" which combines the harmonicas and folk with a pinch of southern charm. It's easy to imagine the three guys that make up The Wallbirds sitting on a porch in the south playing banjos and washboards chewing on straw.
They have an unhealthy amount of tour dates coming up with both The Metros and Air Traffic, which you should take the time and make sure you see them.
02/27 - Birmingham, UK - Bar Academy*
02/29 - Tunbridge Wells, UK - Forum*
03/01 - Norwich, UK - Arts Centre*
03/03 - Leeds, UK - Cockpit*
03/04 - Edinburgh, UK - Cabaret Voltaire*
03/05 - Aberdeen, UK - Tunnels*
03/06 - Glasgow, UK - King Tuts*
03/07 - Liverpool, UK - Korova*
03/08 - Bedford, UK - Esquire*
03/13 - Brighton, UK - Freebutt
03/14 - Portsmouth, UK - Shepherds Crook
03/15 - Southampton, UK - Unit 22
03/28 - Doncaster, UK - The Hub
03/29 - Wakefield, UK - Escobar
04/05 - Middlesborough, UK - Arena
04/10 - Inverness, UK - Hootanannys
04/11 - Stornoway, UK - Woodlands Centre
04/12 - Ullapool, UK - The Arch
04/13 - Elgin, UK - Red Shoes Theatre
04/18 - Peterborough, UK - Met Lounge
04/19 - Sheffield, UK - Academy
04/22 - Liverpool, UK - Barfly
04/23 - Birmingham, UK - Barfly
04/24 - Exeter, UK - Lemon Grove**
04/25 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2**
04/26 - York, UK - Fibbers
04/28 - Edinburgh, UK - Liquid Rooms**
04/29 - Norwich, UK - Water Front**
04/30 - London, UK - Sheperds Bush Empire**
05/01 - London, UK - Barfly
*With The Metros
**With Air Traffic
Posted by ny2lon at 1:37 PM on Feb. 26 '08 | Comments (0)
The Films
NY2LON Featured ArtistHeidi from The Hills
Based on looks alone, you would never know that The Films hail from Charleston, South Carolina and they do everything in their power to make sure you don't find that out. Sorry to blow your cover fellas. These southern natives released their first full length album, Don't Dance Rattlesnake, this past September with a limited edition secret album called Horseforce! That's 23 songs kids! Although they'd like to forget it, it's really their southern roots that add to the overall album(s) sound. They are one of those bands that just some how ended up on your doorstep (or iPod for this generation) and you have no idea how they got there, but thank god that they did.
The second track, "Belt Loops," is essentially a Jon Cusack movie from the 80's in song form, although The Films add a little venom with lyrics like, "she said jealousy is something that distracts, I said it's hard to focus with your fingers in his belt loops." No beating around the bush there. Having heard a few tracks prior to the album's release, I got attached to them, but by far the best track on the album is one I haven't heard before. "Being Bored" is a rambunctious track that starts off with a ridiculously catchy beat that you find yourself bopping your head along to all through the song. "Tabletops" is a lip-curling sing along that you wish would never end but thankfully, when it does, you're greeted with an equally clever and fun song called "Black Shoes." The Films start getting dirty on "Strange Hands" when they describe a raunchy club scene with "he was push, push, pushin like he was selling speed, he's got hands upon her hips makin faces you wouldn't believe. Oh next thing is strange hands movin down your back." Growl!
Although I haven't heard Horseforce, I would have to say, based on Don't Dance Rattlesnake, all 23 songs The Films are offering you, you should listen to. There's not a single ounce of filler on Rattlesnake, so go on, give it a listen. They let you stream the whole album on their site, so you really have no excuse not to!
Posted by ny2lon at 3:30 PM on Feb. 25 '08 | Comments (0)
Look See Proof
NY2LON Featured ArtistKelly from Bayside
You know that rare occurrence when you hear a band for the first time and absolutely fall in love? That's what happened to me when I was introduced to this new band called Look See Proof. Composed of four fellas from Hertfordshire, Look See Proof are young, energetic, and ready to take the current music scene by storm. Their name may not ring a bell, but once their debut album comes out in June, they'll be unavoidable. They've already appeared in the pages of NME without a proper full length record out--now that's saying something.
What sets LSP apart from all the other bands trying to make it in this industry is that they're just in it to have fun, all the while making ridiculously catchy pop gems. The four songs you can hear on their Myspace (if you're not too lazy, you can buy their singles) are all choppy, single-ready songs.
The beginning of "Casualty" is incredibly anthemic, and you could easily see the song flourish in a venue the size of Brixton Academy. They also offer their version of a teenage heartbreak track with "Local Hero." Although all their songs are extremely addictive, I would have to say after far too many listens that "Start Again" is the unforeseen frontrunner in my book. Towards the end of the song, the following lyrics: "Let's all, start again, I'm so fed up, with repeated trends. Cause I know your face, and I know I'm wrong, but there's no point trying to convince you. Don't let me down, I won’t let you down" are spoken/shouted and it's absolutely genius.
Besides having a catalogue of remarkable tracks to their name, LSP have a touring record that would make any music fan jealous. They've supported the likes of The Fratellis, The Rifles, Foals, The Dykeenies, Good Shoes, and just recently The Twang. If this is not a formula for success, then I don't know what is. Fortunately for those of us in the US, they're playing this year's SXSW, and I would highly suggest making time to check them out!
Posted by ny2lon at 12:09 PM on Feb. 12 '08 | Comments (0)
Clocks
NY2LON Featured ArtistSunshine from Pittsburgh
It's slightly embarrassing how long it took me to write a review about a band called Clocks but as the band Travis so eloquently put it, "time exists but just on your wrist, so don't panic." So, I'm not going to panic and I'll just write the review a good three and a half months after seeing them... Sorry guys. Anyway, I saw them open for The Departure at King Tut's while I was still in Glasgow way back when in early October.
Playing to a pretty packed Tut's, Clocks turned out to be the band of the night. Although most of the crowd was there for The Departure, (why, I don't know) Clocks won over nearly everyone with their Coral influenced, lip-curing rock'n'roll. Their song "That Much Better" is deliciously catchy and will have you itching for more. Thankfully, their debut is out this summer, in time "for the sunshine" as their myspace so perfectly puts it.
It may surprise you, as it did me, that a band you may never have heard of are on the major Universal-Island. Don't worry, it won't be long 'til their name is on the tips of every music fans lips. A band like Clocks can go far on a major with their perfectly crafted, sea-shanty, dreamy pop songs. It seems like they're actually being pushed by their label, which is a rarity for small bands on big labels, but Clocks have an extensive UK tour coming up that you should definitely check out before time runs out!
02/06 - Cardiff, UK - Barfly*
02/09 - Northampton, UK - Soundhaus*
02/10 - Cambridge, UK - Barfly*
02/11 - Birmingham, UK - Academy 2*
02/12 - Liverpool, UK - Barfly*
02/14 - Preston, UK - 53 Degrees*
02/15 - Stoke, UK - Sugarmill*
02/16 - Sheffield, UK - Fusion*
02/18 - Newcastle, UK - Academy 2*
02/19 - Aberdeen, UK - Cafe Drummonds*
02/21 - Dundee, UK - Fat Sims*
02/23 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms*
02/24 - Leeds, UK - The Cockpit*
02/26 - London, UK - Kings College London*
02/27 - Oxford, UK - Academy 2*
02/29 - Leicester, UK - The Charlotte*
03/01 - York, UK - Fibbers*
03/06 - Manchester, UK - Academy 3*
03/08 - Edinburgh, UK - Liquid Room*
03/09 - Barrow-In-Furness, UK - The Canteen*
03/10 - Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor*
03/24 - Southampton, UK - Guildhall**
03/25 - Brighton, UK - Brighton Dome**
03/27 - Newcastle, UK - Academy 1**
03/28 - Glasgow, UK - Barrowland Ballroom**
03/29 - Manchester, UK - Academy 1**
03/30 - Birmingham, UK - Academy 1**
04/01 - Reading, UK - Hexagon**
04/02 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire**
04/03 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire**
04/04 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire**
04/06 - Bristol, UK - Academy 1**
04/07 - Norwich, UK - UEA**
04/08 - Sheffield, UK - Octagon**
04/09, Preston, UK - 53 Degrees**
04/11 - Hull, UK - University**
04/12 - Leeds, UK - University**
04/13 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City**
*With One Night Only
**With Scouting For Girls
Posted by ny2lon at 12:55 PM on Jan. 28 '08 | Comments (0)
Jack Penate: the Next B.I.G. Thing
NY2LON Featured ArtistMQ from Mercury
One part sock hop, one part skank-punk, all parts grins and mischief, Jack Penate was the latest British buzz artist to invade the stage at Mercury Lounge in New York's Lower East Side. Playing to a crowd divided - displaced Brits in front, Anglophile New Yorkers in the back - Penate seemed to feel right at home. He sang yelled 'Happy Birthday' to a girl called Kate, much to her pleasure I'm sure, and careened into a verse from Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Dead Wrong,' listing Biggie Smalls among music idols.
Thanks Miss Modern Age
The set was all go-go-go, fun-fun-fun, producing an infectious energy that made the set exhausting in the best kind of way. The set was short but sweet - a wind sprint, really - but I'd heard enough to know I'd been worked out.
I brought home his album, 'Matinee,' which documents on record the energy Penate can produce on stage. There's drum and bass in "Got My Favourite," a Reggae beat in "Learning Lines," and his go-to throughout the record: the swingin' 3-against-4 rhythm that had my toes a-tappin' earlier that night. Another highlight is the song he described as being inspired by the constant muggings on the streets of his hometown London, deftly titled, "Run For Your Life."
(5th Grade book report ending:) In conclusion, the show was energetic, the record is neat, and Penate's fresh upbeat sound is a welcome addition to the NY music scene, as well as to my personal record collection.
Posted by ny2lon at 12:20 PM on Jan. 23 '08 | Comments (0)
Kate Nash: Cute As Can Be, But Curses Like A Sailor
NY2LON Live ReviewJ from the Troub
Don't let the whole Minnie Mouse dress and wholesome fresh-faced innocence fool you. In case you haven't heard any of her songs yet (in which case, where've you been), the girl is kinda gangster... She has a song called Dickhead, in which she sings these... [let's call them] tetchy lyrics in her sweetest, most lilting, mother's-lullaby-to-her-infant-child delivery:
Why are you being a dickhead for
Stop being a dickhead
Why are you being a dickhead for
You're just fucking up situations
or how bout this Hallmark moment, from "Foundations":
Then I'll use that voice that you find annoying
And say something like "yeah, intelligent input darlin' - why don't you just have another beer then?"
Then you'll call me a bitch, and everyone we're with will be embarrassed, and I won't give a shit.
Such is the tantalizing dichotomy that is Kate Nash. While she spent most of her set bouncing up and down like a 5-yr old at a piano recital, playing her syncopated, rollicking brand of fun, poppy tune-age, her acoustic guitar portion of the show revealed why she appeals not only to teen girls like Perez Hilton (who I saw at the show), but also to someone like Sean Avery (the hockey player, who my buddy spotted at Kate's show in NY last week). There is an edge to her songs that hints towards a girl who's been through some shit, but can still charm an audience who prefers a bit of sugar with their medicine.
Posted by ny2lon at 12:45 PM on Jan. 15 '08 | Comments (0)
2GS on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In Case You Missed It...Jane Doe from The Hills
(aired 1-3-07)
"That was pretty good, I thought," Jimmy Kimmel quips at the end of the vid. And given his perennially surly predisposition, I think we can safely count that as high praise. Turns out Jimmy's got some taste!
Let me give you some context. After lobbing some soft-toss questions at Rev. Al Sharpton (who bolted immediately after - why do guests do that?), and a forgettable interview with the balding gentleman sitting by Kimmel (he does something in sports), Two Gallants made their US television debut with the single off their self-titled album "Despite What You've Been Told."
And yeah, it was pretty good.
Gallants are on a well-deserved break at the moment, but hopefully we'll hear from the boys again real real soon.
Posted by ny2lon at 9:43 AM on Jan. 8 '08 | Comments (0)
NY2LON Endorses:
Playboy Party in '08!Me from NY2LON headquarters
We try not to get too political here at NY2LON. A) because the American "2-party" system must look pretty ridiculous to folks in the UK, where their left wing ranges all the way to the Socialists. B) because the British Monarchy / Parliamentary system looks to us Americans like... well, we don't really get it. I mean, is that red-headed kid really a bona-fide Prince? Like what's the deal with that... Seems a bit of a loose cannon to me... Maybe I'm wrong. And to be fair, we ELECTED Bush... Twice... But I digress...
As you may or may not know, we here in America are smack in the middle of an election year. And given NY2LON's marginal interest in any of the candidates (besides gripping fear that a Southern Baptist Minister might actually get elected President), we have decided to endorse the Playboy Party and its ticket, headlined by Iggy Pop. Yup, they've teamed up in the name of progress, hope for a better tomorrow, and postmodern T-shirt designs (what's more American than that, I ask you).
Playboy's Rock the Rabbit program is back for its second year, and the roster of artists participating is absolutely stacked. Get a load of this:
* Iggy Pop
* Duran Duran
* Daft Punk
* The Shins
* T.I.
* Gogol Bordello
* Hot Chip
* Ghostland Observatory
* Jamie T
* Tokyo Police Club
* The Pipettes
* New Young Pony Club
* Margot & The Nuclear So And So's
* Little Ones
* OFFICE
* The Oohlas
* The Heavy
* Working For A Nuclear Free City
* The Beasts of Eden
* DJ Dimitri from Paris
Each artist will design a T-shirt putting their own respective spins on the iconic Playboy Rabbit Head logo - with the shirts then hitting shelves in select Bloomingdale's locations, and at ShopTheBunny.com. The original designs will be auctioned off with proceeds going to Rock The Vote. And there you have it. A Social Conscience and nudity - not necessarily mutually exclusive... Right Alicia?
And here's NY2LON favorite Illinois' T-Shirt design from last year's RTR:
All hail the Playboy Party, cause the Playboy Party don't stop.
ROCKTHERABBIT.COM
Posted by ny2lon at 11:40 AM on Jan. 7 '08 | Comments (0)
Abigail Warchild
NY2LON Featured ArtistThe Minner in Billyburg
(photo: Maryanne Ventrice)
Abigail Warchild @ Piano's 12-18-07
Walking through the amusement park that is New York during the Holidays, it can all seem a bit... I dunno. Much... Listen, I love the season as much as the next guy, but there is only so much holiday cheer one person can handle. I think you'll agree.
It was in this mindset that I stood in Piano's Tuesday night to see a Brooklyn-based (via Boston) band called Abigail Warchild. The name, to me, screamed 'easy listening.' I am kidding, of course, and yes, the band sounds much like one might expect - except way, way better. Yeah, they are heavy. Very heavy. And loud. But beneath the frenzied pyrotechnics there is some quality songwriting. Mangled diction, primal screams, and syncopated stop-and-go rhythmic dare-devilism suddenly open up to some very listenable, very musical hooks that make their songs more than just thunder and brimstone (though there is plenty of that, too). There are blues licks, clean straightforward guitar riffs, and just enough give, just enough melodic resolution, to offset the sharp angles of their guitar parts.
Lead singer Mike Sanders commits whole-heartedly to his whiskey-soaked stage persona (who actually differs from the seemingly mild-mannered, overall good guy he is off it). His vocals are visceral, ferocious, equaled only by the frenetic way he handles the guitar - marrying sound and visual in a way that makes it hard to look away, for fear that you'll miss the moment where he inevitably just bursts into flames. That is to say, were it not for his bandmates, who are as compelling. There is Val Loper, who matches Sanders' urgency on guitar. They will compete someday for the Guinness World Record for shoulder strap malfunctions during a performance. Sean Davenport is a man possessed behind the keyboard. At one point, he was up on an amp (the keyboardist) - to really hammer home his Expressionist torment. Suffice it to say, the way he plays keys makes Jerry Lee Lewis seem like the musical equivalent of a rollicking bike ride through the park. Bassist Mike Hart is stoic and solid, making up one half of the best rhythm section I've seen in some time. Which brings me to their drummer Mike Ushinski, who, in cahoots with Hart, really brings the hammer down. Together, they bludgeon the listener not only with Ushinski's deeper-than-most drums sounds (you will feel them in your belly), but also with their remarkable steadiness, grounding Abigail's sound with a 2-ton anchor.
This is the most promising band I've seen in a long while - there, I've said it. And I'm not even going to mention when Sanders fell off the stage face first after he blacked out mid-scream, because that would just be manipulative. Believe me, you'll be manipulated enough this holiday season. Which reminds me, I've gotta go check if those shoes I've wanted are on sale...
Posted by ny2lon at 12:31 PM on Dec. 21 '07 | Comments (0)
The Sounds
NY2LON Live Reviewby Rachy P from NYC
The Sounds are one of the greatest live bands around today. Their final festive show in New York City made the unfriendly, large space at Webster Hall feel like it was an intimate house party with friends. I had a terrible cold and a plane to London to catch the next day so I wasn't sure if I'd make it to the show. After mulling it over, I realized that missing The Sounds is not an option, so I headed downtown, and I'm sure glad I did. The Sounds can put a smile on anyone's face, sick or not.
The Sounds play fun, catchy pop-punk that owes much of its sound to the bands that came before them in the 80s, but they're not just another Blondie tribute band. While lead singer Maja Ivarsson could pass for Debbie Harry physically, she's in a league of her own vocally. And you get the feeling Maja was born for this role, regardless of who came before her. Maja is the best frontperson this side of Howlin' Pelle from The Hives, and that's saying something. What is in the water over there in Sweden??
Maja dances around all over the stage and makes sure audience participation is a part of the show. She sings to and with the kids in the front row and thanks the crowd over and over again for their love and support. Judging from the smiles on all the fanboys and girls' faces, they had a great time indeed. For most of us, myself included, this will be our last show of 2007, and what a way to go!
Posted by ny2lon at 9:46 AM on Dec. 21 '07 | Comments (0)
Buck 65
NY2LON Featured ArtistRP from the dirty Jerz
Buck 65 (Richard Terfry) is awesome. His brand of hip-hop, if that's what you want to call it, is incredibly creative and, at the same time, both intelligent and comedic--listen to "Centaur" from his amazing This Right Here is Buck 65 for an example of this.
His latest album, Situation, on Strange Famous Records, expands upon his unique genre of rap music and explores new ways to make his music even more interesting, if that's even possible! He's similar to Beck in that he's an "indie" person's rapper and quite creative, though his deep, gravelly voice is more comparable to Tom Waits.
For just a taste of what Buck's capable of, listen to "Way Back When" on his Myspace. And all of you in Australia and Europe: go see him! His live show is amazing: fun, entertaining, and hilarious--what more could you ask for?
29-Dec-07 Sydney, AUS Luna Park
30-Dec-07 Sydney, AUS Peats Ridge Festival
31-Dec-07 Phillip Island, AUS Pyramid Rock Festival
2-Jan-08 Northcote, AUS Northcote Social Club
3-Jan-08 Byron Bay, AUS Hotel Great Northern
4-Jan-08 Brisbane, AUS Gallery Of Modern Art
8-Jan-08 Cronulla, AUS Brass Monkey
9-Jan-08 Sydney, AUS The Basement
5-Feb-08 Caen, France - BBC
6-Feb-08 Nantes, France - Olympic
7-Feb-08 La Roche Sur Yon, France
8-Feb-08 Lille, France - Aeronef - Nuit De L'Alligator
9-Feb-08 Amiens, France -La Lune Des Pirates -Nuit DeL 'Alligator
12-Feb-08 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie - Nuit De L'Alligator
14-Feb-08 Angouleme, France - La Nef - Nuit De L'Alligator
15-Feb-08 Tulle, FR-Les Lendermains Qui Chantnent- Nuit De L'Alligator
16-Feb-08 Clermont, FR - Ferrand - Coope De Mai -Nuit De L'Alligator
19-Feb-08 Orleans, France - Astrolab - Nuit De L'Alligator
20-Feb-08 Evreux, France - Abordage - Nuit De L'Alligator
21-Feb-08 Sannois, France - EMB - Nuit De L'Alligator
23-Feb-08 Marseille, France - Cabaret Sauvage
26-Feb-08 Dijon, France - La Vapeur - Festival - Gerneriq
27-Feb-08 Dijon, France - Le Consotium Festival - Generiq
28-Feb-08 Besancon, France - Le Cylindre - Festival - Generiq
29-Feb-08 Strasbourg - La Laiterie
1-Mar-08 St Gallen, Switzerland - Palace Theatre
2-Mar-08 Fribourg, Switzerland - Fri-son
4-Mar-08 Malmo, Sweden - Debaser
5-Mar-08 Bergen, Norway - Hulen
6-Mar-08 Stockholm - Debaser
7-Mar-08 Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
8-Mar-08 Oslo, Norway - Bla
9-Mar-08 Helsinki, Finland - Kuudes Linja
12-Mar-08 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
13-Mar-08 Berlin, Germany - NBI
14-Mar-08 Munchen, Germany - Orangehouse @ Feierwerk
15-Mar-08 Heidelberg, Germany - Karlstorbahnhof
17-Mar-08 Brighton, UK - Komedia
18-Mar-08 Oxford, UK - Zodiac @ Academy
19-Mar-08 Portsmouth, UK Wedgewood Rooms
20-Mar-08 Bristol, UK Thekla
22-Mar-08 Liverpool, UK Academy 2
23-Mar-08 Manchester, UK Roadhouse
24-Mar-08 Glasgow, UK King Tuts
25-Mar-08 Leeds, UK Cockpit
26-Mar-08 Birmingham, UK Barfly
27-Mar-08 London, UK Dingwalls
Posted by ny2lon at 3:14 AM on Dec. 15 '07 | Comments (0)
Screaming Ballerinas
NY2LON Featured ArtistRed Pepper from Abbey Road
When I first saw the Screaming Ballerinas at a gig in London, I didn't think I’d like them. Screaming Ballerinas are a female-fronted band and I'm very critical of girl singers, mostly because I don't like the way they make their voices sound when they sing or the way they sexily prance about onstage. Moreover, the band members dressed like they got lost somewhere back in 1983, the year most of them were probably born.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. They describe themselves as a "disco punk-pop explosion" and that's a spot-on description. They've got bits of the Long Blondes and Blondie in them (and, although a few of the members are indeed blonde, the band decided on a more original name) and they're certainly not lacking in the fun department. Their live shows are full of jumping, dancing around, and...confetti! And the excitement from their live show translates well onto their recorded material. Try getting the chorus of "Crucify" out of your head--go on, I dare you! And for what it's worth, vocalist Laura Trouble, though she glams it up, acts just like one of the boys and isn't afraid to really get into the music, which is what we love!
They've got one more gig in London before the new year on 21 Dec at the Dirty bingo christmas party @ Clockwork in Angel. Check it out if you can. If you can't make it, fret not--I'm sure we'll be hearing from and seeing much more of this band in 2008!
Posted by ny2lon at 3:37 AM on Dec. 14 '07 | Comments (0)
Top Five Indie Songs in Commercialsfrom NY2LON headquarters
There's a lot of debate about whether or not indie musicians "sell out" when they license their songs to mainstream corporations for commercial use. Those of us here at NY2LON aren't sure where we stand, but we can't deny the fact that unexpectedly hearing a song by a band you love come from your TV is pretty awesome. Here are our top five indie songs in commercials:
5. Royksopp's "Remind Me" for Geico
4. Mates of State's "For the Actor" for AT&T
3. Cat Power covering Cat Stevens' "How Can I Tell You" for DeBeers diamonds
2. Jim Noir's reworked "My Patch" for Target
1. Of Montreal's reworked "Wraith Pinned to the Mist" for Outback Steakhouse
Posted by ny2lon at 1:38 PM on Dec. 12 '07 | Comments (0)
frYars
NY2LON Featured ArtistRachy P from NYC
Not much is known about frYars aside from the fact that frYars is Ben Garrett, a London teenager whose lyrics and music go far beyond his young age. He only played his first show less than a month ago and has so far only released an EP--The Ides, on Make Mine Records--but we think he'll be big in 2008 so we're jumping on the bandwagon early!
A lot of talented underage bands have been coming out of England lately, including Bombay Bicycle Club and Cajun Dance Party. But the only things the two aforementioned bands have in common with frYars is that they're teenagers and they like to get people dancing.
Most frYars songs have an underlying beat that, at the very least, gets your toes tapping. "Chocolate" and "The Ides" are simply dark, synthy dance tunes. What makes frYars different from most is that his lyrics are pretty dark. In "The Ides" he sings, "You took my life/Good job for you, I wasn't born a killer/You should've died that very night."
His voice is reminiscent of Morrisey or maybe Nick Cave. When I listen to his music I can't help but imagine an Edgar Allen Poe poem, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Check him out now and go see him live before he blows up!
Posted by ny2lon at 3:12 AM on Dec. 7 '07 | Comments (0)
Kate Nash Finally Annouces US Album ReleaseRita from Miami
A lovable 20 year old got rejected from acting school, fell down the stairs, broke her foot and wrote an album. That album, 'Made of Bricks', found its way into our ears in much the same way, minus the acting school and breaking of bones. That is to say, we heard Kate Nash on a chance trip to Latitude festival in Suffolk this Summer and haven't been able to get her relatable lyrics and hooky musical sensibilities out of our heads since.
'Made of Bricks', produced by Paul Epworth (Muse, The Kills, Tom Vek, Babyshambles, Bloc Party) is set for release in the States on January 8th, 2008 via Geffen.Talk about lag time...
Subsequent U.S. shows are in the works for January as well with details to be announced shortly.
Posted by ny2lon at 12:28 PM on Nov. 19 '07 | Comments (0)
Duran Duran And Playboy Team Up To 'Rock The Rabbit,' Celebrate Band's 13th LP
Smiles in Marina Del Rey, CA
'The new album ... is openly sexualized,' says Playboy editor, who will feature the band in an upcoming music issue.
NEW YORK - Tuesday night, surrounded by the burlesque stars, fashion editors, models and human oddities who frequent New York hot spot the Box, Duran Duran celebrated the release of their 13th album, Red Carpet Massacre. And in this decadent setting, the new-wave veterans announced that they were getting in bed with Playboy for its second annual Rock the Rabbit issue, which contains eight or nine pages of music news and reviews.
Read the full article on MTVNews.com
Posted by ny2lon at 11:56 AM on Nov. 17 '07 | Comments (0)
1984By Lisa from New York
It's almost 5am and as I sit here thinking about what artist I should write about in this sleep-deprived state one band comes to mind: 1984. Sure, the band disbanded in 2004, and no, they never made it to the US, but this band needs to be given their proper dues. Hailing from Sheffield, 1984 (along with the Arctic Monkeys) released mp3s of their music on the Sherriff's website.
Yet while the Arctic Monkeys went on to become a world-wide success, 1984 surprisingly did not. With thick Sheffield vocals over catchy bass lines in songs like "Stamping" and head-banging guitar in songs like "2.4" this band is every bit a band to love as much as the Arctic Monkeys. To put it simply: with less than 10 songs put out (at least to my knowledge) they have made a fan out of me for life. And while this fan has to accept the fact that two of the members are now in Reverend and the Makers, I will always have the small hope that they'll reform and play in my living room. Maybe I'm overshooting it a bit, but a girl can dream.
Posted by ny2lon at 12:32 PM on Nov. 14 '07 | Comments (0)
tWO gALLANTS New Music VideoBy Smythe from Split
Two Gallants' latest video for their current single "Despite What You've Been Told", off their self-titled new album, truly is exquisite.
It brings slowly draws us into the art of sophisticated, thought-provoking story-telling. Directors Alexander Safdie and Ronald Schnetke clearly knew what they were doing. I will not be suprised when their names are added to the list of great music video directors including Michel Gondy, Anton Corbjin, David LaChapelle, and Chris Cunningham. The average viewer may miss a lot of the beauty, in both the song and the video. However, there is contrast between the clowns lonely existence and the poetic brotherhood shared Tyson and Adam, the two members of two gallants. At the same time, I'm sure all the Tisch film students i went to school with would secretly love the video, while openly criticizing its obvious symbolism.
Regardless of anyone's training in art criticism, I know a good video when I see one, and a beautiful song when I hear it.
Posted by ny2lon at 2:33 PM on Nov. 13 '07 | Comments (0)
Twisted Wheel
NY2LON Featured ArtistSimple from London
Haven't sent one out for a while--I think my Glasvegas rant was the last one--since then there ain't been much to touch my soul.
But as winter draws in and we say goodbye to a glorious-then damp-then sort of hot-for-one-weekend summer, where big festivals failed to please anyone other than the sponsors and small festivals blossomed because they are built on a local vibe and bands not played on mainstream daytime radio, I wanna shout out to the small people, the small towns, the small clubs, the small bands, the small songs and the small insects.
One of those small insects will be saying bye bye for a few months: the wasp. Twisted Wheel's acoustic song "Bye Bye Wasp" brings my mind to it. The little bastard that when you're sat eating your food in a small pub... small back garden... which now have thrown grown adults back to childhood as they smoke in a corner like they're behind the bike sheds...anyway, that's for another time, back to the wasp that buzzes round your plate and sips off your pint, threatening to sting ya, but only wants a nibble.
Goodbye, fair wasp. What better way to see you off than with Twisted Wheel's (acoustic) new tune? Check it out and fuck off wasp.
Posted by ny2lon at 2:13 PM on Nov. 12 '07 | Comments (0)
Jamie T on Carson DalyBy Brittany from Portland
Jamie T has already gone back home to his native Southwest London but we can relive all the memories of his US tour this year by checking out his Carson Daly performance. Jamie and the Pacemakers, his backing band and all around good looking guys, punk it out full-band style, taking 'Sheila' to a whole different (and awesome) place.
Didn't Tivo it? Yeah, I don't know how to either, but that's what YouTube is for. Check it:
Posted by ny2lon at 2:08 PM on Nov. 8 '07 | Comments (0)
Those Dancing Days
NY2LON Featured ArtistPius Shine from London
Five pretty teenage girls from Stockholm, Sweden, recently signed to Wichita and named afer a Led Zeppelin track.
No, you're not dreaming.
The band have already played a few low key packed shows in the UK. Though it's unlikely you'll see too much of them in the coming months because, like many of the hyped bands of the moment, half the band are still at school.
Those Dancing Days are a pop band: huge mainstream crossover pop. They actually sound like The Strokes...if The Strokes were born as five girls in Sweden and given Moogs for Christmas; but that doesn't do Linnea Jonsson's mesmerising vocals justice. Watch your back Amy Winehouse et al, Those Dancing Days are coming to claim pop back.
They have one live date left this year:
9th November - SWN Festival, Cardiff
Keep an eye on their Myspace and catch them live before it costs you 30 pounds or more!
Posted by ny2lon at 1:33 PM on Nov. 7 '07 | Comments (0)
The National
Live Review By Sonya from Philly, PA
The National started the US leg of their tour to a sold out Fillmore on Tuesday, September 4th. This time the indie rockers had room to breathe as opposed to the small stage at Johnny Brenda's back in June, where they were practically on top of each other. The change in venue size showed their rising popularity, from a sold out crowd of about 250 to a packed house of 1,000. The Fillmore at the TLA is a prime place for a band like The National to play. The boys took a little time to warm up to the larger Philly crowd, but eventually realized there was much love for them and gave a fantastic show.
The band usually mirrors the progression of their show with the first song: starting off simple and slow and gradually turning into a loud crashing of instruments, like an epic story with a slow build and a heroic ending. Tuesday night they chose "Start a War" from their latest album Boxer. The whole band is amazing, but the heroes in this story are Matt Berninger, Padma Newsome, and Bryan Devendorf.
Though foggy from sipping on Robitussin, Berninger still gave his all. At every show, Berninger always looks like he's singing with every part of himself. There's something admirable about someone who sings like he means every lyric that is coming out of his mouth. When I saw them at Johnny Brenda's, I was actually standing right above the band and could see Berninger with eyes shut tight, gripping the mic, and face to sky, singing each and every word with his entire being. Devendorf is the subtle but impressive drummer that drives the band's sound. It's not outstanding drum solos or anything like that that makes Devendorf notable; it's the fact that he is essential in creating the mood for each song.
My favorite of the bunch is Padma Newsome on violin and keyboards. He always looks like he's playing in a frenzied state but the sounds that come from him are always on point and in my opinion, steal the show. I'm always impressed that he doesn't just drop on the stage after playing because it's like watching a kid who just ate 10 candy bars and is about to have a huge sugar crash. Newsome is an amazing performer. In fact, it's hard to take your eyes away from him when you see him live.
These boys are in tune with their fans and know to play crowd favorites "Mr. November" and "Abel" every time, giving the audience a chance to shout "I won't fuck us over, I'm Mr. November!" and "My mind's not right!" with enthusiasm. "Fake Empire" is becoming a new favorite. The song has brass instruments in it, which the band was able to get at the Seaport, but most of the time they have to make up for the sound at each show and they do a brilliant job. One of the best songs of the night was "Daughters of the Soho Riots" off of Alligator. I was disappointed that they didn't play "Murder Me Rachael" this time but extremely pleased that "About Today" off of their Cherry Tree EP was their last song of the night, considering it's my personal favorite.
If you missed The National in Philly or didn't get tickets to see them at their 5 sold out shows at the Bowery in early summer or even m