Brand Spanking New Gig Thread

[Thor]

Last 2 weeks I saw Interpol and Sigur Ros...

Albums are hit and miss, but Sigur Ros was wonderful, a sit down event at a big theatre.... lights and slides were fantastic and the whole show was like aural morphine.

Interpol were great, have improved much since I last saw them in 2003 at the hammerstein in nyc with patrick. Paul Banks has lost weight and, frankly, is looking gorgeous.

[Electromud]

I saw the Pixies play their first ever Acoustic show on Saturday. It was amazing. Kim played an acoustic bass guitar. I've been to three Pixies shows and they have never talked on stage and interacted with the audience like they did on Saturday. It was incredible. They seemed to be having as much fun as the fans.

[SarahRide]

I missed seeing Brian Jonestown Massacre at the Khyber in Philly last week because it was sold out. That was a huge bummer.

Next month I'm hoping to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, also at the Khyber.

[earl grey]

Next month I'm hoping to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, also at the Khyber.

planning on seeing them tonight actually, they're doing a free show here with devotchka. it's prolly gonna be a madhouse, but i'm looking fwd to seeing them. that album has grown on me more than i ever expected.

[SarahRide]

I can't wait to read what you thought of the show.

[Salman]

They're playing a show in September, which I'm thinking about going to. The album hasn't yet grown on me, but I heard they put on a great show.

[earl grey]

CYHSY were definitely good live, tho i didn't think they were significantly better or different than the album. the rhythm section is really strong live (bassist especially) and the vox are a little looser, but they're mostly what you'd expect. a good live band, yes, but they're not reinventing the material or anything. they do jam out a bit though.

they played a couple songs not on the album, one had "satan" in the lyrics a lot and was prob my fave song of the set. darker + funkier than the album cuts.

[SarahRide]

Thanks for the review, Earl Grey. It was helpful. I was, and I guess still am, expecting a sort of feel-good show since their songs sound upbeat and happy to me.

[george]

i saw will sheff of okkervil river do a 4 song solo set on monday. 3 of the songs were never before played new stuff and it sounded so fantastic.

i'm gonna go see oneida on saturday. i don't really know their music, but i've heard their show is pretty sick, so ima gonna check it out.

week after next i'm seeing my most favorite guilty pleasure, the killers.

september i'm going to the austin city limits festival for the first time.

[SarahRide]

I might see Smog on Saturday if time and money don't prove to be an issue.

[vesper]

i'm gonna go see oneida on saturday. i don't really know their music, but i've heard their show is pretty sick, so ima gonna check it out.

i don't know if their live show has changed since the release of the wedding, but oneida was one of the best bands i saw at CMJ last year.

[tinobeat]

goin to see Smog, Feathers and Charlene tonight... siked!

[george]

Smog, Feathers and Charlene


one of my favorite european pornos.

[winterversion]

There's a Ghostface Killah show coming up in October. Anyone seen him live? Don't really know too much about him. Is he worth checking out?

[japanese_moon]

I'm looking forward to seeing the Pale Pacific at the end of the month. and thenn Son Volt and The Decemberists next month.

[Wallerton]

I've got my ticket for Built to Spill and the Decemberists on September 23. Kind of an unusual pairing, no? But they're two of my favorite bands.

[Fiona]

Weirdest line-up I've seen has to be Franz Ferdinand/Scissor Sisters/Maroon 5/Jem in Dublin on Aug 24. Do any of those bands belong on the same bill? Do 3 of them deserve to be on ANY bill?
Saw Devendra Banhart and the Hairy Fairies in the Village a couple of Fridays back. Delightfully happy and hirsute. Loving Dev's red velvet slippers.
Looking forward to Chemical Brothers/Sonic Youth next Friday. Thankfully things picking up in the wake of the post-festival season lull.

[tinobeat]

Weirdest line-up I've seen has to be Franz Ferdinand/Scissor Sisters/Maroon 5/Jem in Dublin on Aug 24. Do any of those bands belong on the same bill? Do 3 of them deserve to be on ANY bill?
Saw Devendra Banhart and the Hairy Fairies in the Village a couple of Fridays back. Delightfully happy and hirsute. Loving Dev's red velvet slippers.
Looking forward to Chemical Brothers/Sonic Youth next Friday. Thankfully things picking up in the wake of the post-festival season lull.

So wait, 4 super-huge pop bands share a bill and you find that its a strange combination, but you don't blink at Chemical Brothers and Sonic Youth?

[Fiona]

I reckon both bands' brands of noise-bending hypnotics will complement each other nicely on the night.
And the Chemicals have worked with everyone from Bloc Party to Mercury Rev over the years.
Just relieved they excised Phantom Planet from the bill...

[winterversion]

Caught Smog in Philly last weekend (per SarahRide's recommendation). Very enjoyable show, although at times it seemed that the drummer was bored as hell and just started arbitrarily hitting whatever was in front of him.

In the next couple of weeks I'll probably catch Frog Eyes and Mary Timony.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

The highlight of the last month or so for me was seeing Tall Dwarfs deep in the woods near Athens, GA a couple of weeks ago. It's always a risky proposition seeing a band you've loved for a long time (20 years, in this particular case) for the first time and they were wonderful!

[Dave]

Caught Smog in Philly last weekend (per SarahRide's recommendation). Very enjoyable show, although at times it seemed that the drummer was bored as hell and just started arbitrarily hitting whatever was in front of him.

In the next couple of weeks I'll probably catch Frog Eyes and Mary Timony.

Wow, was the drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Tren Brothers etc.)? That doesn't really sound like him, but who knows.

Also saw the Tall Dwarfs, the NY Shows were opening for Oliva Tremor Controll and the one I saw was sloppy and fantastic. Seeing them in the woods sounds really great though.

Dave

[earl grey]

Also saw the Tall Dwarfs, the NY Shows were opening for Oliva Tremor Controll and the one I saw was sloppy and fantastic. Seeing them in the woods sounds really great though.


what'd you think of OTC? was really bummed to have missed those, esp. after i found out jeff mangum showed up.

[winterversion]

Wow, was the drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Tren Brothers etc.)? That doesn't really sound like him, but who knows.



Not sure what his name was but he looked like Mario from Super Mario Bros.

[Dave]

I didn't watch them as I was hanging out at the Merch booth w/a good friend who was working it. I never really spent any time with their records (or any of the Elephant 6 bands for that matter). It was quite funny to hear the crowd reaction to Jeff Magnum from downstairs, but not as funny as the nearly 5 minute discussion about beards (and who's beard was best) between OTC members and Jeremy Barnes after the show.

Dave

[vesper]

well? whose beard was best?

[Dave]

Everyone seemed to be in agreement that Jeremy Barnes had a "perfect" beard.

Dave

[whitesnake]

ditto on the TALL DWARFS . saw them here (in chicago) and was delighted. i'd seen Chris Knox before, in Atlanta, (at the Point; do you recall what year that might have been, Mr. HCI?) BUT seeing them play together was awesome.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

ditto on the TALL DWARFS . saw them here (in chicago) and was delighted. i'd seen Chris Knox before, in Atlanta, (at the Point; do you recall what year that might have been, Mr. HCI?) BUT seeing them play together was awesome.Chris opened for Luna at The Point in '96 and both were pretty great.

[whitesnake]

that was it! thanks for jogging my fading memory...


next week: MV & EE Medicine Show with Alasdair Roberts

[Dave]

Yura Yura Teikoku
Only US Appearances

October 11, 2005 @ Northsix (Brooklyn)

October 14, 2005 @ Tonic

I prefer Northsix as a venue, but maybe a Friday would work better for you (Of course I'm assuming that you'd be able to come.)

Dave

[Fiona]

Wow, was the drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Tren Brothers etc.)? That doesn't really sound like him, but who knows.


I'd say so - Jim White was on drums on the Irish dates in June.
Alasdair Roberts was support - played a lovely set, including Lassie Lie Near Me.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

Yura Yura Teikoku
Only US Appearances

October 11, 2005 @ Northsix (Brooklyn)

October 14, 2005 @ Tonic

I prefer Northsix as a venue, but maybe a Friday would work better for you (Of course I'm assuming that you'd be able to come.)

Dave:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
Got space on your floor?

[japanese_moon]

Wow, was the drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Tren Brothers etc.)? That doesn't really sound like him, but who knows.

Dave


This might be a totally dumb question, but is that Jim White the "Searching For The Wrong Eyed Jesus" Jim White?

[Dave]

Nope
That dude is from the US or Something. The "Real" Jim White is Australian. Besides the Dirty Three he also plays in the Tren Bothers (essentially the Dirty Three w/out Warren Elllis). Before the Dirty Three he played drums in Venom P. Stinger. He also played drums on Cat Power's Moon Pix.
Dave

[earl grey]

saw sufjan stevens on friday ... the music was mostly excellent, but his over-the-top stage show became a bit much for me. third time i've seen him, and the onstage hoopla has been dialed up each time ... not a good trend. each time i've also left completely in love with katrina in his backing band tho...

hoping to catch the double tomorrow night for free. does anyone know tomorrow's friend? they're opening up.

but the real reason for this post is simple: ART BRUT are playing hoboken on nov 9, NYC on nov 10, and presumably some other US dates right around then. hell fucking yes.

[9000]

.

but the real reason for this post is simple: ART BRUT are playing hoboken on nov 9, NYC on nov 10, and presumably some other US dates right around then. hell fucking yes.

great, another blogshere band (i'm coinin' that shit, yo) that i won't get to see because i'm too slow to buy a ticket before all you damn bloggers..! keep me in the know about when those tixs go on sale, man.

[earl grey]

keep me in the know about when those tixs go on sale, man.

maxwell's tix are already on sale now. tempting, but i can't rock that on a school night when they're playing the mercury the next night. with those already on sale, i imagine the merc will put em up soon ... might not happen till next wednesday though, wednesdays seem to be the days when they put merc/bowery tix on sale.

[9000]

maxwell's tix are already on sale now. tempting, but i can't rock that on a school night when they're playing the mercury the next night. with those already on sale, i imagine the merc will put em up soon ... might not happen till next wednesday though, wednesdays seem to be the days when they put merc/bowery tix on sale.

yeah, i'm going to try for the mercury show too. maxwell's is the pride of NJ, but the walk-bus-subway-path train-walk commute ain't pretty.

[Salman]

Saw over the weekend. Expect some of that in your mix, whenever the trade goes down!

[Lukas]

of montreal tonight!

[Salman]

of montreal tonight!

I'm seeing them tonight... did they play any new songs last night?

[Lukas]

that was probobly the best show I have ever seen! They played a lot of new songs off the last two albums and 1 older one off aldhil. Man that was a great show.

[Lukas]

btw I recorded the show, but this was my first time doing it so it sorta came out fizzy which sucks but I am playing with the sound and it is getting better.

[Fiona]

Last night - Sleater Kinney; Last week - Pixies (who blitzed through 27 tracks!)/Kings of Leon/Teenage Fanclub (fantastic as ever).

[earl grey]

saw the arcade fire last night, and david bowie turned up on stage for the encore. second time i've seen the AF, and david byrne showed up the first time. crazy shit. (the bowie thing was rumored and semi-expected, but still.)

i like but don't love the AF on album, but they do put on one hell of a live show. last nite was not as good as my first time, but still quality. they go nuts on stage.

hoping to catch tigerbearwolf and/or stromba tonight, but it's just as likely i'll be busy working. tomorrow night, though, is all about tom vek for me and i cannot wait.

[Fiona]

saw the arcade fire last night, and david bowie turned up on stage for the encore. second time i've seen the AF, and david byrne showed up the first time. crazy shit. (the bowie thing was rumored and semi-expected, but still.)

Bryan Ferry turned up to one of their gigs in England in May, think it was in London. I'd seen them a few days beforehand in Manchester, magic live. Owen Pallett did his Final Fantasy thing beforehand which was freaky.

Saw them again at Electric Picnic - think that was the last gig before last night. They drew a crowd of 7,000 into the marquee - bananas. It was a pretty similar type set but you've got to give them full marks for energy onstage.

[vesper]

saw the arcade fire last night, and david bowie turned up on stage for the encore. second time i've seen the AF, and david byrne showed up the first time. crazy shit. (the bowie thing was rumored and semi-expected, but still.)

i assume you already saw this bit of genius (http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/riffraff/archives/2005/09/riff_raff_inter_3.php). almost as incredible as his Tori Amos interview.

[Salman]

I was suppose to see Acid Mother Temple and Aqui tonight but the entire North American tour was cancelled because they couldn't get into America - they didn't have proper visas or something.

And yeah, AF put on pretty good shows, but I don't really like them on albums.

[Electromud]

Bad Plus!

I saw them last year and they were top-notch. Their new album is going to be out on Sept. 20 as well.

[TheSadDebaser]

last night I saw XBXRX who were fucking awesome. they seem like really really nice guys too.

on the same bill was a band called "Blue Velvet" who were totally awesome and I highly recommend them.

[earl grey]

man, tom vek totally killed it tonight. really blew away my expectations. setup for a bunch of songs was two basses, keys, and drums ... so great. "a little word in your ear" especially.

[yovan]

Since I properly trashed them last time they were in the 'Burgh, to be fair, I loved their show last night.

The new stuff sounds amazing - alot of energy on stage this time around.

[pizzagratis]

I really want to see Troy Gregory and His Stepsisters (Laura...so good) but don't want to see Electric Six, whom they are opening for.

What do you guys think about this?

[vesper]

i just watched dungen kill it.

[tinobeat]

i just watched dungen kill it.

hey..




fuck you.




the dungen show in boston sold out, and I was supposed to get in on a promo list as a last resort, but that didn't work out, so I did something else that night.

;)

[vesper]

boston must be way cooler than dc. i got there 10 mins before doors and was the 3rd person inside. by the time mia doi todd got off stage i *think* 100 people were there. but youknowwheretolook for my short take on the show.

which is all to say: sucker. ;)

-edit-

bwah, i'm tired.

[tinobeat]

damn..

dungen sold out in boston about a week or two before doors opened.

boston must be way cooler than dc. i got there 10 mins before doors and was the 3rd person inside. by the team mia doi todd got off stage i *think* 100 people were there. but youknowwheretolook for my short take on the show.

which is all to say: sucker. ;)

[earl grey]

saw isolee last night - so good! 'twas billed as a live set, and indeed it was live ... he had a laptop and some other equipment plugged into a 12 channel mixer and basically recreated (and tweaked) his songs live. lots from the new album, plus some older songs that the rest of the crowd recognized much more than me. but it was all quite impressive ... i was v happy to see him do more than just click play and sit back.

[vesper]

i just started listening to wearemonster today actually and i think the detail on it is great (i don't think i'd ever dance to it though). i wasn't really so impressed by the "schrapnell" mp3 that i got from yr blog, but listening to it through headphones really clicked for me. i hope those rumors are true about dfa releasing it domestically; it's kinda hard to think about dropping money on another expensive import after throwing $30 at psyche out.

[the Pawnbroker]

Saw Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano at the Vanguard for the second year in a row. This year was much more "free" than last year, which was more lyrical.

[earl grey]

i just started listening to wearemonster today actually and i think the detail on it is great (i don't think i'd ever dance to it though). i wasn't really so impressed by the "schrapnell" mp3 that i got from yr blog, but listening to it through headphones really clicked for me. i hope those rumors are true about dfa releasing it domestically; it's kinda hard to think about dropping money on another expensive import after throwing $30 at psyche out.

yeah the detail really is amazing on that album, it's given it way more longevity than almost any other electronic album for me this year. i'm literally still hearing new shit. and yeah, definitely not a "dance" record, but the songs became much dancier live, which was cool. his transitions from song to song were also killer.

"schrapnell" (and "today" too IMO) are sort of the outliers on the record - definitely the most guitar-y tracks - so they can cut either way when recommending them to ppl. he actually didn't play either one of em live.

i really want a proper copy but it's not happening until it's domestic or used.

[otto midnight]

26 hours from now i'll be watching king louie, unless my plane crashes.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

boston must be way cooler than dc. i got there 10 mins before doors and was the 3rd person inside. by the time mia doi todd got off stage i *think* 100 people were there. but youknowwheretolook for my short take on the show.
Or maybe DC is less vulnerable to hype?

[winterversion]

It's Black Mountain tomorrow night. I'm pretty pumped!

[vesper]

Or maybe DC is less vulnerable to hype?

no, i think it generally sucks. ;)

[Fiona]

Pere Ubu/David Thomas at The Village last night.
The band seem petrified of looking him in the eye. He did look pretty mean bathed in red light though.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

no, i think it generally sucks. ;)I just said it to be persnickety. I saw Dungen do an in-store last night and was pretty underwhelmed (I've not heard any of their records). I went to another record store down the street and the woman who was working said, "You're not watching the band?" to which I replied, "I thought it was kinda boring," to which she replied, in horror, "It's acoustic!" I'll give 'em points for looking like hippies and having a pretty good lead guitarist but their songs just did nothing for me.

[johansen smith]

Decemberists last nite were way better than they are on record, and they opened with "the Tain," which was fantastic. Sons and Daughters were very good, but they seemed awfully bored to be there.

[Fiona]

Sons and Daughters were very good, but they seemed awfully bored to be there.
Don't think that was limited to the other night - saw them with British Sea Power a couple months ago and they were all sporting get-me-out-of-here looks. I've seen them three times by default and Adele and Ailidh wreck my head.

[johansen smith]

just got back from the Kingdom/Dressy Bessy. it was one of the worst shows I've ever been to.

[Paul]

just got back from the Kingdom/Dressy Bessy. it was one of the worst shows I've ever been to.You needed to attend to figure that out?

[johansen smith]

I like Dressy Bessy on record a ton. Live, a not.

[johansen smith]

also, are the Kingdom a real band? like, with people who buy their albums and everything, because they were the single worst band I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of awful shit.

[Fiona]

Went to see The High Llamas in Whelan's last night. Absolutely beautiful.
Great night, head's a bit woolly today though.

[earl grey]

belle and sebastian tonight were OK ... a little rusty, probably the most forgettable show i've seen of theirs. but they played "stars of track and field," "electronic renaissance," and "me and the major," so i can't complain too much. couple new songs sounded good too. but with some forgotten lyrics and off-key vox in the air along w/ a general lack of energy from the crowd, it was surprisingly disappointing.

it was part of the 'across the narrows' festival here in NYC, which i have to think was a complete failure. totally undersold - they blew it by splitting the biggest draws into four separate nights. but beck's headlining set was quite good tonight. i gave up on 'guero' real quick but i might have to pull it back out. and he played an acoustic version of "tropicalia" that was awesome.

[9000]

the weekend before last, caught the ponys followed by a vietnamese sausage sandwich at the atlantic antic. double uber-goodness.

[Salman]

I saw Lou Barlow last night. It was a pretty mellow show, but I guess that a given when it's just you, an acoustic guitar and a tape loop. He said he was Cat Power before Cat Power. It was sort of funny.

[S M @]

I saw Built to Spill Tues night in Rochester, NY, and all I can say is that they continue to be one of the very best acts a person could ever see.

[earl grey]

I saw Built to Spill Tues night in Rochester, NY, and all I can say is that they continue to be one of the very best acts a person could ever see.

for real. i never get tired of seeing them.

[earl grey]

U.S.E. were pretty awesome tonight. if you have even the slightest appreciation for their record, you should catch the tour ... really impressive. just like the album, but a little looser and with more energy. they've got a bunch of dates left, in the NE and then back across the country.

lots of rowdy seattle expats in the crowd tonight. they love their U.S.E. in the 206.

[yovan]

Absolutely crushed! Best show I've seen all year, by far... Closed with that 16 minute track off Curious City.

[johansen smith]

should I know who Local H are? me and the girl I went with walked out about two songs in after seeing our friend's band open for them, are they some sort of popular "Hard Rock" band or something? I mean, there were a lot of local hipster kids there, it was very confusing.

[tinobeat]

remember that song "copacetic" or something like that? it was a big-ish late '90's alt-rock hit.

that was Local H. I had no idea they were still around...

[Miss Tasty Princess]

should I know who Local H are? me and the girl I went with walked out about two songs in after seeing our friend's band open for them, are they some sort of popular "Hard Rock" band or something? I mean, there were a lot of local hipster kids there, it was very confusing.They apparently had some hits in the 90s but nothing I'd ever heard before when I saw them for the first time on a friend's recommendation a few years ago. I've seen them a couple of times and really dug 'em. I'm bummed that I'm missing them on this tour since they're playing the same night as DMBQ. :(

[japanese_moon]

I saw CYHSY last night to a sold out show. I don't have really anything to say..."point"

[Dean]

Lyrics Born last night at the Bowery Ballroom.

Many hip-hop acts like to sample funk bands like the JB's, Lyrics Born decided to take one on tour with him.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I may be ready to declare the existence of the first truly great hip-hop live band. LB's band made the Roots sound like Special Olympics prize winners.

[Paul]

After over a decade of missed opportunities, I finally got to see Rollins do his thing tonight. Sooo worth the wait. It's amazing how listening to a man talk can be captivating for nearly 3 hours.

This girl I was sitting next to was such a prude. She'd crinkle her nose whenever he'd talk about bodily functions and softly boo when he graphically described sex from time to time. I have to wonder what the hell she was expecting.

[pabost]

With little knowledge of their repertoire, I went with a friend to see My Morning Jacket on Saturday night. They were incredible. I'm sure they were aided by having one of the best live soundmixes I've ever heard, but in terms of stage presence, the band is totally captivating. The lead dude, Jim James, was doing a Tweedy thing, playing guitar on most songs but every once in while surrendering it to concentrate on playing the charismatic frontman. The reverb on his voice is particularly effecting live; it's enveloping and operates as its own distinct instrument. At times they'd approach jam band territory, but never in a dull repetitive way. I highly recommend checking them out.

[george]

With little knowledge of their repertoire, I went with a friend to see My Morning Jacket on Saturday night. They were incredible. I'm sure they were aided by having one of the best live soundmixes I've ever heard, but in terms of stage presence, the band is totally captivating. The lead dude, Jim James, was doing a Tweedy thing, playing guitar on most songs but every once in while surrendering it to concentrate on playing the charismatic frontman. The reverb on his voice is particularly effecting live; it's enveloping and operates as its own distinct instrument. At times they'd approach jam band territory, but never in a dull repetitive way. I highly recommend checking them out.

yeah jim james' voice live is one of the most amazing things i've ever heard.

[Salman]

Saw the New Pornos last night in Montreal, and it was really fun. Kurt Dahle stole the show with his drumming and all those twirling tricks he did. The Destroyer set was very good, but not many people were digging it all. Bejar was pretty wasted... like usual.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

I'm getting ready to head up to Brooklyn for Yura Yura Teikoku at NorthSix tonight. If anybody else from here goes, I'll probably be in a red Malarkies t-shirt (gotta represent my B-'lyn homies . . . or something) with black magpie on the front.

[pizzagratis]

Seeing Old Time Relijun on Saturday. Looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it is with Toronto locals The Creeping Nobodies. Hate to slag a local band, but these guys do very, very little for me...

[pizzagratis]

by the way

is Human Eye worth catching?

[tinobeat]

Seeing Old Time Relijun on Saturday. Looking forward to this. Unfortunately, it is with Toronto locals The Creeping Nobodies. Hate to slag a local band, but these guys do very, very little for me...

really? I think the Creeping Nobodies are pretty great, but hey, diff'rent strokes and all...

[Fiona]

Maximo Park blow away their tourmates at Manchester Apollo on Sunday.
Scissor kicks! Splits! Spazztastic gesticulation! Combovers! The complete rock 'n' roll package.

[Lukas]

saw death cab for cutie - I was expecting more energy and improvisation which is always well recieved. However, they chose to play the songs almost identical to the album versions which didn't give them the personalities created live.

[pabost]

saw death cab for cutie - I was expecting more energy and improvisation which is always well recieved. However, they chose to play the songs almost identical to the album versions which didn't give them the personalities created live.

Last band in the world I'd expect improvisation from, but just my $.02 . . .

Seeing the N. Porns, tonight. Will get back to you guys tomorrow with the review.

[Lukas]

missed tnp, I was so angry at myself.


...and ya I guess I should have expected that pabost.

[tinobeat]

Saw The Warlocks, The Gris Gris and Psychic Ills on Saturday night.

Psychic Ills - almost awesome, but a little to stylized and insincere for this guy. They didn't seem that interested.

The Gris Gris - the greatest goddamn band playing right now. I took a friend who'd never heard them who's become a real curmudgeon about new music and he was going nuts about it. Amazing. They've taken rock n roll apart and put it back together again in an awesome way.

The Warlocks - a touch disappointing, as they had 3 guitars, 2 drummers, bass and keys, and still sounded like they coulda pulled it off as a quartet, but I like the songs a lot. Very "west coast". or as I was thinking, "brian jonestown massacre without the fighting"

[earl grey]

for the optimo - or, should i say, mount florida - fans in NYC, clear yr friday night plans because twitch is gonna be spinning at don hill's. tim sweeney also on the bill. should be a blast.

(i unfortunately won't get there till late because i have tix to see the rapture + cut copy earlier in the night, but i'm guessing he'll go on at 1 AM at the earliest. just hope the show doesn't go late, as often is the case with the bowery ballroom on weekends.)

[vesper]

for the optimo - or, should i say, mount florida - fans in NYC, clear yr friday night plans because twitch is gonna be spinning at don hill's. tim sweeney also on the bill. should be a blast.

*cries into hands*

[Fiona]

for the optimo - or, should i say, mount florida - fans in NYC, clear yr friday night plans because twitch is gonna be spinning at don hill's. tim sweeney also on the bill. should be a blast.

Hah! And Jonnie Wilkes is spinning in the Film Institute here in Dublin on Friday night as part of ResFest!

And in the interests of consolidation over proliferation I'll edit this to add they're back in Dublin on Dec 8th.

[pabost]

After seeing Carl Newman last thanksgiving and being a bit undewhelmed by his vocal performance and his band's execution, I wasn't getting my expectations to high for last night's performance. Boy was I off! The band sounded great in all respects. Neko was belting, Carl sounded great, Kurt was drumming and hamming it up like a madman . . . even Todd Fancey cracked a smile at some points. Can't remeber the order, but here's what they played album by album:

Mass Romantic
Mass Romantic
The Fake Headlines
The Slow Descent into Alcoholism
Jackie
Letter from an Occupant (2nd encore closer, naturally)
The Body Says No (based on my request!)

Electric Version
From Blown Speakers
The Laws Have Changed
The End of Medicine
All for Swinging You Around
Testament to Youth in Verse
It's Only Divine Right
Miss Teen Wordpower

Twin Cinema
Twin Cinema
Use It
The Bleeding Heart Show
Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
These are the Fables
Sing Me Spanish Techno
Falling Through Your Clothes
Star Bodies
Streets of Fire

Carl said some funny shit. After getting a mid-set request for "Alcoholism," he responded, "Don't you think there are some songs we're just gonna play whether or not you request them? You know, I've been tracking our career for the past couple of years. . ." I briefly chatted with him at the bar during the I.M. performance, which was quite a thrill considering that he's in my top-5 songwriters of all time.

True to form, Bejar was holding a beer throughout his New P's performance. I'm not really familiar with Destroyer (only have "This Night") but I dug their performance. Much more rocking and guitar-based than what I'm familiar with. Immaculate Machine was also a lot of fun. Speaking of, the I.M. drummer and Kurt Dahle can both harmonize suprisingly well while pounding away. I find that very impressive.

[Lukas]

Do the NP's always play longer than usual shows? All the ones I have on my computer are about these same length which surprises me to how they aren't burned out after 5 shows.

[japanese_moon]

Have you ever gone to a concert and been so disgusted by the first band that it runied your whole night? Well, thats what happened when I went to see the Go! Team last night. I was really looking forward to it until the opening band (peachcake) played. I have never see anything so stupid in my entire life. They're stage antics were completley and absolutley to worst act I have ever seen. They're beats were OK but as soon as the singer opened his mouth I wanted to punch him in the face. I ended up leaving, totally bummed, wihtout even seeing the Go! Team to eat a burrito. Eating solves everything. Definitely.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

Have you ever gone to a concert and been so disgusted by the first band that it runied your whole night?Yep. Except the first case that comes to mind was a few years ago and involved not one but three openers, all of whom were awful: Yakuza, Lacuna Coil and somebody else. By the time Opeth got on stage, I was in such a foul mood that I left after 20 or so minutes, totally unable to enjoy them despite the fact that they were playing music I like, they were tight and energetic and the sound was great (unlike their first visit to Atlanta).

[yovan]

I know a couple of people here (forgot who?) are fans so I'll have a full report tomorrow...

[johansen smith]

me for sure.

[Salman]

Saw the Berllrays last night. Its probably my 4th time seeing them in the last two years, and they never cease to put on explosive shows.

[yovan]

Okay - very small, intimate venue. They played off the new full-length (Several Arrows Later) almost exclusively.

Everything sounded fantastic - His voice might rank up there as one of the top singing voices I've heard live.

Now I'm in love with the new record... Seems I always get back into these guys come Fall.. Must be the changing leaves or something...

Anyhow- Great show!

[earl grey]

the rapture were fantastic last night! i saw them last weekend too, and enjoyed it at the time, but it really wasn't very memorable. this, though, was the best i've ever seen them, and by a longshot. new songs sounded great + the crowd was nuts.

and as for twitch afterwards ... seeing him spin makes me want to move to glasgow. so fucking great.

[vesper]

how did the new rapture material sound in comparison to echoes?

[earl grey]

how did the new rapture material sound in comparison to echoes?

heavier on synths, and a bit funkier - they've got a new guy that plays keys on a bunch of the songs, and mattie safer even played keys instead of bass sometimes. a couple of the songs still need a little work IMO but overall i was impressed.

[pabost]

Was wondering if any of you could help me with an upcoming decision . . . Here's the deal: for the last year, I've become pretty obsessed with the Blood Brothers. I love their recordings and thought they put on the best performance of the weekend at Coachella. They're coming through town next week, but tix are $20 b/c they're opening for Coheed and Cambria, who I'm not familiar with. To complicate things, The Clientele will be in town the following night and I don't feel it fiscally responsible to go to both shows.

So, with what you know about Coheed and Cambria and The Clientele live, what show should I go to? Oh, Clientele tix are $10 or $12.

[pizzagratis]

Oh oh oh. Get to see Troy Gregory and His Stepsisters on the 2nd. Very looking forward to this, though the myspace songs aren't exactly promising.

Anyone else heard Laura by the way? 1 and a half stars on allmusic I think. Regardless, it's nice this thing exists.

[Fiona]

Went to see Neosupervital and Tom Vek in Whelan's tonight. Much better overall than last time, place was packed out again. Played a couple of new tracks, "Music Television" and "One Horse Race" which I think are going to be b-sides to the re-release of "Nothing But Green Lights"
*And* I got my dancing quota in this Friday, so happy days all round!

[tinobeat]

So, with what you know about Coheed and Cambria and The Clientele live, what show should I go to? Oh, Clientele tix are $10 or $12.

Coheed and Cambria are reponsible for some of the worst crimes against music I've heard in ages. The Clientele put on one of the loveliest shows I've ever seen (twice).

that's where I'm comin from.

[tinobeat]

Hot psych rock show last night. Pearls & Brass, who are supposedly a new Drag City band. They were awesome, heavier riff rock with some sick solos. The drummer also made the funniest faces I've seen in a long time while playing. But I'm very excited to hear what they sound like recorded. Fantastic.

Next up, Miminokoto from Japan. Alternating between slower, freer song/jams and amped up rocknroll nuggets, they were fucking great.

After that, Major Stars tearin everyone a new asshole. WHITE HOT rock. Sandra's really stepping into her frontwoman role amazingly too, really working the whole stage. Just plain awesome.

picked up the Miminokoto CD called "Green Mansions" and the new Wayne Rogers LP, "Blues Ul-Alb." so far I've gotten through the latter and its really awesome. I mean reaaaaly awesome. Miminokoto up next.. booya!

I'm sure Matador Dave's gonna be at this show tonight in NYC. I'd love to know what you think of Miminokoto...

[Fiona]

Cat Power at the Douglas Hyde Gallery this afternoon was breathtaking. The new tracks are just so beautiful - if they sound anywhere near as good on record with a full band it could easily be her finest album. At times I was getting goosebumps it was that lovely. The entire audience was awe-struck.
The ambience in the venue wholly contributed - candles either side of the stage/platform, the trees in the background... and she kept it together for pretty much the whole gig. What a gorgeous way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

[Dave]

The NYC show was great and insane. It was at the Palace Tavern in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It is a "Neighborhood bar" with a cool back room where the bands play.The Major Stars were on first and were absolutely insane. They were loud, but not overly so. Unless you are an old Polish resident of Greenpoint, then they were way way too loud. During their last song the bartender came up into the area where the band was playing (no stage Tino, just the way your new hometown likes it.) and motioned for them to stop. He got a few cofused looks from Wayne and crew and then he went and actually turned Tom's amp off. Then all of a sudden there were two NYC cops at the front of the crowd who succeeded in stopping the rock. Here is what I heard the cop say to the Major Stars: "You're gonna have to cut that by at least half. We've already had 45 noise complaints tonight."
This effectively ended the Major Stars set, but at least it was in very dramatic fashion.
I spoke to some folks who live on that block and were at the show and they said that their neighbors were on fire earlier in the day about the shows and were asking them if they were as upset about them etc. Before 10 PM on a Saturday Night in NYC when there's a halloween party at a house on every block and you've got 45+ noise complaints?!?! I guess the Palace Tavern has got some issues to work out with their neighbors and the bands tonight were just unfortunate.
Anyway, it is thankfull that Dr. Ragtime (a.k.a. Jack Rose) was up next with his amazing acoustic guitar skills. He did start the set w/a 12 string guitar but later, maybe taking the cops suggestion he cut back to a six string. He was fantastic. You should all buy his records.
It was unclear if they were gonna let Miminokoto play, but eventually the bar owners said they could play, but quietly. Thankfully they are a rather versitile band and they adapted to this pretty well. They really are so unlike most bands and are maybe the most traditionally Japanese (they've got those super emotive Jacks-esque vocals and I'm a sucker for that shit. Not to mention Masami Kawaguchi's guitar style is tops) band of any current Japanese bands that make it over here and becuause of that they are really refreshing. There were a few songs that suffered from not being full volume (cause they would have broken your head) but they did have this great line: "I am sorry that we can not play loud, you should buy our record and play it loud."
Miminokoto are still in the US and playing in Baltimore, Washington DC and Chicago still so go see them, they are fantastic.
As my wife and I left there were still two cop cars parked right out front with cops standing around like there was some reason for them to be there. I'm sure it was considered a nice guesture by the 45+ phone callers and I'd be surprised to see more shows at the Palace Tavern anytime soon.

Good times.

[otto midnight]

thursday night i saw the busy signals and live fast die, busy signals played the best set i've seen from them yet. live fast die was a loose, shambling mess and i mean that in the best possible way. like a car that's going to fast with bad tie rods or something. i wasn't sure when the whole thing was going to jump the tracks but they kept it together just this side of disaster. awesome show.

friday i saw tyrades and the ponys. tyrades played a blistering, intimidating set. ferocious. ponys didn't put me to sleep for the first time in a year. new guitar dude has to go.

saturday was the pedestrians, young men's department, and galactic inmate at cal's liquors. i thought the pedestrians were good, looking forward to hearing whatever's coming out on criminal iq. young men's department was some kind of metal band from pittsburgh, not exactly my bag. the singer had an awesome charlie manson costume which i later found out wasn't a costume. galactic inmate played a snarling, agressive, and above all loud set. plagued by a broken bass strap and then overwhelming the circuit breakers for the club forcing them to stop midway through what to that point had been my favorite song in the set.

quintron and miss pussycat are playing at the bottle tonight, gonna head over there in a couple hours.

[johansen smith]

quintron and miss pussycat are playing at the bottle tonight, gonna head over there in a couple hours.
oh man I bet he had a blast, they're still the best show I've ever seen.

[Dave]

"friday i saw tyrades and the ponys. tyrades played a blistering, intimidating set. ferocious. ponys didn't put me to sleep for the first time in a year. new guitar dude has to go."



Otto
What about Brian don't you dig? Everytime I have seen him I thought he killed. In fact I prefer his guitar playing to Ian's.

Dave

[otto midnight]

Otto
What about Brian don't you dig? Everytime I have seen him I thought he killed. In fact I prefer his guitar playing to Ian's.

Dave

dunno, i guess i prefer ian. the older songs anyway, they certainly sound different with a les paul as opposed to the ric ian used. plus with ian there's no keyboards anymore. not even on the songs where he didn't play keys which is kinda weird. tyrades fucking slayed though.

king khan/bbq tomorrow!

[Dave]

Yeah, I'll agree that it does sound a bit different, but like I said, I feel it is for the better. Brian had cool Gretsch (or knockoff) hollowbody the first time I saw them w/him, but not since. Anyway I really do think he kicks it out and that Ian was a bit more show than go when it came to the guitar.
Keyboards: I've been telling them to get a new keyboard for some time as well as to relearn "Get Black."

King Khan & BBQ are playing here next weekend. Within walking distance to my house too!

Dave

[pabost]

Coheed and Cambria are reponsible for some of the worst crimes against music I've heard in ages. The Clientele put on one of the loveliest shows I've ever seen (twice).

that's where I'm comin from.

Good call, Tino. Went to see The Clientele and thought it was pretty great. Alisdair (sp?) made some pretty funny, acerbic comments from the stage, and there were some Spinal Tap moments where he'd begin bantering after a song but the sound man hadn't yet turned off the reverb on his mic. Suffice to say, he was greatly annoyed. More importantly, the band was great and Alisdair is truly an incredible guitarist. He would go into these breakdowns where he would play his guitar kind of like a bass - sort of similar in sound to Comets on Fire or Dead Meadow even.

[otto midnight]

king khan/bbq was great. black lips fucking slayed. goddamn they were good, new album is going to be awesome. i'm trying to find a cheap ticket to boston so i can see them at tt's next saturday.

WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU WHITEY???

[Miss Tasty Princess]

black lips fucking slayed. goddamn they were good, new album is going to be awesome. i'm trying to find a cheap ticket to boston so i can see them at tt's next saturday.Are you serious? I've seen them twice and tried to listen to their records but never found them to be anything other than pathetic.

[otto midnight]

Are you serious? I've seen them twice and tried to listen to their records but never found them to be anything other than pathetic.


you have my pity. fucking awesome.

[earl grey]

luomo tonight was good, could've been better though. they only let him play for an hour, even though his songs can easily cross the ten-minute mark and the best bits live were when he chopped up and extended things. more disappointing - the complete lack of 'vocalcity.' he focused mainly on new stuff, incl. a song that copped the "billie jean" bassline and managed to pull it off, and i liked the new, but really wanted more old.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

you have my pity. fucking awesome.I would be more inclined to say you have my pity. Seriously, there are a ton of great bands from the Atlanta area but The Black Lips strike me as incredibly imitative and incompetent. Sure, they're somewhat energetic and I can see the little girls (and gay boys) thinking some of them are really cute but I can see absolutely no musical appeal in them whatsoever.

[Fiona]

Saw Architecture in Helsinki in the Music Centre on Friday night. Veered between captivating and irritating.

The songs where they were more focused in terms of instrumentation came off best, especially those with an emphasis on brass. Some tracks were just too ambitious and they couldn't pull it off. One guy tried to play the bass, drums and keys all in one number. Thought the female vox were a bit weak - nice voice, but didn't work with the music.

[otto midnight]

I would be more inclined to say you have my pity. Seriously, there are a ton of great bands from the Atlanta area but The Black Lips strike me as incredibly imitative and incompetent. Sure, they're somewhat energetic and I can see the little girls (and gay boys) thinking some of them are really cute but I can see absolutely no musical appeal in them whatsoever.

there's just no way we can be talking about the same band. except for the energetic part nothing matches. so fucking awesome, truly one of the best shows i've seen in years. better than kk/bbq which i'd been looking forward to forever.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

there's just no way we can be talking about the same band. except for the energetic part nothing matches. so fucking awesome, truly one of the best shows i've seen in years. better than kk/bbq which i'd been looking forward to forever.Are they young kids playing garage rock sort of in the style of The Sonics but with none of the originality? Since the local boys played with KK/BBQ just a little over a week ago, I'd be inclined to think we're talking about the same folks. Maybe they just play faceless garage rock with riffs that sound blatently stolen when I'm in the audience.

[otto midnight]

Are they young kids playing garage rock sort of in the style of The Sonics but with none of the originality? Since the local boys played with KK/BBQ just a little over a week ago, I'd be inclined to think we're talking about the same folks. Maybe they just play faceless garage rock with riffs that sound blatently stolen when I'm in the audience.


not sure what you call kids, but definitely under 40. not sure i'd make comparisons to the sonics either but if that's easiest for you so be it. all i know is i witnessed one of the best shows i'm likely to see in a while and if you talk to anyone else who was there i'm willing to bet they agree. perhaps they do play "faceless garage rock riffs that sound blatantly stolen when you are in the audience". maybe it's something they do just for you.

all i know is chicago was blessed last friday.

[Miss Tasty Princess]

not sure what you call kids, but definitely under 40. not sure i'd make comparisons to the sonics either but if that's easiest for you so be it. all i know is i witnessed one of the best shows i'm likely to see in a while and if you talk to anyone else who was there i'm willing to bet they agree. perhaps they do play "faceless garage rock riffs that sound blatantly stolen when you are in the audience". maybe it's something they do just for you.

all i know is chicago was blessed last friday.They're in their twenties, I think, but I thought they were in high school the first time I saw them. I mention The Sonics 'cause I've seen them play "Dirty Robber" covered by The Sonics on !!!Here Are The Sonics!!!

I usually try to not be too much of a dick about music but The Black Lips just bug the shit out of me and I've given them a fair chance, I think, to live up to the hype they get.

My definition of "kid": anyone younger than me. That makes it easy.

[pizzagratis]

Eh...Black Lips, Shmack Shmips...

The Troy Gregory and the Stepsisters show was great. What a weird, cool guy. Got to talk to him (and the bass player) a little before the show...over maybe 7 minutes topics ranged from his disappointment with modern architechture, covers on paperback books from the 70s and getting turned on at the dentist's office. Wow...

Played songs too. "The Brood" and "Tipping the Candy Machine" (which I think is up on their myspace site) were definitely highlights. Only maybe 15 people stayed until the end, which I guess is what you get when you have 3 real world mediocre opening bands on a Wednesday night. Made me feel happy someone is making this kind of music this inscrutably. Heavily encourage anyone on this board to check them out. Maybe even with the Howling Hex in my book in the ways they rewrite classic/garage/rock and roll tropes into something really novel.

[Fiona]

Saw Bloc Party at The Olympia last night, and they pretty much tore the place up. Blitzed through the whole of Silent Alarm, plus Little Thoughts, Two More Years, The Present and Skeleton. They had so much enthusiasm, it was like they were going out on tour for the first time, never mind it being their third visit to Dublin this year. The buzz in the place was amazing - being in a heaving venue where everybody, including the band, really wants to be there - brilliant.

Highlights were blistering versions of Banquet and Helicopter predictably enough, but also Little Thoughts and Price of Gasoline (which is one of my least favourite tracks on the album). Two More Years sounded a lot better live than on record, but I think The Present sounds a bit like a pastiche of a bunch of tracks from the album.

Last time I saw them they were first up in back-to-back Bloc Party/Interpol/Ian Brown which was for me probably one of the best gig nights of the year. Didn't think they could pass that out but I reckon they edged it yesterday.

[whitesnake]

otto:

i left the house, but ended up just having beers at the cork. i didn't make it to see jack rose the following day. i was motivated, i swear. i got derailed.

so, i can't speak to the black lips debate. maybe next time.

sorry, dood.

[johansen smith]

seeing Deerhoof on Thursday, I don't really like them on record but I've heard they're good live.

[otto midnight]

whitey, casiotone is playing in your neighborhood next week. it's a school night so i'm not sure if you can make it but i'm just putting it out there...

[earl grey]

trying to decide if i should see art brut tonight or broadcast. up until today, i was leaning towards broadcast ... i love the new record, i think they're awesome live, plus i'm already seeing art brut tomorrow night. but now that i've heard some reviews of art brut's show last night, i'm thinking a double dip might be in order. it feels right. apparently eddie argos is quite the entertainer on stage ... seems like every AB show is different. but this broadcast show is so tempting as well. don't know what to do...

[Dave]

Then go to the Modey Lemon / Apes / Victoria Lucas show in Greenpoint

Dave

[earl grey]

Then go to the Modey Lemon / Apes / Victoria Lucas show in Greenpoint

Dave

tempting, but you lost me at "greenpoint"...

[not to hate on GP or anything, but it's generally a battle to get there.]

[Dave]

Yeah well Modey and the Apes play again Friday at the Cake Shop but that conflicts w/your Art Brut action at North Six.
I agree that Greenpoint can be tough but rock 'n' roll is worth it.

Dave

[9000]

tempting, but you lost me at "greenpoint"...

[not to hate on GP or anything, but it's generally a battle to get there.]

dude, you can swing by for pierogies and cheap polish beer beforehand. upper peninsula bklyn ain't so bad, but yeah, the commute sucks at times.

[tinobeat]

Who's singing for the Apes these days?

That show sounds shit hot. Dude, battle it out to Greenpoint. I'd almost trek there from PROVIDENCE to see that shit.

[Dave]

Who's singing for the Apes these days?

That show sounds shit hot. Dude, battle it out to Greenpoint. I'd almost trek there from PROVIDENCE to see that shit.

They have a new singer, but beyond that I know nothing. I guess I will report back.

Dave

[tinobeat]

They have a new singer, but beyond that I know nothing. I guess I will report back.

Dave

please do!

[earl grey]

decided on art brut. who was i kidding? i've been itching to see this band live for months now. can't wait. off to the show!

[earl grey]

for the record - art brut blew the roof off the place tonight. probably a predictable response from me, but they were so much fun. crap sound for the first few songs but it didn't matter ... a lot of energy, plus eddie argos just put them on his shoulders. hell of a frontman, too many one-liners to remember (and he likes to play w/ the lyrics live too). the drummer actually plays standing up.

saw the last couple songs from the psychic ills too. don't know a thing about them but i liked what i heard.

[Paul]

d00d, you're killin' me over here.

[earl grey]

d00d, you're killin' me over here.

sorry. but hey, last minute plane tickets are cheap! you know you wanna.

i talked to the merch guy for a few minutes afterwards and he said they're hoping to be back soon, and to do a more extensive tour then.

"modern art" ended with eddie shouting the chorus in the middle of the crowd while the band did the same into the mics. it was crazy.

[Fiona]

After the mayhem of Bloc Party on Monday, had a complete change of pace and went to see Kathryn Williams and Ray Lamontagne in The Village on Weds.

Kathryn Williams isn't really my bag - she's got a very sweet voice and her songs are perfectly nice but she didn't make me feel anything (other than concern that she might pop the sprog onstage when she started shrieking during her final song).

Ray played a lovely set - first few tracks were just him and Chris on bass, thought it improved with the addition of drums. He seems to have grown in confidence a lot over the year. First time I saw him I thought he was either going to faint or run off stage. Ted Nugent he ain't.

Sigur Rós and Amina tonight at the Olympia! SR will be appearing on Later tonight for the benefit of UK/Ireland based folk.

[yovan]

decided on art brut. who was i kidding? i've been itching to see this band live for months now. can't wait. off to the show!

Choosing between Art Brut and Modey Lemon might be one of the hardest choices one would ever have to make in life...

[Fiona]

Just back (um, indirectly) from Sigur Rós at the Olympia. I don't think I've been at a gig where so many complete strangers felt the need to pour out their hearts - it was rather a lot to take in. A guy standing next to me kept telling me between songs that it was like a religious experience for him, between yelling "wow" and "amazing" repeatedly. A girl in front of me told me she cried three times (and another girl in a pub later told me she flooded twice), plus a guy near me looked like he was waiting for the rapture and ascendency into heaven, whilst a couple behind were eh, getting very spiritual indeed. I could go on. My friends and I were all very moved by the evening, maybe a little less expressive of the level of emotion though.

Started off with Glósoli, performed from behind a muslin gauze. The stage and lighting design was so beautifully complementary to the music. A diffused spot was on centre stage which along with strobing created skewed silhouettes of the band from multiple angles, whilst the peripheral members were visible through the cloth. After that the screen lifted but the main lighting was directed from beneath Jonsi which projected a 30 ft shadow of him on the back of the stage to amazing effect.

I'll stop harping about the atmos and get on to the music. For many of the tracks they were accompanied by a string quartet. Sélést, Gong and Hoppípola, were stunning. Sæglópur, Milanó, Heysatán and track two from the second album were without doubt highlights. Actually scratch that, the whole lot was incredible. They played for a tad under two hours straight, and it just flew. I thought the roof was going to lift off the place at the end and they came onstage for two curtain calls (a first at a gig for me). My only beef would be the lack of material from Agætis Byrjun, but considering the overall quality it's tough to moan. I've even accepted that at just under €40 in (most extortionate gig of the year!) it was well worth it. Mind you, walking past the merch stall on the way out spotted that t-shirts were priced €40 - yikes! Though I believe some of the proceeds were going towards funding the protection of minke whales so that was fair enough.

A quick few words about support act Amina - thoroughly lovely soundscapes, pretty background music of the nicest kind, and that's not meant to be derogatory in the least.

[9000]

for the record - art brut blew the roof off the place tonight.

i enjoyed the northsix show immensely. very fun indeed.

[earl grey]

i enjoyed the northsix show immensely. very fun indeed.

yeah, definitely! last night was great. i think the band was in better form last night, more relaxed than at the merc, though eddie was a lot less chatty (believe it or not). they also cut a new song from the set, tho it didn't really make a difference.

[Fiona]

i enjoyed the northsix show immensely. very fun indeed.
Now if only I coulda kept the Sigur Ros essay that brief.
Four Tet tonight, with Kid Koala spinning.

[apeshite]

yeah, definitely! last night was great. I got sucked into the impromtu mosh pit that ensued when Eddie jumped into the crowd during Modern Art. The show was a real hoot.

[pabost]

Saw them with the Juan Maclean at the Exit/In last night. I'm by no means a big fan, but I do like the band and enjoyed their performance. The abundance of live percussion was a welcome surprise, and the bassist, Tyler something, is really strong. For some reason, I've always believed the lead guy (James Murphy?) as a jerky, cooler-than-thou character. He actually seemed like a really gracious and sincere guy on stage, so that was nice, as well. It was loud as fuck but was only incomprehensible at the end of "Yeah." Otherwise, it sounded great.

The Juan Maclean was okay. They had some cool sounds, but their beats aren't nearly as fun as LCD's, and their lead guy was less than captivating.

[vesper]

i didn't realize that the juan maclean performed with a band? did lcdss's nancy whang sing some of maclean's songs?

[earl grey]

the juan maclean damn near put me to sleep when i saw them open for LCD in june. and this was when i was totally in love with 'less than human' - i was really looking fwd to TJM's set. but the little details of the songs were lost, and they just did a super-long version of "shining skinned friend" and a couple other tunes. no nancy at that gig, but there was a band - live drummer, maclean, plus a couple ppl on bass/keys (i think).

[otto midnight]

tomorrow afternoon- cococoma and the krunchies
tomorrow night- VEE DEE/REIGNING SOUND/detroit cobras.

should be a good day.

[earl grey]

love is all totally won me over tonight. it's their first US tour (philly tomorrow) but their full-length comes out next month and hopefully they'll be back soon. i literally thought they were some old band from the 60's when i first heard them, but it was just the production on that song. v upbeat + interesting live - gtr/bass/sax/keys/drums, and very life without buildings-inspired vocals.

[tinobeat]

love is all totally won me over tonight. it's their first US tour (philly tomorrow) but their full-length comes out next month and hopefully they'll be back soon. i literally thought they were some old band from the 60's when i first heard them, but it was just the production on that song. v upbeat + interesting live - gtr/bass/sax/keys/drums, and very life without buildings-inspired vocals.

I kept seeing the name on all the distro emails I got in the past week, and thought the name was interesting, but not necessarily in a good way. Your description has my interest very piqued tho...

[tinobeat]

Wednesday night I saw The Impossible Shapes play, and it was awesome. They were down to a 3-piece because their bass player was on his honeymoon or something like that, but it was really first class stuff.

[earl grey]

I kept seeing the name on all the distro emails I got in the past week, and thought the name was interesting, but not necessarily in a good way. Your description has my interest very piqued tho...

yeah it's not the best name. makes me think of the rapture song. i wish they had been selling their album at the show, i'm looking fwd to hearing it.

[Fiona]

Couple of good ones of late:
Thursday - The White Stripes w/ The Greenhornes @ Manchester Apollo. The Greenhornes didn't do a lot for me but The White Stripes were awesome. Got through a lot of the new album, sounded great live. A friend of ours had been at their Blackpool show, and they'd acoustic and electric stages there. Just the one in Manchester, but it did the trick.

Saturday - The National w/ Film School @ Whelan's. The National were much better than I anticipated, very intense. Huge hit with the crowd.

And tonight I was at quite possibly the loudest gig I've ever been to. Went along to see Khanate with a friend. Knew it wasn't really gonna be my thing - was okay, but my ears are ringing something rotten right now.

[otto midnight]

just got back from the ponys/dinosaur show. dinosaur was fucking amazing. i won't even go into it. fuck they were good. ponys had some problems. jared was on his third guitar during the 4th song. played a lot of new stuff. one of the new songs was fucking amazing. rest were good. need lseep.

[Fiona]

More Whelan's-action, scene of some of the best of the last week/two:

Saturday: Liars - played a lot of new material, came across really well, looking forward to hearing new album as opposed to being afraid-of-hearing-new-album. Excellent version of "room on the broom" prompted an audience singalong - love that. However not a band you want stand in the front row for, as I discovered.

Sunday: Wolf Parade - suffered a bit from muddy sound. Their sound-guy must have been as drunk as they were. "This Heart's On Fire", "You Are a Runner..." and "I'll Believe in Anything", stood out. Really liked their set-up.

Last night: Mark Kozelek - surprised (but not disappointed) that the set comprised mainly RHP songs. Just a couple of Sun Kil Moon tracks, and two ("Dramamine" & "Jesus Was an Only Child" or whatever) and a half ("Tiny Cities...") Modest Mouse covers.

[tinobeat]

jesus christmas. I just experienced a 2 hour+ Akron/Family set, and it was fucking mindblowing. please see this band soon, if you can.

[bitterfruit]

The Calexico and Iron & Wine show last night was incredible. One of the highlights of the event was Salvador Durain, a Mexican musician that they found while he was playing in hotels in Arizona. He was amazing.

The audience was incredibly considerate in reference to the quiet nature of the set. Apparently, the last four or five shows have been replete with loud crowd conversations.

I was told that at the Charleston show, Sam came right out and asked the people talking to shut the fuck up. In front of his parents even.

I was amazed at the number of really, really young kids there. They knew all the words and sang along politely.

Two of the guys in the band are friends. Troy Tague (Danielle Howle and The Tantrums) and Jonathan Bradley (Verna Cannon) share percussion responsibilities. I'm likely a little biased, but it wouldn't have been the same without their surgical skeelz.

My Flickr photos here. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rajbala/sets/1601254/)

[Miss Tasty Princess]

Holy Crap! I started keeping a list and I went to 114 shows in 2005. The scary thing is, I've slowed down a bit.

1/5: Vague Angels/Earl Greyhound
1/7: Genghis Tron/The Fugue/Suitcases/Aye! Robotics!
1/9: Unpersons/Nocturnes for a Dying Planet/No
1/15: Pentagram (sorta)/The Hidden Hand
1/22: A Fir-Ju Well/YOU/Astra/Brass Knuckle Surfer
1/24: An Albatross/Cinema Eye/Aqui/Me and Him Call It Us
1/28: I Would Set Myself on Fire for You/SIDS
1/28: Brass Castle/The Nein
2/1: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
2/7: Faun Fables
2/8: Dragons 1976/Phonepunk/The Marsh
2/9: Ruins (solo)/Untied States/The Flakes
2/10: Claudia Quintet/RoboCromp
2/12: High on Fire/Planes Mistaken for Stars/Kylesa
2/17: dälek/Deerhunter/The Hellsayers
2/18: Eugene Chadbourne & Han Bennink
2/19: Father Peter/The PB Army/Kurtz
2/24: The Heart Attacks/The Vaginas/Manhandle/Mack Messiah/Big Penguin
2/25: Airoes/Deerhunter/Retconned/Coulier/Zandosis/Wilson & Heath
2/26: Le Tigre/Lesbians on Ecstasy
3/4: Brodie Stove/National Grain
3/5: The Cherry Splits
3/7: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum/Untied States/Ladies Night
3/10: Trevor Dunn & Shelley Burgon/Lie & Swell
3/14: Panthers/Turing Machine/Parts & Labor
3/19: Queens of the Stone Age/Throw Rag
3/26: DMBQ/The Black Lips/Brass Castle
4/7: Fantômas/The Locust/Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant
4/9: Erik Hinds & Dennis Palmer/Colin Bragg & Blake Helton
4/12: Second Shift/The Holy Ghost
4/14: The Kills/Scout Niblett/Tiger! Tiger!
4/16: The Shipping News/Home of The Wildcats/Brodie Stove
4/19: Mahjongg
4/21: Faun Fables/Chelsea Lin
4/27: Sum 41/Unwritten Law/Hawthorne Heights
4/29: Strapping Young Lad/Misery Signals/Reflux/Armani Death Machine
4/30: The Jupiter Watts/Luigi/Charm School
5/6: Dove/Brass Castle/Zoroaster
5/10: British Sea Power/Feist/A Fir-Ju Well
5/11: Freak the Jones
5/12: The Black Keys/The Legendary Shack Shakers/The Hentchmen
5/13: Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet
5/17: Lightning Bolt/Bug Sized Mind/Airoes
5/18: OvO/Mr. Natural/Zandosis
5/19: Pinback
5/19: Brant Bjork and the Bros.
5/23: The Eastern Seaboard/Lie and Swell
5/23: The Grey Daturas
5/26: The Raveonettes/Autolax/The Peels
5/27: The Forty-Fives/The Bullnecks/The Carbonas/Brass Castle
5/30: Big Business/Teenage Meth Lab
6/2: Mikabomb/The Heart Attacks/Airoes
6/3: Dirty Projectors/The Wind-Up Bird
6/4: Blood Brothers/The Plot to Blow up the Eiffel Tower
6/4: The Selmanaires/The Licentious Five
6/9: EyeHateGod/Light Pupil Dilate
6/11: Artimus Pyledriver/Dixie Witch/Throttlerod
6/15: SIDS/The Fugue/American Erutrevo
6/17: Green Milk from the Planet Orange
6/21: Judas Priest
6/21: Gang Gang Dance/Bloodlines
6/28: The Spinto Band
6/30: Jucifer/Hot Young Priest/Avenge Vegas
7/1: Sleater-Kinney/Dead Meadow
7/5: The Peppermints/Deerhunter
7/8: Kenny Howes & The Yeah!/What the?
7/12: Opeth/Chimaira/GWAR/Every Time I Die/Strapping Young Lad/High on Fire/Madball/All that Remains/A Life Once Lost/DevilDriver/Fear Before the March of Flames
7/13: Afrirampo/Deerhunter
7/14: The Reigning Sound/Subsonics/zZz
7/15: Susan Alcorn/Johnny Minotaur
7/16: GFE/Black Love
7/21: Pedestrian Deposit/Oscillating Innards/Moribund/Black Meat
7/22: Tiger! Tiger!
7/23: The Young Antiques/The Indicators/Sunday Drive Bye
7/27: Biirdie/Elekibass
7/28: Light Pupil Dilate/American Heritage/Mixel Pixel/Big Penguin
7/29: Harvey Milk
8/2: Dance Disaster Movement/VIP
8/5: Parade/Dig Shovel Dig/Sports
8/6: The Olivia Tremor Control/Tall Dwarfs/Don Chambers + GOAT
8/15: Mike Tamburo/Keenan Lawler/Eli Queen
8/30: Red Sparowes/Zombi/The Power and the Glory
9/3: SIDS/The Frantic/Dead Vagina/Tears for the Dying
9/5: Trephine/Light Pupil Dilate/Darsombra
9/6: Sigur Rós/Amina
9/8: The Thieves/Qualone/The Black Wings
9/9: Dropsonic/The Life and Times/The Hard Lessons
9/15: Untied States/Brass Castle/The Moorish Idols
9/16: The Shaking Ray Levis & Eric Hinds
9/21: Dungen (in-store)
10/1: The Gossip/Danger Woman
10/11: Yura Yura Teikoku/Excepter/Seneca
10/12: CocoRosie/Diane Cluck/Dirty Projectors
10/13: Alice Texas/Alexa Georgevich
10/14: Yura Yura Teikoku/Soft Circle
10/15: The Fiery Furnaces/The Childballads
10/26: DMBQ/The Spooks
10/28: Jucifer/Trubblegum/Polemic
11/1: The Festival Quartet
11/10: Teen Wheat/The Liverhearts/Hungry Models/Michael Columbia
11/11: Ben Davis & Keith Leslie/GFE
11/11: Artimus Pyledriver/Gonzalez
11/12: Erik Hinds
11/12: Kayo Dot/Ahleuchatistas/Me and Him Call It Us
11/16: Zoroaster/Backwoods Payback
11/18: GFE
11/18: The Selmanaires
11/19: The Heart Attacks/Beat Beat Beat/The Vaticans
11/22: Torche/The Power and the Glory
11/25: Andrew Barker/Roger Ruzow
12/1: The USA Is a Monster/Kites/The Flakes
12/12: Modey Lemon/The Apes/Deerhunter
12/21: Torche/Fiend Without a Face/Zoroaster

[Patrick]

The power of not drinking and living a healthy lifestyle.

Patrick