I am ever so infatuated with Zach Condon

this. is. brilliant.



his voice is absolutely perfect, and it's helping me getting through a research paper which is absolutely killing me. I am fluctuating between Kings of Leon, Miles Davis, Black Lips and Beirut. my eclectic taste baffles most.

anyhow, seriously, watch the above video, it's ace. if you aren't grinning from the first few seconds, you are dead inside. I wish he would sing into my hollow crevices...

"I know this world is killing you"

I have been spinning My Aim Is True a lot lately. I get nostalgic every time I hear the following song, which was not only my first exposure to Elvis Costello, but remains my very favourite of his, ever. Is that terribly cliche? So be it.

Elvis Costello - Alison [mp3]

Saturday Music Definitions: Follow

Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark [mp3]
ah, my very first taste of DCFC. Plans is definitely my favourite album of theirs, especially because it has 'What Sarah Said' (fave song by them) and 'Marching Bands of Manhattan'.

Gavin Degraw - Follow Through [mp3]

The Tallest Man on Earth - It Will Follow the Rain [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

BONUS:
Elliott Smith - Rose Parade [mp3]
"Won't you follow me down to the rose parade?"

a 'new' song from Sufjan Stevens

it's actually an old tune, but it's just recently surfaced the interwebs:

Sufjan Stevens - Sofia's Song [mp3]

I am in awe of how he makes a banjo sound so pretty.
I like this a lot better than Ray Lamontagne's ode to Meg White, which I liked a heck of a lot.

Sufjan explains:
"But the world of youth was where I tried on new ideas, new outfits, new names, and new rhyme schemes—-a world where the banjo was my journal, where Sofia Coppola was my imaginary confidant, and where singing out of tune was perfectly OK!"

read more HERE

just for the record, Sufjan Stevens is the highlight of Dark Was The Night

The Strokes Post #66

Little Joy are going to play the Independent on June 3rd

buy tickets HERE

I think this is a one time gig, I dunno the reasoning behind it, but Fab better as hell rush his ass back to NY to work with my other four favourite people in the whole world.

Little Joy on MYSPACE

Band of the Week: Elliott Smith

I rarely spend time in front of a television screen, for tv or movies...I'd much rather spin a record or go to a show. But tonight, I decided to rewatch Good Will Hunting, a film I hadn't seen in years (although fond memories of its effect on me were still fresh in my brain).

The last time I had watched it, however, predated my fascination with Elliott Smith, whose music, of course, scored the film (and brought him into the limelight).

And I just have to say, well done. It was all so beautiful.

Then I realized,
"oh damn I forgot to post band of the week today",
and then,
"double damn, I've never posted Elliott in the aforementioned category."

But there's a reason for that. I love Elliott Smith too much, and have had to deal with too many people who cannot fathom his brilliance (and to those people I say, I have nothing to say to you). It is just too painful for me to have to deal with that, because Elliott Smith's music has affected me in so many ways, yet in no way at all.

Let me explain:
Elliott Smith belongs to the rare caste of musician who can completely captivate me to the point where I cannot do or say or think anything while I am listening to his music.

When you listen to his music with headphones on underneath a tree, his voice whispering as the wind slowly does the same, really, few things in the world matter.

Nothing matters, except for you. You, and Elliott, sharing the beautiful mess that is life.

And your mind races,
And it's at ease,
And you smile,
And you cry,
And it's heartbreaking,
and it's absolutely perfect.

I discovered Elliott when I was in high school. I had picked up his album XO from the library, having heard of him, but never his music.

By the third song (Waltz #2, which indeed, remains to this day, my favourite song by him), I had shivers. I was absolutely hooked. I listened to track three on repeat for hours that day.

Elliott Smith was too beautiful for this world. Like all great geniuses, he is completely underappreciated and inaccessible to most of the world, because people have been so numbed by the mediocrity that is modern culture that they cannot value true art if it hit them in the face with a sledgehammer.

Let the records show that one day I will get "cause I'm doing just fine, hour to hour, note to note" tattooed on my body, probably somewhere near my heart. That, and the word "hedonist", but that has nothing to do with anything.

Anyhow, I know I've posted about Elliott a couple of times in the past, but please, please, please, do yourself a favour. Listen to XO. It's probably my favourite album after the first three Strokes records. Get a taste below, and head on over to your local library. I'm sure they have Elliott in stock, libraries tend to cater to (my) good taste.

Elliott Smith - Waltz #2 (XO) [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Between the Bars [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Miss Misery [mp3]

the day I come across an original copy of XO on vinyl is the day my heart will explode with joy. speaking of the ol' collection, guess who just a few days ago received a very happy package in the mail from a certain UK record store containing an ORIGINAL VINYL COPY OF THE UK VERSION OF IS THIS IT? yeah, that would be me. and if I weren't too lazy to charge my camera's battery, I'd upload a photo of it for you all to see. oh well, time will heal all.

Super Furry Animals to collaborate with The Rascals

Gruff Rhys will be contributing to the band's second album.

read more on NME

remastered Beck album includes 13 previously unreleased songs

according to NME:

Some 13 unreleased Beck songs are included on the expanded version of his 1994 album 'One Foot In The Grave'.

'He's A Mighty Good Leader'
'Sleeping Bag'
'I Get Lonesome'
'Burnt Orange Peel'
'Cyanide Breath Mint'
'See Water'
'Ziplock Bag'
'Hollow Log'
'Forcefield'
'Fourteen Rivers Fourteen Floods'
'Asshole'
'I've Seen The Land Beyond'
'Outcome'
'Girl Dreams'
'Painted Eyelids'
'Atmospheric Conditions'

Bonus tracks:

'It's All In Your Mind' (K Records seven-inch)
'Whiskey Can Can' (K Records seven-inch)
'Mattress'
'Woe On Me'
'Teenage Wastebasket'
'Your Love Is Weird'
'Favourite Nerve'
'Piss On The Door'
'Close To God'
'Sweet Satan'
'Burning Boyfriend'
'Black Lake Morning'
'Feather In Your Cap' (K Records seven-inch)
'One Foot In The Grave'
'Teenage Wastebasket'
'I Get Lonesome'

original release: 27 June 1994
released: 14 April 2009
UK release date: 1 June 2009

I love Beck. yesterday, at Rasputin, they were playing the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs which kind of got me pissed because I've realized that my first impression of it was right, it sucks; but then, redemption, they played "Gamma Ray".

yayyy Beck =)

The Strokes Post #65

XD XD XD

The Strokes Post #64

In In Transit, Julian says "What about my fucking kids, Ryan? What about little Fabrizio? He hasn't eaten in 3 hours!"

it's just too too funny.

I can't find a youtube clip of that bit, but it's in the first few minutes of the movie

observe:


:45-1:05
classic.

The new issue of Rolling Stone

is really really good. I got it a few days ago. it has Kings of Leon on the cover, with a very interesting article (which maps out the boys' lives until their recent superstardom). I recommend that you check it out.

head over HERE for some online exclusive stuff about KoL from RS

Peter Doherty giveaway

Petey's label is giving away 12 sets of the following:

- Signed Grace/Wastelands CD
- "The Last Of The English Roses" single CD
- Dried English rose

click HERE to enter

good luck!

The Strokes Posts #63

I know I post a lot of youtube videos for their live stuff, but I hope you guys are actually watching them! The Strokes are amazing.

The Strokes Post #62

my younger brother once uttered a slew of very wise words:

"It should be illegal to listen to The Strokes.
They’re too amazing."

observe:

BFD lineup announced + ticket link

Saturday June 6th, 2009

Headliners: The Offspring, 311, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Festival Stage: Taking Back Sunday, Alkaline Trio, Rebelution, Metric, Mute Math, Glasvegas, Anberlin, Airborne Toxic Event, Cage the Elephant, Dead Confederate, Audrye Sessions

Subsonic Tent: Crystal Castles, DJ AM, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, Villains, Steve Aoki, Zion I, Mike Relm, Paparazzi, Limosines, Designer Drugs, DJ Omar, DJ Miles

Soundcheck Local Band Stage: MC Lars, Music for Animals, Wallpaper, Odawas, Dizzy Balloon, The Catholic Comb, Ambience, olid State Logic, Fighting the Villain

purchase tickets on Saturday by clicking HERE
see you there!

Conor Oberst's new song is surprisingly good

it sounds like Ryan Adams in his jam-band phase

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Nikorette [mp3]
(via RCRD LBL)

concert review: The Gaslight Anthem @ Slim's 16 April 2009

Last Thursday night at Slim’s was marked by many things, and bad music was not one of them. The first act was an Australian band called A Death in the Family, whose energy and passion were only fitting for the opening slot at a Gaslight concert. Their sound was very raw, interlacing power chords and angry vocals that would have fit in nicely in 1977. Luckily, people can still appreciate the timelessness of punk driven songs, and the crowd was definitely on board with A Death in the Family. Most notably, their drummer was going wild, pounding away like there was no tomorrow. Great guitar work, too; I recommend that you guys check these Aussies out:

visit them on MYSPACE

Next on was Heartless Bastards, a band I’d come across various times on the blogosphere but never really listened to. More melodic than the opening band, this female-fronted group is like a cross between Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Regina Spektor, with a bit more edge than either of those artists provide. The lead singer had a great voice, and they delivered a smooth and masterful set.

visit the band on MYSPACE

The Gaslight Anthem’s set was so gorgeous that it nearly drove me to tears, which is strange because you wouldn’t expect that from a Blues-y Americana band. Even though their lead singer was recovering from some sort of ailment (he apologized for his supposed sub-par performance—I thought he was great), the entire band delivered a passionate set which was perfect in its very imperfections. The much proclaimed Springsteen influences in their song-writing really shone through on stage, especially through the lead singer’s slow and deliberate delivery. The Gaslight Anthem are one of the most underrated bands out there today; their sophomore album The ’59 Sound (which I think far surpasses their debut) is an incredible collection of guitar driven punk rock songs like the opener, “Great Expectations” as well as more reflective ballads like “Here’s Looking At You Kid”. The tying element between all of the Gaslight’s songs, however, is a rare synchronicity between impressive lyricism and superb musicianship. New Jersey never had it so good.

setlist:



visit The Gaslight Anthem on MYSPACE

The Gaslight Anthem - Here's Looking At You Kid [mp3]

photos:

A Death in the Family:





Heartless Bastards:



The Gaslight Anthem:

The Strokes Post #61

you know what I love? live mp3s that are actually TWO songs. double the trouble, double the fun.

The Strokes - You Only Live Once//New York CIty Cops (Live at BoA Pavillion 2006) [mp3]

artist to watch: all of us/none of us

on their latest EP(released December of last year)entitled Arcane and Abel, this LA based band used a 15th century illumination of "Cane and Abel" for their cover art. how they knew I had a weakness for all things medieval, I have no idea.

they also figured out how to intrigue me musically, by throwing together a group of songs that sound like a darker, more brooding Beck with a bit more rock n roll edge.

I had a chance to ask their guitarist and singer Eric a few questions:

you claim to draw from Beck and Radiohead, which is pretty apparent. I also hear some refined grunge sounds. was this intentional? are all of us/none of us fans of the 90's genre?
We are definitely fans of 90's music. I suppose our main influences from that decade would include Jane's Addiction, Nirvana, and the Flaming Lips.

what are the best and worst things about being in the LA music industry?
The best thing for me about being in a band in Los Angeles is that we're in good company. There are a lot of good bands and most of them are nice and supportive people. The worst thing is that there are so many bands playing at so many clubs every single night that it's really tough to fill a club if you're not a big name or opening for a big name act.

you're making a road trip mix. what are the first three songs?
I think I'm bad at making road trip mixes. Mine would include things that most road trippers would cringe at like the complete first book of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier or the Brandenburg Concertos.

what's your favourite sad song?
Right now my favorite sad song is Videotape by Radiohead.

what does all of us/none of us want to do that will set them apart from other bands?
One thing we want to do is to release an EP of four songs every 6-9 months, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet, in order. The title of our next EP will start with the letter b. We will go through the whole alphabet unless we die first. When we finish we will either retire, quit, or think of something equally stupid to do.

what is the most useful thing you learned at the conservatory?
Probably the most useful thing I learned at the conservatory was to simply accept the gig and then figure out how to do it later. It's gotten me many playing gigs and many teaching gigs as well.

how did the band form? why did you leave SF for LA?
The band formed because we decided to play the material live. It began as a songwriting collaboration through the mail between Rob and myself. I left San Francisco because my girlfriend and I (now my wife of 7 years) decided to come back home. I grew up in Los Angeles and she grew up in San Diego.

what's the worst song on the radio right now?
I honestly don't listen to music on the radio so I really don't know.

all of us/none of us - watcha gonna do [mp3]

all of us/none of us - hurts my head [mp3]

visit the band on MYSPACE

The Strokes Post #60

my favourite Strokes solo can be found in the above video. it's like Nick's guitar is having a seizure. a super sexy seizure.

The Strokes Post #59

today I was listening to Room on Fire and was literally frightened at how good "The End Has No End" is. the above rendition is, of course, ace. I love how Julian sings "The End Has No End" a billion times, then proceeds with "I Can't Win". if The Strokes know how to do ONE thing well (haha that's a laugh, they do everything perfectly), they end albums masterfully.

Take it Or Leave It
I Can't Win
Red Light
______________________ (insert awesome forthcoming song here)

Sunday Morning Covers

Ra Ra Riot - Suspended in Gaffa (Kate Bush cover) [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
this may just be my favourite track off The Rhumb Line. it's so good.

Antony and the Johnsons - Candy Says (Velvet Underground cover) [mp3]
apparently, Lou Reed and Antony (two of my favourite musicians) are actually friends.

Regina Spektor - Real Love (John Lennon cover) [mp3]
from the Instant Karma charity album, which I was listening to today--er, yesterday.

BONUS:
The Beatles - Boys (Dixon/Farrell cover)