The Strokes Post #197

for the most part, I don't approve of poetry-writing, I think it's a tad self-indulgent. however, a few days ago, I was looking for scholarships and entered for one which required a poem about how you're a global citizen. I started thinking about this blog, and The Strokes, and how universal all good things are. although I don't think I'll win the contest, I really like how the poem turned out so I'm sharing it here:

“the world is in your hands or it’s at your throat”, croons Jules

as I type type type away at a music blog which people read across the globe:

in New Zealand, Sweden, and Colombia.

with my daily posts,

and my ramblings about our favourite band, The Strokes

I see that my passion for life is constantly fueled not only by impromptu

late night sessions of trying to teach myself Latin

or my boxes of notebooks filled with subpar writing

(which is nonetheless genuine and close to my heart)

[[written in various alphabets and oft inspired by old films with English subtitles]]

but by the daily reminder that

la vita is indeed dolce.

as I indulge in the world’s most popular drink (thé)

I smile and remember the sticker which proudly decorates my vehicle

(more versatile and abundant than Japanese-made cars):

“think globally, bike locally”

PS
holy crap:

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young from RVCA on Vimeo.

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

Beck - Black Angel's Death Song (Velvet Underground cover) [mp3]

The Arcade Fire - This Must Be the Place (Talking Heads cover) [mp3]

Kaki King - Lovestoned (Justin Timberlake cover) [mp3]

Sufjan Stevens - What Goes On (The Beatles cover) [mp3]

Albert Hammond Jr - Well, All Right (Buddy Holly cover) [mp3]

The Last Shadow Puppets - Wondrous Place (Billy Fury cover) [mp3]

Stephen Malkmus - Funk 49 (James Gang cover) [mp3]

Art Brut - Catch (The Cure cover) [mp3]

Beirut - Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover) [mp3]

Jamie Cullum - High and Dry (Radiohead cover) [mp3]

Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson cover) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #196

this is so freaking cool:



last week, I watched Bread & Tulips, a lovely Italian film which incorporates an accordion via the main character's midlife crisis. it got me really pumped to search for accordion-based music beyond my collection of Beirut, but I kind of forgot to follow through. it also made me wish I liked Gogol Bordello, because I love gypsy music, but just can't get into that band. then again, I only tried listening to Gypsy Punks; does anyone have any suggestions of where I should start with that band?

but yeah, anyway, I came across this video yesterday and it made me so happy.

The Strokes Post #195

I haven't posted any bootlegs in ages. this one's particularly tasty, from 2003. Room on Fire bootlegs are relatively sparse, so please enjoy the heavy dosage of the Strokes' second album a la a live Halloween (!) set:

The Strokes - Live at Tsongas Arena (Massachusetts), 31st October 2003

[ZIP FILE, entire concert]

1. Whatever Happened [mp3]
2. Alone Together [mp3]
3. Under Control [mp3]
4. Hard to Explain [mp3]
5. Between Love and Hate [mp3]
6. Reptilia [mp3]
7. Someday [mp3]
8. The End has no End [mp3]
9. The Modern Age [mp3]
10. 12:51 [mp3]
11. New York City Cops [mp3]
12. Soma [mp3]
13. Last Nite [mp3]
14. Automatic Stop [mp3]
15. I Can't Win [mp3]
16. Take It or Leave It [mp3]

As always, NYC Cops is incredibly loud. I lovelovelove it.

Jules says "we don't do encores". hm, I wonder if they started doing encores on the First Impressions tour, I'm positive I have some concerts where they come out for an encore. I love that they almost always end sets with Take It Or Leave It.

PS "Between Love and Hate" is my heroin.

PPS Kings of Leon opened this concert. this must have been an epic night of music. too bad you can never find bootlegs of opening bands' sets (they're usually too short for anybody to bother recording).

Saturday Music Definitions: Exit

Interpol- Next Exit [mp3]

Radiohead - Exit Music (for a film) [mp3]

Beck - Emergency Exit [mp3]

Band of the Week: U.S Royalty

For fans of: Spoon, Delta Spirit, (early) Cold War Kids

Do you remember a time when the word “indie” wasn’t synonymous with crappy? Enter U.S Royalty. This new band from DC remind me a bit of Middle Distance Runner, a bit of Born Ruffians, a bit of The Walkmen. Not only does their band name kick major ass, but they have fresh new sounds that I’ve been dreaming about.

Best of all, U.S Royalty strays away from the 80’s revival which a lot of new bands are turning to, and grabs Americana by the horns. They manage to be loud without being obnoxious, which is an incredibly difficult feat. To top it all off, the music isn't dark or brooding, it's light and sunny and just happy in a very Kinks-like fashion.

There’s something about DC bands, they’re not completely “Southern”, but they capture the catchiness of Southern indie bands without sounding completely folksy, religious or bluesy. This band reminds me of why I love to go to shows at smaller venues, because discovering great new bands like this makes it so worth it to go a couple hours early. But I discovered this band in my inbox, not as an opening band, which means that I am now eagerly awaiting some West Coast tour dates.

U.S Royalty recently released their debut EP, Midsommar, and you can buy the 7” HERE

lineup:

John Thornley - Vocals
Paul Thornley - Guitar
Jacob Michael - Bass
Luke Adams - Drums


U.S. Royalty – Every Summer [mp3]
(this is the song which the band is promoting, but I actually prefer "Rats"...listen below)



Striking a delicate balance of guitars which linger deliciously and those “oh oh oh oh”s, this song has been playing on repeat for a while now.

visit the band on MYSPACE and get listening!

Hitler lost his virginity to Oasis

this is the funniest thing I've seen in AGES. seriously, watch the whole thing. you can thank me later.

many thanks to Rol at Sunset over Slawit for the link!

The Strokes Post #194

I dream in chapters. little vignettes, and I almost always remember them. the downside is that I wake up a lot while I sleep (this happens when one "chapter" ends).

I don't have many dreams about The Strokes. I think my conscious is too engulfed in them; there's nothing left for my subconscious. I have had a couple of sex dreams with Albert though.

this morning, between 4:30 and 6AM, I dreamt that I was at some sort of music convention and spotted Nikolai, everybody was fawning over some retarded hipster band and nobody recognized my favourite bass player ever, I yelled out "Nikolai!" and he looked all surprised that I knew who he was, and we started talking (I began by telling him about that hilarious bit of fan fiction that cracks me up every time)...but anyway, I woke up right after he held my forearm and said "whoa, you're super muscular", which is weird because a. my forearms are skinny and b. even in my weight room days, I never got super buff or anything

but the whole ordeal was strangely arousing and I woke up with "Brandy of the Damned" in my head. needless to say, I didn't go back to sleep.

Nickel Eye - Brandy of the Damned [mp3]

Nikolai and Caleb are my favourite proper names ever and bass guitar is my favourite instrument.

PS Jules' solo album is set for a release on 20 October. le sigh.

Carl Barat wants a Grace/Wastelands of his own

the other main Libs man is going solo. read more on NME

Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead [mp3]

The Strokes Post #193

when I graduated college, I moved back home, and the very first thing that I did was plaster my walls with posters and pictures of my favourite musicians. I wanted my room to be my sanctuary, and here is my Strokes wall:





you may notice that a handful of artists have "infiltrated" the wall, at the bottom right. I can't help it if I like to sleep with my head near Andrew Bird. he's a handsome chap!

here's the rest of my room:

Classic Track Thursday

Blink 182 - Dammit [mp3]

I dunno about you, but for me, being a kid in America in the nineties was basically the greatest. we had Ren and Stimpy, early computers and, most importantly, BLINK 182.

do you guys remember the video for "The Rock Show"?

I love how universal Blink 182's music is. it doesn't matter who I'm hanging out with, if I start playing Dude Ranch or Enema of the State, EVERYONE starts grinning and dancing. glorious.

I have always had a huge thing for tattoos, and even as a kid, I was totally intrigued by guys like Travis. you can't get more badass than a rock star clad in body art.

Blink 182 made it ok to be awkward. I love that.

again, with these weekly posts, I aspire to take you back to a different time and place of your lifetime. you might have been in college, or in elementary school like me. either way, I hope you're flooded with memories =)

I wonder what it would have been like to grow up in the UK with Brit-pop...

new music: Them Crooked Vultures - Scumbag Blues

this is awesome.

now, I know that some of the live stuff on youtube from this supergroup's early gigs seems a bit questionable, and naysayers are abundant, but these tailored previews keep blowing me away:



Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and John Paul Jones are all fucking legends. I COMPLETELY trust their judgement in composing music, and I eagerly await this release. come to San Francisco, guys!!

Beatles vs. Velvets

I once had an argument with a friend in which I was adamant with my claim that The Velvet Underground were JUST as talented as The Beatles, only wayy more underrated. I still stand by this claim today. personally, I actually like The Velvet Underground more than The Beatles.

and as I listen to Loaded for the 34272398492th time, I am angered at why it's not as popular as Abbey Road. two great albums, one from a British band, one from an American one; both bands hailed alongside the sexual revolution, drugs, and pop art a la Andy Warhol. both albums are incredibly influential and a joy to listen to from start to finish. both albums were loved by critics and fans, and continue to be popular today among music enthusiasts. they were released very closely together, nearing the end of each band's career (Abbey Road was released in '69, Loaded in '70), marking the strong musicianship of these great bands, even when strife was abundant amongst the band.

now, compare:

The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun [mp3]
vs.
The Velvet Underground -Who Loves the Sun [mp3]

even though George is my favourite Beatle, I still like the VU tune better. what do you think?

PS Moe Tucker >>>>> Ringo Starr. but I will concede that Abbey Road has better album art...

must watch video: Andrew Bird - Route du Rock, Saint-Malo, France (ACOUSTIC GOODNESS!)

I can't figure out how to embed this, click HERE to watch.

holy crap, this is amazing. the first song, "Headsoak" (from his Bowl of Fire days), channels 60's Dylan like nobody's business. I fucking love it. then, brace yourself, as the performance of "Anonanimal" is staggering, especially because it serves as a forceful reminder that the more that TALENTED artists play their "hits", the better the songs sound! good quality never gets tiring.

I love Andrew Bird. the only thing that bothers me about the page is the bit that says "sounds like M.Ward". no offense to Mr Ward, but he aint got nothing on my main man Andrew.

The Strokes Post #192

ok, so I lied. I shall continue salivating at these previews.

behold, Ludlow St:



fucking glorious. JULES COME BACK TO AMERICAAAAAAA.

thanks, Joshy!

The Static Jacks: new EP + free song!

The Static Jacks, a band from New Jersey that I absolutely adore, are back with a brand new EP, called Laces. it'll be released in two weeks, on September 15th, but you can download a song from it called "My Parents Lied" on their fancy shmansy newly designed WEBSITE. also, if you preorder the EP, you can get a digital copy "immediately". sounds like a good deal to me.

if you download the new single directly from the website, it comes with a lyric sheet (PDF) and the album art for the new EP, but you can be lazy and download below:

The Static Jacks - My Parents Lied (new song!) [mp3]
the song is a lot more subdued than their earlier work, it's like Joy Division meets loads of great percussion (including claps!) I like it a lot, it seems like these guys are being brave enough to explore lots of new musical territory at an early age, which is always a good sign.

visit The Static Jacks on MYSPACE for info on gigs. the band is currently playing a handful of NYC-proximal shows, check em out if you can!

BONUS:
The Static Jacks - The Waltz [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
I know I've posted it before, but I just can't help myself, I love this song and want to share it with as many people as humanly possible.. I listen to it over and over again sometimes, it's just so...right.

The Strokes Post #191

I love SPIN magazine. it's the only publication which I read religiously, and 97% of the time, I agree with its reviews and appreciate the artists which it features. I absolutely love that they did that five cover feature of The Strokes six years ago (see above photo).

but anyhow, they have a really great article about Jules' debut in Japan, and the writing makes me feel like I was there. music journalism at its best I tell you.

read the article HERE.

in other news, a new video has surfaced on youtube, behold:



many thanks to Denise for the link!