The Strokes Post #282

The Strokes Post #281 aka the greatest news since Obama won his Nobel Prize

THE STROKES ARE SCHEDULED TO PLAY A UK GIG ON JUNE 12, 2010.

holy crap. other than the Filter article which I was gonna post today, this solidifies my faith that all is well on The Strokes front. their recent bouts of hushed productivity have finally been confirmed!

not only does this mean fresh youtube videos ('cause we all know we've seen all their live performances a thousand times. er, maybe it's just me. stop self incriminating, Hanan), but hello, it's not like they're gonna play one gig and one gig only.

I am so ecstatic!!!! THEY'RE BACK! THEY'RE FUCKING BACK!

fuck Jay-Z.



The Strokes - Hard to Explain (demo) [mp3]

excuse me, I'm gonna go dance to Is This It.

PS many thanks to everyone who emailed me about this news.

CONTEST: win a free album of your choice!

first off, I'd like to apologize for the ads on my site. I should have more integrity than that, I know, but here is the consolation:

when I signed up for the MOG network, I did so with two intentions:
a. to get my site exposed to more people
b. to use the revenue to give away music that I love.

so here's the dealio. I am offering five readers any of the albums from my favourite album list. from the top ten or from the honourable mentions. vinyl or cd. anywhere in the world.

so leave a comment below, tell me how you found Music Induced Euphoria, and good luck to everyone!

winners will be announced in one month, on the 30th of December.

UPDATE:
in addition to the five albums I'm giving away, I will also give away five copies of the Telekinesis album. so if you want that one, make sure you mention it in your response.

My Top Ten Albums of 2009

head on over HERE to find out how you could win any of these albums!

10. Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

9. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


8. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

7. Girls - Album

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


6. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


5. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

4. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW #1; #2 // AMAZON // OFFICIAL SITE


3. Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand

RECORD REVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE


2. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // AMAZON // OFFICIAL SITE


1. Telekinesis - Telekinesis!

RECORD REVIEW // CONCERT REVIEW // INTERVIEW // AMAZON // MYSPACE

honourable mentions/albums that would have made the list if it were 20 and not 10:

Audrye Sessions - Audrye Sessions
Bombay Bicycle Club - I Had the Blues but I Shook Them Loose
Cut off Your Hands - You & I
The Dead Weather - Horehound
The Dodos - Time to Die
Peter Doherty - Grace/Wastelands
Morrissey - Years of Refusal
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Regina Spektor - Far
Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor

interview: En Tout Cas

the Band of the Week's guitarist Dave Cameron was gracious enough to answer some of my questions on the band's behalf. here they are:

How did you guys meet? Whose idea was it to start the band?
We went to the same school. Skube and I had the idea to start the band in 2005. Jimmy was invited to play with us and we noticed he could sing really well and play guitar. We met Marc this year when we were out looking for a bassist.

On your site, you claim that you are “an immaculate act to follow.” What, if anything, do you think would defile the obvious musical purity which emanates from these early demos?
Most likely recording in a recording studio and over-producing our sounds, which would inevitably cause us to lose the rawness of the demos, which were rushed, one-take recordings, mixed in a really short amount of time on Garage Band. If anything’s “immaculate” it’s the new songs coming up.

You are currently recording a new EP. Are these songs in the same vein as the ones on Elevater or are they in a completely new direction?
The songs we are about to record are all new songs written after we recorded Elevater. They are more intense in their extremities as the darker get darker and lighter get more sunshine.

When you do release a full length album, do you think you will start from scratch or just rework the songs from your EPs? Do you view EPs as test runs or as collections of songs not cohesive enough for a proper album?
I will say it will probably be like 75% new material and 25% reworked old material if not less. It would really depend on how the songs sit with each other on the album as a whole and if we write a whole album worth of material that is better than our old material. I view an EP as a mini album that encapsulates the sound of the band in a smaller package. Albums cost a lot of money to self-fund so early on an EP is a better idea. Were hoping this debut EP will really take production styles and professionalism to the next step hopefully taking the band with it.

How far have you guys traveled to play shows? Is there any hope of a full on tour any time soon?
We have only traveled as far as like an hour and a half to a show and that was early on so we were playing to only a handful of people and it didn’t seem worth it at the time. We plan on taking this new EP on the road but haven’t booked anything and won’t until this EP is finished; then we can shift the focus. We have been meaning to take the band on a Coastal Tour but are waiting for the EP to give us a reason to.

What was your favourite album this year?
I’m going to have to go against the grain and kick myself in the shin while the pot calls the kettle black and say Ragged and Ecstatic by Yves Klein Blue

Have you ever met any of your musical heroes? If so, what happened?
Well we met the Born Ruffians, that was aright; our drummer Stewart kept touching him which was a bit creepy. We have also met Billy Corgan, and I once threw a bottle at either Tegan or Sara while they played at the Falls festival.

The ultimate love mix tape. What’s the first song?
Spandau Ballet - True

Your songs reek of desperation (the good kind, though). Is there any chance for sunnier songs in the future?
The new EP will have a mixture of Sunnier and Stormy songs, BTW that’s a good name for an EP!

Are there any other good Australian bands we should know about, maybe people in your niche?
The Holidays
Yves Klein Blue
Dan Sultan

What has been the biggest influence on the band?
Probably the season of summer, it’s the only time we can get Jim to practice.

What do you like to do best: write, play or listen to music?
As cheesy as this will sounds, all three!

What is the greatest band nobody’s heard of yet?
Ross De Chenes Hurricanes
They all have shit live recordings, but check out the “Can We Dance?” live video on their page.

Are you trying anything special for promos or are you just banking on your music speaking for itself, and to gain recognition via word-of-mouth?
Well when we release this debut EP, we plan to bring out the big guns in terms of promotion techniques. Hopefully a few blogs pick us up and WOM spreads.

How much interaction do you think should occur between a band and their fans? A lot of bands, even small ones, don’t seem to linger after shows. Which route does En Tout Cas take?
I could see how bands could be rather annoyed by answering the same questions by hundreds of people but En Tout Cas usually takes the route of drinking and causing a ruckus with fellow patrons with the end result being pantless and reverse kangaring the local.

En Tout Cas - Quarter Sins [mp3]

visit En Tout Cas on MYSPACE

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

The Beatles - Rock n Roll Music (Chuck Berry cover) [mp3]

Noah and the Whale - Always On My Mind (Elvis cover) [mp3]

The Morning Benders - He's a Rebel (The Crystals cover) [mp3]

Rufus Wainwright - Harvest (Neil Young cover) [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Something (The Beatles cover) [mp3]

Andrew Bird - Think About Your Troubles (Harry Nilsson cover) [mp3]

The Power Cords - Time to Pretend (MGMT cover) [mp3]

Grand Lake - Slow Education (Silver Jews cover) [mp3]

The Vines - Ms Jackson (Outkast cover) [mp3]

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

John Cale - All My Friends (LCD Soundsystem cover) [mp3]

The White Stripes - Walking with a Ghost (Tegan and Sara cover) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #280

The Strokes - Ask Me Anything (live, Kansas, 2006) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #279

greatest.caption.ever. well done, SPIN.
[disclaimer: they do misquote the lyrics to "11th D." in the review, but all is well.]

Saturday Music Definitions: Booze

we Americans like to fill our idle time with gluttony and drunkenness.

AC/DC - Have a Drink on Me [mp3]

Oasis - Cigarettes & Alcohol [mp3]

Thom Yorke - The Drunkk Machine [mp3]

Ryan Adams - Drunk & Fucked Up [mp3]

Gogol Bordello - Alcohol [mp3]
I never really got this band until I picked up their latest album, Super Taranta! it's insanely good, so do as I did and pump up the volume while you're speeding on your way home from the record store.

Band of the Week: En Tout Cas

for fans of: The Horrors, Tokyo Police Club, The Wombats, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Rakes

This young Australian band (whose French name means "In Any Case") have yet to falter musically. Unlike many bands today, En Tout Cas' songs are not too loud or too quiet; both songwriting and sound mixing have been superbly executed. Offering a fine selection of demos on their Elevater EP, En Tout Cas build half-apathetic, half-urgent vocals and steady drums over an essential guitar base to do as hundreds of indie/alternative bands have done before them: pay homage to the frustrating invisibility of musical integrity.

"Quarter Sins" takes basic post punk elements and gives them a subtly sinister spin. The intro to "Out of Time" is reminiscent of "Adam's Song" by Blink 182, but it soon reverts to the band's slightly dance tinged garage rock.

They create musical solace for estranged listeners through cooperative harmony. In this internet age, it's easy to feel disconnected from the world (despite or because of having everything at your fingertips, all of the time), but it is reassuring to hear that there are still bands that can unite us. Long live the tradition which The Smiths perfected: of escaping the mundane through headphones.

En Tout Cas - Steal Your Soul [mp3]

En Tout Cas are not wildly original but they are strikingly earnest and this genuineness compels repeated listens.

They are currently recording a new EP, but you can download each and every song from Elevater for FREE at last.fm

visit them on MYSPACE

Jimmy Cain, Dave Cameron, Skube Burnell and Marc Stubberfield are from Melbourne and they want to rock your socks off.

shows:

Dec 5 2009 8:00P The Birmingham Fitzroy, Melbourne
Dec 16 2009 8:00P The Tote Collingwood, Melbourne
Jan 8 2010 8:00P ’Denghi Fever’ Single Launch - The Evelyn Fitzroy, Melbourne

Telekinesis: new song + Daytrotter session!

Michael Benjamin Lerner can do no wrong.
He's finally recorded a Daytrotter session, and it includes a brand spanking new song, download below!

Telekinesis - untitled (new song, daytrotter) [mp3]

"You can't really say that Lerner borrows the lessons learned from his friend Walla's band or the lyrical techniques that its lead singer Ben Gibbard has down to a science because everything about his debut EP and its companion full-length - both released last year on Merge Records - are so sincere and the convey those feelings and emotional currents that can't be faked."

<3
read the rest of the article and download all of the songs at DAYTROTTER

BONUS:
Frightened Rabbit did their second Daytrotter session yesterday. gonna get listening to that right now...

The Strokes Post #278

you know, "NYC Cops" is the greatest, but this song is embedded in my skin. the UK version of Is This It reigns supreme in my book, but the US version was the one that I listened to over and over and over again when I first discovered The Strokes (months and months before I even heard NYC Cops). so how could I hate this song? how could I hate any Strokes song?

the solo in this song is so pretty. I've noticed that since 2002, they don't play this song very much. the only other youtube video I found of this song was at Horseshoe Tavern

Classic Track Thursday

Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode [mp3]

when my best friend was 12, she accompanied her parents to their super-loaded boss's 50th birthday party. he had hired Chuck Berry to play that night.

when she tried to tell me this story, she couldn't remember Chuck Berry's name, and as she described him to me and I said "no, you can't mean Chuck Berry" and she said "YES, HIM". she later confirmed with her mother and I have never been able to properly forgive her for having such an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

all we can do is sit here and thank Chuck for paving the road for rock n roll as we know it today.

The Strokes Post #277

I am thankful for time to read, the smell of clean laundry, and Strokes bootlegs.

The Strokes - Live @ Trabendo Paris (December 3rd 2005) [ZIP, entire concert]

1. Intro
2. Heart in a Cage
3. Hawaii
4. Evening Sun
5. The End Has No End
6. Barely Legal
7. Juicebox
8. Red Light
9. Last Nite
10. Hard to Explain
11. Razorblade
12. What Ever Happened
13. You Only Live Once
14. Someday
15. 15 Minutes
16. Reptilia

17. NYC Cops
18. Electricityscape
19. Take It Or Leave It

this has almost the exact setlist as the boot I posted on Monday (probably because the two concerts are only three days apart), but has a few variations, including the inclusion of "15 Minutes" (yay)

The Strokes Post #276

record review: Them Crooked Vultures (eponymous debut)

I remember the first time I heard of peanut butter pretzels. My pre-marijuana self salivated at the thought of the exquisite combination of two of the greatest salty foods ever.

The first time I ate one, though, was a whole other world of explosive. My 10th grade English teacher brought some in for the class one day. The texture, the layered intensity and flakiness…I even remember the passage from Medea we were working on that day…But I digress.

John Paul Jones.
Dave Grohl.
Josh Homme.
A triple threat? Yes, very much so.

So how is it that the first few times I gave their album a listen, I never got past the whole “hot damn this sounds like sex on a stick” thing? It may have been the fact that I was kind-of-sort-of inebriated the first time I heard the album in its entirety, and subsequently only listened to it while multitasking. Yesterday, I was listening to it with headphones on for the first time, and I noticed that Dave lends his vocals on the irresistibly grimy second track, “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” (which, strangely enough, concludes with a set of child friendly horns, echoing a video game I played once upon a time called Banjo Kazooie). But my mighty little earbuds also helped me notice something else.

This album is fucking insane. The precision with which the above mentioned musicians go about constructing this album is mind-boggling to say the least. This phenomenal debut is so intrinsically superior to what our ears are used to hearing, that it is incredibly easy for the songs to float right in one ear and out the other without so much as a dazzled expression of delighted disorientation on our parts.

Don’t let this be an album you overlook, for the very paradoxical reason that you know it will rock your world. Sometimes, the sum of an equation is far greater than its parts, even if the things you begin with are your favourite things.

This album is so much more than anything Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, or Queens of the Stone Age have ever released. No, I’m not making the claim that it is BETTER. Just that the combination of three of the most aggressively dedicated, no-nonsense men in the music biz is something mind blowing indeed.

They are a majestic force, and the greatest part of it is that there IS NO FRONTMAN. They are collaborating in every sense of the word. It’s a beautiful cycle indeed, seeing such forerunners of rock’s different chronological and genre-based subsets convolve ever so seamlessly.

It’s funny how albums which initially seem to lack diversity within songwriting quickly emerge as collections of such a wide array of aural opulence. Right now, each song sounds so distinct, so deliciously subversive.

If we were all highly musically evolved, this album would be an instant classic. Alas, some of us need a few listens to get settled, but from then on out, it's a no brainer. I must admit that even I had to let go of my own shortcomings as a mere mortal to be able to grasp the greatness that is
THEM
CROOKED
VULTURES.

Pick up this album and ready yourself for a filthily magnificent ride into the depths of hell. Long live rock n roll.

4.5/5

Them Crooked Vultures - Dead End Friends [mp3]

preorder: new Grand Lake EP (out 12/8)

Grand Lake - Slow Education (Silver Jews Cover) from Army of Middle on Vimeo.

while many musicians are turning to over-produced, synth-heavy tunes to achieve (what is often the illusion of) musical greatness, Oakland's Grand Lake have set themselves apart from the flock by pedalling backwards into Pixies-meets-Misfits territory on their latest EP, Louise.

they combine their signature distorted guitars with Caleb Nichols' ever-evolving vocals on two new songs (which are actually samplings of their first full length album, due out next Spring) and two covers (Port O Brien's "Pigeonhold" and Silver Jews' "Slow Education".) you can really hear early Radiohead influences on the original tracks, and it is nothing short of musical bliss.

preorder the EP for six dollars (including shipping!) on the band's MYSPACE

and definitely check em out if you're in the area

12/07 @ the Knockout
12/18 @ the Uptown in Oakland w/ Pancho San, Sparrow's Gate and Man/Miracle

I'd post an mp3, but I'd rather you guys bought the EP, or better yet, show your support at a show. the boys have got to eat. in any case, you can stream the new songs on the band's MYSPACE, I'd recommend the title song, "Louise" and the Silver Jews cover posted above.

The Strokes Post #275

a friend of mine once made me a mix called "safe haven from the mundane". that's how I feel about The Strokes, right now, and always.

Casper Bangs - Queen of Hearts

you know how everybody's been talking about the xx, The Drums, The Big Pink? if you're like me and don't get the hype about those bands, or, if you're REALLY like me and can't stand those bands, listen below.

Casper Bangs - Queen of Hearts [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

take it from me, this song is very worthy of your time and ears. perfectly crafted, like The Pains of Being Pure At Heart but less intensely MBV and more rolling-in-the ocean-esque. like Sonic Youth at the beach. damn it, Casper Bangs is so much better than this mess.

the EP is available as a name-your-own-price-digital download. head on over to check it out.

buy the 7" HERE

official stats:

"Rob Pierangeli, otherwise known as the DC-based singer-songwriter, Casper Bangs, is releasing Whitespace 7" EP as a preview to his upcoming full length record, I Woke Up" (release date: 01 December 2009)

shows:
11/19---Rock & Roll Hotel with Stellastarr---Washington, DC
12/3---Pianos---nYc

visit Casper Bangs on MYSPACE

"the people you've been before that you don't want around anymore"

DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
-John Donne


- Elliott Smith

The Strokes Post #274

The Strokes @ Melkweg, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (06 December 2005) [ZIP FILE, ENTIRE CONCERT]

1. Heart in a Cage

2. Hawaii

3. Evening Sun

4. The End Has No End

5. Barely Legal

"I love Albert too"

6. Juicebox

7. Red Light

acquired taste my ass, "Red Light" is the shit.

8. Last Nite

then again, there is no denying that this is the Strokes' sluttiest song, if yknowwhatImean.

9. Hard to Explain

"I'm ready when you are, Fabrizio"

best intro to "Hard To Explain". ever.

10. Razorblade

11. What Ever Happened

12. You Only Live Once

13. Someday

14. Reptilia

15. New York City Cops

16. Soma

17. Take It Or Leave It

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sheena is a Punk Rocker (Ramones cover) [mp3]
if Shane is reading this, the song was from the War Child compilation. but yeah, Dark was the Night is pretty awesome.

Lissy Trullie - Ready for the Floor (Hot Chip cover) [mp3]

Delta Spirit - Peace in the Valley (Dawes cover) [mp3]
this is so cool, they cover a song by a band whom they toured with. that's just so cool of them

Death Cab for Cutie - Rocking Chair (The Band cover) [mp3]

Snow Patrol - Crazy in Love (Beyonce cover) [mp3]

Editors - Road to Nowhere (Editors cover) [mp3]

Ben Folds - Such Great Heights (Postal Service cover) [mp3]

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

Beck - Green Light (Sonic Youth) [mp3]

Ron Sexsmith - Listen To What The Man Said (Wings cover) [mp3]

The Morning Benders - Marie (Randy Newman cover) [mp3]

Nouvelle Vague - The Guns of Brixton (The Clash cover) [mp3]

Elliott Smith - Stroke it Noel (Big Star cover) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #273

ok so I am kind of disgusted right now. seriously, I feel like throwing up.

this chick is retarded.
she's trying to copy everything about me.
she calls herself "strokesjunkie" on the Julian Casablancas forum. that is my username for the hardtoexplain forum, forums.thestrokes.com, last.fm and also one of my youtube accounts,
I think she's one of two girls who jumped on stage at last Friday's show. I don't appreciate that. I hope Julian doesn't hate me for "starting" this nonsense. I just wanted to show him my gratitude.
she got a 12:51 tattoo (sorry, it looks kind of retarded, 'cause it's not an exact reflection, and that's the point)
what the hell? really, get your own fucking identity.
I hope I don't come off as a bitch but this chick seems crazy.
and she is apparently friends with the infamous Max Fischer.
this is just one bit of her craziness: "well, like i said, i heard it from the man himself, they are waiting to find out, he said she is due in january. Being a mom, i know the feeling of being pregnant...and i can only imagine being pregnant with HIS child!!!!!!!!!! oh my god.............................................................................that juliet is one lucky woman!!! i just want him in between my legs, just once! "
that is so fucking creepy. I pity her child, I do.

in nicer news, a very nice reader of mine wrote the lovliest post about me. to my dear Silvia (Cansong), thank you from the bottom of my heart. those are some of the nicest words I've ever read about myself, and I do appreciate it. you really do understand how much I respect Julian. thank you.

UPDATE:
this is kind of cool, my youtube video of Glass (+ epic stage jump) has made it to the big leagues (NME)!

Saturday Music Definitions: Real

Jeff Buckley - So Real [mp3]

Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - Real Naked Girls [mp3]

Okkervil River - For Real [mp3]

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash [mp3]

The Stooges - Real Cool Time [mp3]

Voxtrot - Real Live Version [mp3]

The Strokes Post #272

Band of the Week: The Vines

today, as I was removing my headphones from my ears, one of my pupils asked me (in earnest) if I liked High School Musical. as I suppressed a gag, I calmly told her "no". she was clearly disappointed; it seemed as though she wanted to impress me or something.
I was listening to Wolfmother as she asked this, and, on the subject of solid Australian bands, here are The Vines

if you listen to The Strokes, you're probably at least somewhat familiar with Craig Nicholls' band. while the frontman has battled with many mental health issues (yeah! long live rock n roll insanity), the band continues to put out album after album of extremely consistent music, a lovely hybrid of the psychedelic and grunge genres. Craig is an incredibly fascinating frontman. I dunno whether or not it's unethical to enjoy his erratic behaviour if he has serious issues, but it's all in the punk spirit so I'm sure he doesn't mind.

The Vines - Get Free [mp3]
from Highly Evolved (2002)
"I'm gonna get free, ride into the sun" has got to be one of the greatest lyrics ever.

The Vines - She's Got Something to Say to Me [mp3]
from Winning Days (2004)

this is so badass:



hahaha oh my goodness, just stumbled on this:

their fifth studio album is in the works, stay tuned for more info.

The Bloodsugars announce new album

the Brooklyn band released I Can't Go On, I'll Go On on Tuesday.

their new single is delectable. the buildup is a monstrous combustion of Spoon-style percussion, discotheque approved beats, and, best of all, straight up garage rock (think of how "garage" is pronounced in "Garageland" by the Clash. oh baby)

The Bloodsugars - Light At The End Of The Tunnel [mp3]

stream the entire album HERE

visit them on MYSPACE

Miike Snow offers free session

via myspace transmissions,

the band has recorded four tracks, download 'em for free!

Miike Snow - Sans Soleil (myspace transmissions) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #271

two really good things on the internet salvaged my shitty day today

first of all, Nikolai is an angel:

JANUARY.JANUARY.JANUARY.JANUARY.

anddddddddddd


from this feature about Julian in Rolling Stone:
take that, Eric.

ah, I almost forgot, here's a new (short) interview with Jules. I looked up Times New Viking, they're cool, they sound so retro! also, it must be reiterated: I love that Julian listens to Beirut.

Classic Track Thursday

The Hives - AKA I-D-I-O-T [mp3]

from 1997, bitches. they actually played this song the first time I saw them live, which was 11 years after they released Barely Legal. listen to it if you haven't, it'll change your life for the better, I promise.

Julian's final show.

ok so I am deliberating something very dangerous. but I need to know something, maybe the people who have been to Jules' LA shows can help me out,
what is the difference between General Admission and Pit?

hahaha.

ok so I am a total nerd and am nostalgic for the 90's and good cartoons and my favourite Disney film ever.

The Strokes Post #270

photos from a boy I met at the concert who doesn't really appreciate Julian. it makes me angry, seeing as how so many people would kill to see this genius live, and there are people who go to concerts because of work assignments and don't even enjoy it. funnily enough, he feels the same way about King Khan as we do about Julian so maybe I should go to a King Khan show and be all indifferent about it. that'll show em.

new video: Vampire Weekend: Cousins

hahahah list maker. didn't catch that when I heard the song 82 times. this is why I love videos.

Vampire Weekend - New Music - More Music Videos

this song and/or video is on such drugs. I for one think Tomson looks great.

The Strokes Post #269

although this is yesterday's news, it's still freaking epic:

NME has named IS THIS IT the #1 album of the decade.

concert review: Julian Casablancas @ the Regency Ballroom (San Francisco), 17 November 2009

[photo is not mine, snagged it off some forum]

There’s something so personal about listening to Is This It. The low production and ensuing fuzziness tricks you into believing that you can sound just like Julian. It’s easy to sing along, the arrangements and lack of alliterative lyrics make it seem like a piece of cake. It’s so raw, so accessible, and it gets you to believe that you’re a rock star too. And then that faulty self-assurance dips into Room on Fire and even First Impressions of Earth, which houses an uncharacteristically wide range for Julian.

Then comes Phrazes for the Young, and you’re so excited, you’re singing along anyway, even though you know you shouldn’t. You know that Julian has far exceeded the grasp of your fantasy rock-stardom (Guitar Hero aside).

And then you’re at the concert and singing your heart out. And you can’t hear yourself, because everything’s so loud. And then you give your video souvenirs a listen and realize how fucking mortal you are in comparison to you know who. The other JC.

Holy crap this man can sing.

He can write mad good songs. The live sound shook my world amuck. The guitars stood out so much amongst a sea of synth. The cadence of every instrument was perfect, although slightly faster than the album. The Sick Six have their shit together for sure, that Conan performance was very misleading.

I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the fact that he didn’t go for visually stunning shows like the ones for his Los Angeles residency, but honestly people, who cares? What difference does it make what you’re looking at? You know you’re gonna end up being mesmerized by his golden pipes and leather jacket even if it’s raining oompa loompas and crème brule.

What the hell, Julian? Wasn’t this supposed to be like your I’m-having-fun-messing-around-writing-songs-album? Why the world is it so intense and layered and crisp and gorgeous? Why must you force fans to adore you in your introverted, low key glory (ironically enough, often expressed in high musical notes), and find everything from your new found hunch to your less than successful attempt to destroy the mike stand endearing rather than pathetic in comparison?

There’s something oddly reassuring about the fact that Julian turned to JP (the “guru” of Is This It) to be his main axe man. Much beyond mere graciousness (sober or not), it shows growth. Maturity, in the best sense of the word. An acknowledgment that no matter what direction your career takes, your roots are what matter the most. And this is the kind of man we can trust with our next Strokes album.

It doesn't matter what he sings, or when he's singing it.
He can make you forget the world, and everything bad that’s ever happened.
He is the saviour of rock n roll, pure and simple. This fact remains the same, and I am born again.

5/5

Julian Casablancas - Out of the Blue (live, SF) [mp3]

just look at this epic set list:



HE PLAYED 30 MINUTE BOYFRIEND. holy crap that made my night. really, the slew of songs from 11th Dimension to Out of the Blue is absolutely genius.

you can watch and hear the entire show (minus the opening band, sorry! I'll post about them soon) HERE

The Strokes Post #268

watch closely. 3:45 is where it is at. can you hear the crowd cheer for me? XD

oh and he points at me at 5:16. JC POINTED AT ME AND SMILED, HOLY SHIT. he also smiled really big when I hugged him, and it was the greatest moment of my life.

new Vampire Weekend: Cousins

[link to song has been removed]

it's erratic in every good sense of the word. Vampire Weekend are scoffing at sophomore slump like I used to scoff at people taking the LSATs.

I like this song a helluva lot more than I like any of my cousins. and yes, it gets better with every listen. I especially love the pseudo-Christmas-y ending.

Ezra doesn't have time to remember to breathe, he's too busy trying to maintain the aural equivalence of confetti. effect achieved, sir.

King Khan + friends get arrested for drugs

hahaha they were caught with shrooms. as good a reason as any to be incarcerated. stupid laws, hallucinogenics should not be illegal.

it's kind of crazy, 'cause I just referred a friend to King Khan's band because my friend wanted music like Black Lips. the two bands are friends and stuff.



(Black Lips are also known for getting into trouble...they got banned from India)

and here is one of my favourite Black Lips songs (very appropriate):



and, my favourite Black Lips song (also appropriate):

The Strokes Post #267

holyyyyyyyyyyy shit. I was just thinking a few hours ago how badly I wanted to see this song live. and now I don't have to wait 'til tomorrow!



am about to go pick my brother up and buy shit tons of junk food and cigarettes for tomorrow. I will be seeing Jules in approximately 27 hours. holy shit indeed.

Sunday Morning Covers

ZIP FILE

M. Ward - Green River (CCR cover) [mp3]
wasn't it the American musician in Hornby's A Long Way Down who pretended to have a lethal disease called CCR?

Beck - Stranger Song (Leonard Cohen cover) [mp3]
you can actually hear MGMT in this one, it's cool! for the entire album, head on over to Musical Pairings

Mark Ronson ft. Phantom Planet - Just (Radiohead cover) [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
I love this, a whole fucking lot.

Marie La Foret - Paint it Black (Rolling Stones cover, en Francais) [mp3]
courtesy of our very own racist dragon, Allie

Joshua Radin - Sesame Street (Joe Raposo cover) [mp3]
v. cute.

Elliott Smith - I'm Only Sleeping (The Beatles cover) [mp3]
I love this song, I love Revolver, I love how happy Elliott sounds in it.

Ben Gibbard - To Sing for You (Donovan cover) [mp3]

Spoon - Rocket USA (Suicide Cover) [mp3]

Ben Harper - Strawberry Fields Forever (The Beatles cover) [mp3]

Eddie Vedder - Blackbird (The Beatles cover) [mp3]
I don't love Pearl Jam's new album, but I do like this, and I must listen to the Into The Wild soundtrack again very very soon. I miss it dearly.

Okkervil River - Some Weird Sin (Iggy Pop cover) [mp3]

The Strokes Post #266

I love Berkeley sososo much. I love that I can talk to everyone about music there, and that almost everyone can keep up. so I got together with a very good friend of mine, told her I felt like getting a tattoo, and she accompanied me. the tattoo artist who did my tattoo just so happened to be the only guy in the shop who liked The Strokes, and he asked me if I liked The Hives and I said "hell yes, I've seen them in concert twice" and he asked if I had heard their early stuff and we started gushing about how far superior Barely Legal is to any of their other albums (I have that one on vinyl, too, it's one of my favourites) and how The Hives kicked so much ass when they had that unrefined punk sensibility about them. so anyhow, here is my new tattoo.


the cool thing is, it is exactly centered to MY perspective, it's off center when I hold it up to a mirror. it's my perspective that counts.

so, we're continuing our outing, we're walking towards a thrift shop where I wanted to go to pick up something to wear for Jules' show (I found the most amaaaaaaaaaaazing dress, fits like a glove) but what do we see on the wall?


I have never in my life seen any Strokes advertisements of any sort. and it just so happens to be next to the Them Crooked Vultures poster, and also the Nirvana one. we'll ignore the ad for Glee just for now. I realized that I didn't have any photos of my friend Ayesha, so we had a hobo photograph us.


Ayesha has actually been with me every time I've gotten a tattoo. I wanted to get my first one right when I turned 18, but then I met Ayesha, who wouldn't turn 18 until May and I decided to wait 8 months for her so we could get them together. we went the day after her birthday. the last two times I've visited her in Berkeley, I've gotten tattoos, and we made this half joke, half serious decision that each time I visit her, I'll get another tattoo.

so then we step into Rasputin (a record shop, I get my records at the one near my house), and unlike the Campbell Rasputin, which had ONE copy of Phrazes, these guys have FREE POSTERS as giveaways for people buying the album, and dozens of copies of the album on vinyl on display. I tell the chick who worked there I wanted a poster, and she handed one to me as I explained that I had bought one in Campbell. she didn't need to hear justification, those guys know my face almost as much as the people at Amoeba.


later, I went to Amoeba with another friend, and guess what I found?


holy smokes, I know. every time I'm in any record shop, I look under J for any non-remastered Joy Division vinyl and my efforts are ALWAYS in vain. until now, hellooooooo this is their very first compilation album.

so to finish off this commemmoration of my excellent day yesterday, I will post a short but excellent bootleg. it's a radio session, and the story at the beginning is well worth listening to. enjoy.

The Strokes - BBC Sessions, London (06 February 2000) [ZIP FILE]

1. Soma [mp3]

2. Last Night [mp3]

3. This Life (early demo version of Trying Your Luck) [mp3]

4. New York City Cops [mp3]

to top it all off, I don't have to work today. I was supposed to, but I don't have to anymore. so I'll listen to all of the vinyl I bought yesterday instead =)