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)

Saturday Music Definitons: HAPPY RECORD STORE DAY!

today's post will be a little different than usual, I'm gonna post songs from my "first" records

Maroon 5 - The Sun [mp3]
from the first CD that I ever bought--Songs About Jane

Voxtrot - Blood Red Blood [mp3]
from the first CD I bought at a merch table--Voxtrot (at the Arctic Monkeys' Warfield show)

The Strokes - The Way It Is (home recording) [mp3]
a b-side from the first single I ever bought--12:51

The Velvet Underground - Femme Fatale [mp3]
from my favourite dollar CD I ever bought--The Velvet Underground and Nico

The Doors - Soul Kitchen [mp3]
from my favourite dollar vinyl purchase, The Doors

Wild Sweet Orange - Ten Dead Dogs [mp3]
from my first ever LP purchase, We Have Cause to Be Uneasy

all of the above albums are really important to me. I hope you enjoy the songs. go out and celebrate Record Store Day by buying shitloads of music in my honour.

The Strokes Post #58

I was browsing The Strokes' OFFICIAL WEBSITE (which is finally being updated semi-regularly) and under the NEWS section, it said "march 27: work begins on album number four"

now, we all know that they got together for the first time on March 11th, why in the world would they choose the 27th to post as their beginning date? THIS was posted on March 26 and it said they had three songs done already. and when are they gonna start recording it?! fucking aye, boys, I have no patience and you are KILLING ME WITH THIS RIDICULOUSNESS.

this is where I get back to writing my paper on harems and sex slavery.

this may just be the worst idea anyone has ever come up with

a recipe for disaster.

concert review: Franz Ferdinand @ Fox Theatre 15 April 2009

I go to a lot of concerts, and 70% of the time, the band in question is not (yet) a favourite of mine. I go to determine whether the band is worthy of further deliberation. An expensive habit, I know.

When I have gone to see my favourite bands, one of two things has always happened: if they're relatively small (The Virgins, Delta Spirit, Liam Finn), they blow me away. If they're a massive band (The Killers, Fall Out Boy), their live show disappoints me so much that I am finally capable of letting go of my shitty high school tastes and never listen to them again.

Wednesday night, something miraculous happened. I went to see a band that I've adored for five years now and they were perfect. My intimate familiarity with (all of) their songs didn't hinder my ability to objectively state that they were great because I know good (and bad) live sets when I see them, regardless of my level of fandom.

Franz Ferdinand were incredible. The only thing missing from the show was my beloved 'Darts of Pleasure' (I wanted to hear Alex sing in German so so badly), but in all honesty the entire set pierced the audience mercilessly, and all we did was beg for more.

Between the perfectly crafted set list (see below), seeing Paul's neck tattoo (I swear that's a new development, I hadn't ever seen it before), the band's small-club type energy on stage and the sheer greatness of their musicianship, the night couldn't have been better. During "Lucid Dreams", Alex went behind Paul's drum set while Nick and Paul manned keys.

I was up front amongst all the fans screaming all of the lyrics, quite reminiscent of seeing Arctic Monkeys, in fact. Interestingly enough, the band's new songs (which fortunately didn't over-dominate the set: they struck a balance between old and new) didn't resonate too much with the synthy electronica found on the studio album; they were a lot more truthful to the old Franz sound.

Not that they've changed. They always have been, and always will be a badass fucking band.

Everyone went nuts for Alex's dance moves and the band's bouts of incorporating random instruments like maracas and a tambourine. The band's promptness (arrived on stage at 9:16, left around 10:45) was much appreciated. Nobody likes to stay out past midnight in Oakland...

It was my first trip to Fox Theatre itself, which was recently renovated. It miraculously combined the large size of an arena with the good acoustics (and open dance floor!) of The Fillmore.

Born Ruffians opened. I had heard their music before, and by their third song, I remembered what drove me to their music in the first place. I had read somewhere that BR were like Vampire Weekend, only better and without a massive internet following. I had liked them, but didn't think that they came near Vampire Weekend's greatness. Their live set converted me. They're like VW meets Dylan, which is funny considering how the "Oxford Comma" band is from NY, whereas BR are Canadian. The bass was rockin', the singer had great energy and power, the drummer have the set a good and steady backbone and the keyboardist/guitarist surprised us all by harmonizing beautifully on the last couple of songs.

highlight of the night: the final (encore) song: "This Fire"

low point: the retarded chick in front of me kept yelling at me for pushing up against her, which only happened when others pushed me. if you don't want to be touched, don't stand front row center, bitch

all in all, the concert was one of the best nights of my life.

Franz Ferdinand 4.95/5
Born Ruffians: 4/5

set list:



PHOTOS:

Born Ruffians:






my favourite Scottish rockers:

Band of the Week: The Henry Clay People

Why is it the bands that sound like they don't give a fuck always impress you the most?

last week I saw a really great band open for The Airborne Toxic Event, and they were called The Henry Clay People. Like TATE, THCP also hail from LA, but unlike TATE, they are unpretentious and unconcerned with anything but good ol' rock n roll.

Both their live sets and their albums are multi-dimensional, layering fun guitar riffs, exasperated lyrics that were probably written on someone's couch and an unusually slow and deliberate singing cadence that you wouldn't expect from a band like this. Finally, a good band that emulates The Replacements.

I was really impressed with them so I bought both of their albums, a 7" and a t-shirt even though I own absolutely no Airborne Toxic Event merch. I'm quite happy with my purchases, both albums are lighthearted and marked with their refusal to work full time. They are hard to classify, because if I call them punk-ish, I'll probably get pummeled, and if I call them pop-punk-ish I feel like I'm doing them a disfavour. How about I compromise and call them awesome?

give them a listen and decide for yourself

The Henry Clay People - Children of the Chin [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
from Blacklist the Kid with the Red Moustache

The Henry Clay People - Living in Debt [mp3]
from For Cheap or For Free

The Henry Clay People - Fine Print [mp3]
from For Cheap or For Free

visit them on MYSPACE

The Strokes Post #57

The Strokes - Hard to Explain (early demo version) [mp3]
different lyrics and all.

nothing comes close to this, though:

I know I've posted it a million times, but humour me, and watch it again, won't you?

The Strokes Post #56

a great interview. that's rare.

I've been a lazy blogger. what you can expect soon: a review of FRANZ (rad.), an interview with a cool new band and and and I'll probably dig up some good shit on NME

shit, it's Thursday already. where do the hours go?! ah, yes, concerts and excessive trips to Amoeba.

The Strokes Post #55

have you heard Is This It? the greatest opening song of the greatest album ever?



yeah. that bass is deliciousness.

The Strokes Post #54

MY COMPUTER IS FIXED!
I shouldn't be this excited but I was getting tired of thinking up ways I could efficiently work on my thesis. you know what I hate about using computers which you're not used to? the keyboards. my fingers and picky, have become accustomed to my own computer; they type far too slowly on the library's computer.

anyhow, here is a great fucking Strokes song, the one that instigated my appreciation (obsession) for them as the greatest band in rock n roll history (sorry Zeppelin.) I remember listening to it on repeat forever. I still do =)

The Clash are the greatest punk act, though.

click HERE to watch, like, my favourite music video ever. it makes me grin like a ten year old with an ice cream cone.

The Strokes - Someday (John Peel sessions 2001) [mp3]

The Strokes - Someday (live at eurock cannes 2006) [mp3]

The Strokes - Someday (live at BoA pavillion 2006) [mp3]
this is the my most listened to Strokes concert. so so good.

Outside Lands Festival lineup announced

this is actually really, really cute.

Regina Spektor's new album...

...is called Far, has 13 tracks and is set for a June 23rd release

more updates will be posted when I get 'em



I love that video.

Green Day to play Fox Theatre TOMORROW NIGHT, tix on sale at 5PM

haha they would do something like this. Green Day, of course, are based in Berkeley/Oakland

there is a two ticket max, buy yours HERE

The Strokes Post #53

absolute favourite song on Room on Fire.

record review: Leonard Mynx - Vesper

I am a very happy person. I love upbeat music, high energy riffs, and rock songs that make you dance. That being said, I also like to listen to sad music occasionally, because there is something about it that feeds my soul. For this reason, Frightened Rabbit’s Midnight Organ Fight and Wild Sweet Orange’s We Have Cause to Be Uneasy snagged the slots of number one and two albums of 2008, respectively.

I think I’ve found my sad album of 2009. Leonard Mynx, a man armed with an ostensibly dreary history and a guitar, has crafted a beautiful album filled with folksy renditions of compelling stories. Vesper stands out among others of its kind because of its raw honesty. Mynx bears his soul and his deepest wounds here, singing about everything from the melancholy tale of a woman called Mary to a brother called Robert lost to the war.

Most striking was “Horse”, which starts out with the line “I don’t care about girls cause I’ve got heroin”. Completely unexpected, the song quickly became a favourite of the bunch. My only criticism is that Leonard felt compelled to do as most singer/songwriters do and include female harmony vocals on “Northwest Passage” and “You Asked”, which, as you can probably guess, I didn’t like.

The album has a timeless quality that might make you forget everything outside the realms of your headphones. It is not an instant charmer, it took me a few listens to begin to really enjoy it, but the same thing happened with Frightened Rabbit’s Midnight Organ Fight. First impressions are often wrong with this kind of music, so give the following songs a listen and get the album if it strikes your fancy. As for me? I’ll be listening to it whenever I need a bit of sadness to put things into perspective.

3.5/5

Leonard Mynx – Horse [mp3]

Leonard Mynx – The Wine [mp3, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

for fans of Iron & Wine, Liam Finn, Frightened Rabbit

visit Leonard on MYSPACE and buy his album HERE

tour dates:

Apr 12 Cameo Gallery Brooklyn
Apr 14 Derby City Espresso Louisville, Kentucky
Apr 15 The Basement Nashville, Tennessee
Apr 22 cafe semolino hays, Kansas
Apr 23 Mercury Lounge Denver, Colorado
Apr 29 empyrean spokane, Washington
May 2 nuart theater moscow, Idaho
May 7 DOUG FIR Portland, Oregon
May 24 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
Jun 6 roadside attraction portland, Oregon
Jun 11 Laughing Goat Boulder, Colorado
Jun 20 Meadowlark Denver, Colorado
Jul 23 Red Hare Astoria, Oregon

The Strokes Post #52

Red Light is a great end to a fantastic album. the spinning guitars, Jules' beautifully strained voice, the insightful lyrics all sum up how First Impressions is different from ITI and ROF.

The Strokes are incapable of creating a bad song. I am more excited about the new album than I am for my own college graduation.

Sunday Morning Covers

I just have one to share today, but it's a goodie:

Arctic Monkeys - You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse cover) [mp3]
you know, I actually like Amy Winehouse--at least, as a singer--but this version is so vastly superior that I don't think I can listen to the original again. Thank you, Alex Turner, for ruining my capacity to enjoy most music not made by you. DAMN YOU AND YOUR SEXY BRITISH ACCENT TOO.