melophobe : First off, I get the impression that you don't give a lot of interviews – either that or you're impossible to Google – so I appreciate you talking to me today. John Doe : I do my fair share of interviews. The Google confusion is just a good byproduct. melophobe Alright. With multiple projects occurring simultaneously, how do you know when a song is right for one of them as opposed to the others? JD: Um, to be [...]
They're full grown men but they act like kids. Sometimes today's generation trying to do straight up rock seems contrived. These guys live it,and that's why it works. The closest thing on record to seeing Deer Tick live. Love them or hate him you're gonna get your money's worth. Reminds us of : Deer Tick Deer Tick : Facebook | Twitter | Label Album drops 10/24. Pre-order on iTunes or Amazon
Cate LeBon sunk forward over her guitar like a ragdoll whenever she stepped away from the microphone, her thick bangs and long hair dramatically framing her motions. She started the night with pretty crooning and gritty electric guitar, early on expressing appreciation for the city she found herself in for the first time. "Portland is my favorite city so far. Well done! A fantastic city." Her accent suggested a Scandinavian descent, but her name seemed French. Turns out she's Welsh; I was way off. Cultural heritage aside, her singing voice was powerful enough to make us feel like singing [...]
On Thursday, from start to finish, the Wonder Ballroom felt like the center of a music experiment. Certain trials succeeded astronomically, while others failed miserably. Success was what I expected from headliners Battles , but the shortcomings of Walls (the openers) were definitely not something I'd hoped for. Because Battles are one of the most avant garde of bands out there today, it was easy to assume there would be a giddy mash-up of rhythms and beats coming off the stage, both from their set and their opener's. Walls came with all the necessary material [...]
Scattered Trees are coming to Doug Fir on October 30, and we want to help you kick-start your ghoulish festivities with a pair of tickets to the show. The Chicago-based quintet is playing with The Parlotones , and while you may not get a savvy rendition of "Monster Mash" you can expect the right tunes to get you grooving on All Hallow's Eve's Eve. To enter just submit your costume plans to danielle[dot]fowler[at]melopho be[dot]com. Bonus points if you make it related to the bands you're seeing! Grab some ideas from Scattered Trees' latest [...]
Rude Dudes began the night early with some funky turntable action. They were more like old scruffy dudes, but maybe they were rude, too--can't be sure; they looked pretty friendly. Dressed in camouflage ball caps and flannels, the dudes dropped house beats to which, strangely, no one danced. But DJs have it rough if they expect anything more than deadpan stares and the odd head bob from a pre-10pm, Tuesday night audience. Brooklyn's Sammy Bananas slipped in after, continuing the funky house theme while turning the heat up a notch. Midway through his [...]
[Editor's note: Photos were not taken for this show. The picture you see is from a previous Cymbals Eat Guitars show we covered in Boston] Think back, if you will, to one of the earliest episodes of The Simpsons . This episode involves the family visiting Dr. Marvin Monroe's clinic for a therapy session. The five main characters are all hooked up to machines that allow them to zap one another with jolts of electricity, often mid-sentence, with hilarious results. Watching Cymbals Eat Guitars tonight, I feel like I'm attached to one of [...]
Drop everything and listen up! The Drums are going to be at Doug Fir tomorrow, and we have two tickets to give away to the show! Just email me at danielle[dot]fowler[at]melopho be[dot]com with what you look for in a best friend and I'll get back to you tomorrow with the results. Snag "Money" here and watch their video for "Best Friend" for some inspiration! EMAIL YOUR NAME ASAP!
We love BRAIDS . We love them in Boston ; we love them in Oregon . And we love BRAIDS for free! Thanks to Fenway Recordings , enter to win two tickets to see the band we once labeled as "pop-centered Canadian Dirty Projectors ." They are playing Great Scott on October 20, with great support from Pepper Rabbit & BORN GOLD. Post a comment, or tweet @melophobe @braidsmusic, with who would be your perfect +1 for the show and we'll announce the winner on Tuesday, October 18th. [...]
Florence + The Machine party down in their video for their latest single "Shake It Out." Soak up the glamour and join the masquerade.
Pluck all your silly strings And bend all your notes for me Soft silly music is meaningful, magical. I never thought I would see Jeff Mangum play. A notable recluse, he was underwater for over a decade, popping his head to the surface only to join a group song or two at friends' shows once or twice since the turn of the millennium. Last year, he broke that silence to play a five song set at the Chris Knox benefit in New York. People cried in the audience. In [...]
Pluck all your silly strings And bend all your notes for me Soft silly music is meaningful, magical. I never thought I would see Jeff Mangum play. A notable recluse, he was underwater for over a decade, popping his head to the surface only to join a group song or two at friends' shows once or twice since the turn of the millennium. Last year, he broke that silence to play a five song set at the Chris Knox benefit in New York. People cried in the audience. In [...]
Andrew Bird has crafted fifteen brand new tracks, and while they may not be for an LP, they are a gorgeous collection of backdrops to the new film Norman . The entire soundtrack went up for stream on Facebook , and you can pre-order the album for its release early in 2012. Bird also mentioned an upcoming tour in the works for next year, and he's been asking his fans on Facebook for advice on where to go. So if you want to see the man, let him know! Until then, [...]
Sauntering out of North London and into our ears is Elena Tonra , otherwise known by her music alias Daughter . Her The Wild Youth EP is coming out November 21 in the U.K., but readers stateside still get a listen at her delicious single, "Home." Stream it below and check out the track list as well, which as previously released single " Love ." Daughter - 'Home' (Taken from 'The Wild Youth' EP) by ohDaughter The Wild Youth [...]
Remember that Bon Iver show we shared with you last week ? Well you can hear part of Justin Vernon's performance with his twelve-piece band now that his cover of Bob Dylan's "With God On Our Side" is circulating the ether. Our very own Alex Lewis had this to say about the Portland performance, with reference to the cover you hear at Twenty Four Bit : They played every song from the new album, half of the first record, and squeezed in a cover of Bob [...]
In the annals of rock history, few bands are more misunderstood than Steely Dan . Their lyrics are strange and complicated, and their chord progressions are closer to Miles Davis than they are to anyone else in the Rock and Hall of Fame. Perhaps this is best illustrated by the fact that the "Steely Dan Chord" is common terminology in jazz circles. Their fusion of rock, jazz, blues and funk has led to a legion of both hard-core fans and critics, and a wider audience of casual listeners most familiar with their handful of radio hits. The band – [...]
Using tilt-shift photography to miniaturize their world, Kids These Days guide you through the smooth, jazzy jam of "Clear Eyes." It's intense how they look small enough to live in a dollhouse world.
The best way to strip the magic and intimacy from a musical experience is to share it with a room full of aggro electronica fans. It could have been that they weren't mad or bored... no, they were definitely mad, but their intermittent euphoria could have been mistaken for boredom (see photos). Of all the permutations-crowd reflecting band's energy, crowd reflecting band's anger, crowd reflecting band's detachment, crowd reflecting the opposite of whatever the band is expressing, and on and on-the fans perfectly reflected Ladytron 's stoicism. This makes for a remarkably unmoving concert [...]
Wilco's The Whole Love is already out and ready to be owned, but in case you got the deluxe edition you probably haven't heard "Speak Into The Rose." Completely instrumental, the quality is a little thin, but you get a great idea of the jamming between members in the YouTube stream below. Plus, Nick Lowe jumped onstage during Wilco's gig in Atlanta to help them out with "I Love My Label" and "36 Inches High." Check out the live performance below! [...]
Laura Marling debuted another new song on WYNC, "Pray For Me." Watch her belt her heart out at the radio station's studio. With already three other new songs exposed, her next album could be well on its way.
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