[image by Songbirdnest ] We have taped so many shows in the last two months that the backlog of recordings is approaching 30 different sets. There are still CMJ shows that have not been posted! That being said, we will continue to be very active during the Winter, recording a large variety of artists. If you want nyctaper to record your band, a band you represent, a show you're promoting, or even your favorite band in the world, get me on the list and make sure everyone who needs to approve [...]
St. Louis' Grace Basement is led by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Buckley who has quite a knack for writing concise pop gems. It's pretty evident from the opening track "There He Goes" that the harmonies and chord minor changes are very infectious, and the addition of fiddle backing is an added bonus. The dance hall influenced melody of "Tilly Lingers" is another catchy gem along the lines of Harry Nilsson and XTC. Unlike the solo approach of the debut album New Sense , Buckley is assisted by guitarist Ben Phillips, bassist Mike Zapf and drummer Sean Price [...]
Frank Yang If I'd managed to get to the El Mocambo on Sunday night in time to catch first act David Schultz & The Skyline , I think I could legitimately lay claim to have seen the longest bill - in character count, at least - of all time. But it didn't happen so I had to settle for just one of the longest in recent memory, thanks to Thao with The Get Down Stay Down and The Portland Cello Project . As the more insightful might have discerned, The Portland [...]
Any film that shares its title with a Wilco song is likely to grab my attention so it's unsurprising that my eyes were drawn towards Passenger Side when I saw it the London Film Festival programme. That it also promised a soundtrack featuring the Silver Jews , Smog and Dinosaur Jr only eased my decision to buy tickets. It's great little low-key movie about two brothers in Los Angeles. You'll get a flavour of the film from the trailer below, and best of all, a glimpse [...]
Sweet Virginia is the sixth track off the 1972 Rolling Stones Album Exile On Main St . On the studio cut, Mick Jagger is backed by Keith Richards, Clydie King, Vanetta Fields, Dr. John, Shirley Goodman and Tammi Lynn on vocals. Thanks to Keno's Rolling Stones Website for all that info. Allow me to quote a bit of James Hector's, The Complete Guide to the Music of the Rolling Stones ... The nearest the Stones ever got to a round-the-campfire song, through Baden-Powell probably [...]
The Fat Cat Records label is a Brighton, England institution; they have signed highly divergent, up and coming acts from across the globe, from Sigur Rós to Vetiver , from Frightened Rabbit to Vashti Bunyan . So I took much delight in hearing that the label was sending several of their signings over to North America for a tour. For the Washington date, the three acts being featured at the Black Cat were the Scottish bands We Were Promised Jetpacks and [...]
I have spent the better part of the last two days writing a motion to suppress an "improperly suggestive photo array." That is actually not as pornographic as one might think. In a nutshell, it is the problem that witnesses have picking out the right criminal from a photo line up when they say they think the guy had a mohawk, and then they are shown a photographic array with six mugshots that includes only one guy with a mohawk. The other five guys have other haircuts. So that's suggestive because it prompts the [...]
After a few listens of shoegaze act Last Tide's debut EP, The Broken Places , I thought to myself, "BROOKLYN!" But no, this is a DC-based band featuring Nate Frey on guitars/vox, Rob Miller on bass, Libby Dorot on synth/vox, and Misha Alexander on drums/vox. The band draws inspiration from early ninties post-punk and shoegazer acts as well as honoring the scene with lo-fi recordings and dreary vocals. Last Tide don't modernize the genre though, they nearly replicate that era to the tee. Take that however you want, but the band [...]
TUNE IN Today For The View, Marmaduke Duke, HTRK, Camper Van Beethoven, Datarock, The Sidewinders, Times New Viking, Fight Like Apes, Pendulum, Siouxsie And The Banshees, The Pomegranates, Matt & Kim, Sad Day For Puppets, Sonic Youth, Los Campesinos and 111 more!
Direct Hit!: #3 Milwaukee, WI based quartet, Direct Hit! are working on writing five EPs which will be compiled into a full-length album sometime next year. #3 is, obviously, the third EP in the series. Direct Hit!'s sound isn't exactly original, but it is invigorating. The music is pretty straight forward punk; it reminds me of Goldfinger 's more punky stuff and maybe even of their fellow Wisconsin's Boris the Sprinkler . The four song EP gives a fairly good look at different dynamic of the band's sound. "Mom & Dad" [...]
Featuring: 1 Your Cheatin' Heart Beck Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute Orig. Hank Williams 2 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Session Orig. Hank Williams [...]
[Locals Only is a regular feature where the Stranger Dance staff focus on the best and brightest of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Feel free to hit us up with any information on local bands, musicians, shows, and other music-related events and projects.] This week boasts several unique events: Mark Eitzel performing American Music Club at the Red Devil Lounge, a BYOB rock show at Flux53 in Oakland (presented by our buds over at Kata Rokkar), the Proclaimers (!) at Bottom of [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Akron/Family : 2009-09-16, Ithaca [mp3,ogg,flac] "Everyone Is Guilty" [mp3] other Akron/Family posts at Largehearted Boy Camper Van Beethoven : 2009-09-11, Pioneertown [mp3,ogg,flac] 'Eye of Fatima" [mp3] other Camper Van Beethoven posts at Largehearted Boy Drive-By Truckers : 2009-08-22, Richmond [mp3,ogg,flac] "Play [...]
There was a time when I religiously followed Camper Van Beethoven. I liked their sound more when it was frantic folk based rather than punky. I also followed all the spinoff bands and solo records. That time has passed though and I no longer am up to date on all the goings on in the old Camper Van clique. However, when I heard about this record by Victor Krummenacher and Alison Faith Levy of The Sippy Cups I was intrigued. From Victor's past recordings I knew he leaned more folk/country than punk. [...]
So last weekend Camper Van Beethoven played its 5th annual Campout music festival near Joshua Tree, Calif. (Also on the bill: David Lowery's other band, Cracker, Clem Snide, Dawes and more.)
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Fantagraphics describes John Kerschbaum's graphic novel Petey & Pussey as "Looney Tunes meets Luis Bunuel," and I have to agree. This lauded graphic novel (which appeared on many "best of" year-end lists and was nominated for an Eisner) combines the slapstick of classic comics with a post-modern edge. Many thanks to John Kerschbaum for adding original illustrations to his playlist (a Book Notes [...]
[Happy birthday, Joe Perry.] There's an incredible slate of shows tonight, starting with the Nine Inch Nails finale at the Wiltern. IO Echo opens. ... Cass McCombs ' "Catacombs" may well the bedroom pop album of the year (I wonder how many romantic mixtapes the song "Dreams Come True Girl" has made this year), and the singer-songwriter visits the Bootleg Theater tonight. Supporting are San Francisco (all-male) quartet Girls , whose debut "Album" (out Sept. 22) is a lot better than their live show. [...]
PICK OF THE WEEK Cass McCombs w/ Girls Thurs 9/10 Bootleg Theater Info THIS WEEK'S TICKET GIVEAWAYS Natalie Cole w/ Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Wed 9/9 Hollywood Bowl Info | [ ENTER TO WIN ] Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker Thurs [...]
Girls Play the Bootleg Theater on Thursday (photo credit: Sandy Kim) I started last week out with Henry Clay People and Local Natives. The crowd starting lining up as early as I've seen since the days when Elliott Smith used to play the club. The Henry Clay People set reminded me why I liked them so much in the first place - no guest appearances or costumes and very few cover songs - just a tight, fun, unpretentious rock 'n' roll band. Local Natives blend of Fleet Foxes-style [...]
While you guys are getting your photos of you and your bike ready for our photo contest , what say you to a few tsuruloosies? Just a little Monday catch up to see what's all the goings ons, eh? Elvis Perkins - Slow Doomsday I resisted listening to this for so long. I LOVE "Doomsday", it's fun, fast, nuts and fantastic so suddenly we see a "Slow Doomsday" pop up and my ears say, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" But alas, it's hot, it's hyped, so let's see what [...]
new music from vampire weekend – cousins + music video
Friday Five: Surf Songs
Beach House: Norway
No Curve Allowed (Grading This Week's New Tracks)
