Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Throw Yer Ws Up

"This is what the block missin'
a two seater with the top missin
and two divas with they tops missin'"

New Raekwon/Method Man/Ghostface track "New Wu" with obligatory video. Watch our for the black + white interrogation scenes, Mos Def, and one count em one thong.

P.S. Note the "To Be Continued."


(via P4K via Fader)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Three Weird Aunts


Damn I've been jammin to this Explode Into Colors track "Sharpen the Knife" since I heard it first last night. The band is Claudia Meza, Lisa Schonberg, and Heather Treadway, from Portland, OR, who refer to themselves collectively as "three weird aunts." They do a bunch of things other than Explode Into Colors, listed concisely on their Myspace. "Sharpen the Knife" features a buzzing bassline, raindance drumming, and muddy, incantation-worthy vocals.

Download the track here (via MBV).

Monday, April 27, 2009

OF MONTREAL/SSB/TGIF


Last Tuesday I went off to Boston to see Of Montreal, Sugar & Gold, and another opener at the Paradise. Of Montreal was playing their second of two sold out nights at the Paradise and possibly showed some signs of being spent as they laid off the new material, focused on Hissing Fauna stuff, and performed no covers, as I've noticed they're not strangers to (a.k.a. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in October at the Roseland Ballroom). The first band had something like "Fire" in their name and were a real bore. I think the only reason they played is cos they're from Athens, GA. They covered Sabbath which was mildly interesting, but I'd certainly rather see Of Montreal play "Paranoid."


Next was Sugar & Gold, a band which made absolute perfect sense to open the show. They sounded very similar to Of Montreal's more white-boy disco stuff, except discoey all the time. It definitely got boring after a while, but it was some nice dance fluff to bounce to before the main act. I checked their album Creme but, as expected, it was a bit too processed and watered down for my liking.


Of Montreal was pretty great, a little less stage show as at their last tour, but a lot of the same themes: bird heads, tiger heads, feathers, flash animations, costume changes. One of their guitarists was totally decked out in angel wings, stupid shades and a filthy mustache, which was probably the best thing to look at.









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UNRELATED:


Anyway, SESAME STREET BANDAIDS is going on right now on wmua.org so check dat out. New music has happened from Black Dice, Explode Into Colors, Vibes, Wavves, Liquid Vega, and most importantly the new R Kelly.

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ALSO:


If only I had looked at the Myspace sooner I would've smashed the airwaves with Teengirl Fantasy's new song "Floor to Floor," which you can find bundled with a few other TGIF tracks in a handy EP right here (via Pukekos). It's pretty on course with their sound - a circular and breezy club jam building layers on top of layers, weaving lots of delicate rhythms into one.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

PONYTAIL


Baltimore quartet Ponytail kick off their first ever headlining U.S. tour April 23 in Washington, D.C., and will make a stop at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton Sunday night with New York's Pains of Being Pure at Heart opening. The band incorporates searing, repetitious guitar, rolling drums, and singer Molly Siegel's unparalleled squawk into a whirlwind of kaleidoscopic punk rock. I got a chance to talk to Ponytail guitarist Ken Seeno about the tour, new music, their collaborative recording tendencies, and the painting class that got them all together in the first place.

Friendship Bracelet: So your first headlining tour starts tonight. How's that feel?
Ken Seeno: Well, we're playing in D.C. so we can go home and sleep, so the tour actually starts tomorow.
FB: Who are you going to be playing with?
KS: We're playing a lot of shows with this band Talk About Life. We were going to play with Marnie Stern but that changed.. we're playing with the Vivian Girls in Kansas City.
FB: So this Pains of Being Pure at Heart show is a one-off thing?
KS: Yeah, I didn't even know we were playing with them until recently. I've only heard small clips of their songs
FB: Are you hitting spots on the tour that you didn't get to on previous tours?
KS: We're going to Atlanta which we didn't get to before, that's going to be fun. It's going to be good going back where people have seen us before and see people we know. I'm excited to go to Portland and San Francisco, you know, all those good west coast cities.
FB: I know in interviews a lot of bands will say they don't listen to any new music when they're asked what their favorite record of last year was, but living in Baltimore that must not be the case with all the bands coming out of there recently. What's some of your favorite stuff to come out of Baltimore recently?
KS: Beach House, I really like them. They're about to have the same management as us. Ecstatic Sunshine's new record sounds awesome. This band Thank You is really good. We've been trying to set up shows with them but it's not working. White Williams has been around Baltimore recording. A lot of bands haven't been playing as many shows or are away a lot, like Dan Deacon.
FB: After all the exposure and talk about your first album (2006's "Kamehameha"), how did you go into recording "Ice Cream Spiritual?"
KS: The first record we recorded at home in one day so our goal for the new one was to record a real record, actually go into the studio and have someone who's experienced work with us. We had been recording everything live, and we wanted to keep that sound. We recorded at Jay Robbins' studio in Baltimore. It was a really good experience - the product was more of a baby with all the work we put into it. We came in totally prepared and ready to go, blocked out everything, just went on a straight line for a week.
FB: Do you have plans after this tour to get back into the studio?
KS: This summer we'd like to work on our next record, or at least write new music. It's really hard when you're playing shows just to put everythig down and start from scratch.
FB: How do you write songs?
KS: It's definitely a collaborative process. We've never written a whole song without everybody being there. We need everybody in a room, everybody's input. We try not to tell each other what to do. It's a lot to do with the four of us.
FB: Since you never write Ponytail songs individually do you guys have any solo projects or other material you work on?
KS: Dustin just finished his solo record, it's out on vinyl. He's been working on it for years. It's a magical sort of record, not like Ponytail at all. Molly has been working on some stuff in New York. We like to explore ideas on our own, but we put all our energy into Ponytail. We're focused on Ponytail.
FB: Your Myspace page says the band formed as a class project. Is this true?
KS: Yes, when I was a freshman at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in January 2005 we all took this "parapainting" class. The goal of the class was to have a band.. the professor put the bands together on first impressions, like "you guys sound grunge so you can be in a grunge band.""
FB: So you were all put together randomly. You didn't know each other?
KS: Yeah, he just put us together. We didn't know each other. I kind of knew Dustin - I remember seeing him and thinking he was real cool. He had these capris on, you know the pants. Three quarter length? I just remember thinking he had cool style. and he had this weird bowl cut. I actually convinced Dustin to join the class so I wasn't the only freshman. And Molly was so weird.
FB: In reviews of your music I tend to see a lot of Yoko Ono references with regards to Molly's singing. Is there any actual Ono influence there or is it just easy to make the comparisson?
KS: Yoko Ono's and Molly's interests are very different. What Molly's done is very natural, not about sounding like other people. It was really about her. We studied fine art, Yoko did performance art, so we know her stuff. It's really just about ideas. I've heard a lot of Pixies comparissons too.
FB: Pixies works. A female Black Francis. Some of your guitar work reminds me of another band I've seen associated with you, Abe Vigoda. You like those guys?
KS: We met Abe Vigoda when we played a show with them in New York. We have a lot of the same ideas, we're similar somehow. They're really cool. We have a similar vibe - I wish we could tour with them.
FB: Speaking of bands you've played with, who else have you opened for before thie headlining spot?
KS: We opened for Battles and the Death Set. Our last tour was with High Places. We did a tour with Don Caballero too.
FB: Who's the best band you've opened for?
KS: We played with Battles right after "Mirrored" came out. That record is so killer. They were so tight and super engaging. I liked the High Places vibe too. They're a real healthy band. Opening for bands is fun, but headlining is a whole other ballgame.
FB: You play in a laundromat in that A.D.D. video series on Pitchfork (pitchfork.com). Was that your choice to play in front of all those washing machines or was it the director's?
KS: We try to keep as many of our own artistic visions as possible, but yeah the Pitchfork director chose the location. We had fun playing there in such a tight space. It was different than our practice space. He's done some in bands' practice spaces and I'm glad we did our location, our practice space is just a closet - a good closet. Have you seen the Fucked Up A.D.D.? Have you heard them?
FB: Yeah, I've caught them a couple times. Damian's a really good guy.
KS: I had never listened to them until I saw that, but after I downloaded the record and listened to it every day. They're my favorite band right now, I really want to meet them.
FB: Since you're just starting this tour now, you must have had time to catch some bands. Have you seen anyone good lately?
KS: I saw Skeletons play in Europe. They were really cool and nice and weird. The guy asked the crowd "Who has fingerprints?" before launching into a song, I laughed so much. I saw Max Tundra, he was good. Ecstatic Sunshine and Many Mansions too.
FB: You mentioned the band being brought together in a painting class. I've seen a lot of press photos where you've got a lot of facepaint on and the album art for the new record is like fingerpaint. Does this aesthetic come from ideas from that class?
KS: Our album art was a collective work as a band. We wanted to make what we felt reflected our work. My personal artwork is way different. When you've got this many people thinking it all comes together. Making a record is like a snowball going down a hill. We had the vibe "Ice Cream Spiritual." Part of the idea was from an old amp we used to bring around with primary color handprints painted on it. We thought the motif reflected the identity of the band.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

HAMPSHIRE


After SESAME STREET BANDAIDS (new music from Joker, Horsepower Productions, Dirty Projectors, Sonic Youth, Eat Skull) I managed to catch Ducktails + Pak, Psychedelic Horseshit, and Nat Baldwin in a dining common at Hampshire College.

I had never seen Ducktails play so I'm wondering if this is a one-time deal but he performed with Pak, a.k.a. Lauren Pakradooni (she also does this), creating some rumbly looped gurgles and was generally entertaining, just not what I expected. Psychedelic Horseshit was alright - real messy and snotty and loud. Nat Baldwin was the best I saw, plucking away all over his double bass (even the slits in the bass itself?) as well as coaxing deep tones from his instrument with his bow, spliced in between actual song parts and singing. Fun time even though cops were there?

Also coming up at Hampshire (though not exactly sure where) is Jets and Snakes + the Government.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

MASQ


Tonight is a masquerade.

Monday Hampshire College presents the Up In Smoke Fest - Nat Baldwin of the Dirty Projectors, Psychedelic Horseshit, Ducktails, Heat Wilson, Peter Bonos + members of Whoarfrost, Why-No and Family Treasures. First time this business has gone on. Should be rad - New Dirty Projectors is great for the most part, Whoarfrost killed at the Elevens recently, etc. 8:30PM at the Dining Commons wherever those are.

Also just confirmed Magik Markers are playing at the Copperworks June 29. Far away, but exciting.

Also we got Of Montreal at the Paradise on Boston Tuesday April 21.

Also we got Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra Thursday April 23 at the UMass Fine Arts Center.

Also we got Screaming Females Saturday April 25 at Doorhaus in Williamsburg, Mass with Sisters and Zebu.

Also we got Ponytail and Pains of Being Pure at Heart Sunday April 26.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Christopher Titus


Titus Andronicus was killer Wednesday night opening for Lucero at Pearl Street. Springsteen cover and all the hits. Peep my review here.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

FUTURE SOUNDS/UNDERWATER PEOPLES


Future Sounds is selling CD-Rs of a bunch of awesome stuff, including reissues of the Ducktails II and Predator Vision II tapes, Julian Lynch's Born 2 Run CD-R, Real Estate's Atlantic City Expressway tour CD-R, and some stuff I haven't heard, namely Bongo's Live at Sleazy's CD-R ("All star cast featuring members of real estate, ducktails, julian lynch, brittany botz, miami heat, cave of time, lese majesty, paperface, etc. Sleazy's Mom thought we were ripping off Yoko Ono" - future sounds).

All this stuff's available through Tomentosa Records. Support em and buy buy buy here.

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Ducktails' Ducktails CD/LP release is coming up on Not Not Fun. The Navajo rainbow swirl album art's up there. Mondanile's also got a split 7" coming up with Julian Lynch on Underwater Peoples, which I'm itching to hear.

Stream/download "Beach Point Pleasant/Pizza Time" from the Ducktails 7" (Breaking World Records) here (via NPIP).

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RELATED:


Underwater Peoples will be releasing a compilation sometime soon (no exact date yet), a true Summer Showcase featuring Julian Lynch, Real Estate, Ducktails, Frat Dad, Andrew Cedermark, and many more. Pre-order that business by emailing underwaterpeoples@gmail.com.

Tracklist:

1. Banana Jam Pt.1 - Julian Lynch
2. Beach Comber - Real Estate
3. Brosef - Frat Dad
4. Wishing Whale - Pill Wonder
5. Baby Come On - Dana Jewell
6. Agua - Sad City
7. Snow (Instrumental) - Real Estate
8. Mega Secrets - Family Portrait
9. Droplet On A Hot Stone - Julian Lynch
10. Backyard - Ducktails
11. Country Wide - Liam the Younger
12. Anchorite - Andrew Cedermark
13. This Land Pt.1 - Liam the Younger
14. Happy Still - Broken Trees
15. Wasted By The Screen - Pill Wonder

Monday, April 13, 2009

SSB/11's


SESAME STREET BANDAIDS airs tonight 8-10PM EST on WMUA 91.1FM, streaming online from wmua.org. I'll be playing new music by Paralyze Humanity Sequence, Dirty Projectors, Mayer Hawthorne (new to me, anyway), Eat Skull, Shogun Kunitoki, Crocodiles, and many more.

Also check me, Alex, and Gabe out as we deejay at The Elevens from 9:30 into the night. Oh yeah also check out dem bands: Child Bride, Boy Zone, a collab between Diagram A & curator George W. Myers, and two more touring bands who will remain mysteries until the show actually happens. It can't possibly cost more than $5 and beers are cheap and we will spin damn fine tunes so come out and waste away.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

PARTS&LABOR/TALKNORMAL


Parts & Labor and Talk Normal will be playing a FREE show at the Blue Wall Cafe (UMass Campus Center) this evening, sponsored by WMUA. In a station-wide vote, Parts & Labor won Album of the Year among WMUA members for last year's Receivers (Jagjaguwar). The record is pretty phenomenal, mixing up crazy-precise drums, lots of knob squeaks, hazy guitars, and surprisingly strong vocals to obliterate your skull. They played last Fall at Hampshire College's Red Barn, and Dan Friel, who founded the band along with B.J. Warshaw, played WMUA's Fall Kickoff Show last September. Why does Amherst love Dan Friel & company so much? It's either because he's a talented dude who makes rad music or because mythology says he used to live around here. Either way it means quality free or close-to-free shows with little to no driving distance. Score.

"Satellites" and "Nowheres Nigh" highlight Receivers. This video for "The Gold We're Digging" from 2007's Mapmaker back before they acquired current drummer Joe Wong and guitarist Sarah Lipstate.

FUNKDOGS


Dam-Funk's Stones Throw Rhythm Trax are so good. He's Volume 4 in the series (I also recommend James Pants' Volume 1) and he brings the funk like no other. Space, satellites, lasers, martians, Jupiter. The track names are all colors, that is if you consider "Chocolate" and "Sunset" colors. These are eight fairly quick electro-funk jams, perfect for shinin through the L.A. night.

Buy that digital/CD/vinyl here.

Also download the longer piece "Let's Take Off (Far Away)" here, via dublab.

Dude's also upped two old tracks on his Myspace as well, "No More Love" + "I Like Yo Big Azz Girl," so check those out too.

AND you can catch Dam-Funk as he rolls around the country with Stones Throw brethren Peanut Butter Wolf ("playing videos"), James Pants ("performing with his band Royal Zodiac"), and Mayer Hawthorne. Tour starts April 21 and the closest they'll be is the Paradise in Boston May 4 so get hyped.

Charizma + Peanut Butter Wolf - "Red Light Green Light"


James Pants - "We're Through"


Here's some Mayer Hawthorne heart-shaped vinyl biz:


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UNRELATED:


I really can't get enough of "Suburban Dogs" by Real Estate. Downloaded it here a bit ago and this past week it's basically been on repeat. They've got the nostalgia thing down like no other. I'm kind of forgetting I'm not from Jersey.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Clan Front, Feet Stomp


GZA was a treat at Pearl Street Wednesday, all except for the hour long wait between openers Vain and the main act. Vain, a duo, were alright - loud beats and everything, but they seemed a bit not into it. They also referred to the Northampton crowd as Springfield. GZA was a bit more patient and once he finally took the stage it was on. He did some classic Wu Tang material ("Protect Ya Neck," "Clan in Da Frront," "Triumph"), some Liquid Swords material, and some new stuff (he didn't do the verses from "Paper Plate," the 50 Cent dis, just let the beat ride - the crowd was already chanting "50 SUCKS" when he took the stage).







BEAT OKRA


New Dirty Projectors record Bitte Orca leaked and on that first listen it's pretty spectacular, especially that first single, "Stillness Is the Move." Gorgeous harmonies and, really, that's all you need. "Two Doves" is a thing of beauty as well, a sweeping and humming love song for when the light shines through the bedroom window and maybe it's a little too cold to get up, but that's okay - there's nothing for you outside of the bedroom anyway. Strangely enough, the next track is "Useful Chamber," six and a half minutes of more glorious layers of voice, delicately picked guitar, and one of the best chorus/hooks I've heard this year, the slight chant "bitte orca orca bitte." Next song "No Intention" meanders through this guitar straight out the Orient: simple, fresh, exotic, tempting. Awesome.

Domino decided to give away the single for free for a limited time, so snatch it up here before it's too late.

Also you can pre-order the "Stillness Is the Move" 12" here. That will be available May 5 through Domino.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Two Slightly Interesting Things


1. The Andrew W.K. show April 25 at Clark University has been canceled. If you want to sign a petition to get him back in the Fall semester, sign here, then celebrate here.

2. The lineup for the UMass Spring Concert was announced tonight. Performing will be Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, and All Time Low. Free for UMass students.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Oil = Ticket

Want to get into a Dan Deacon show for free this tour? Here's how:

hello,

the school tour bus the 20 of us are riding in runs on veggie oil. we need help gathering that oil to fuel our bus. if anyone can bring at least 5 gallons of waste veggie oil to one of the shows we will put you on the guest list. it is easily found behind almost all restaurants.


if the oil looks dark and full of crud we can't use it. the lighter the color and the less viscous the better. if you can bring us CLEAN and filtered oil we can put you + 1 on the list.


an easy way to filter the oil would be to stretch a tight sheet or t-shirt over a bucket and pour the oil into the bucket through the sheet to get all the gunk out. a slower way, but better way, would be to tie one of the pant legs of jeans into a tight knot and hang that over a bucket and pour the oil into the jeans, and clean oil will slowly pass into the bucket.


to arrange the grease for list swap you can call geoff at 862-266-6130. don't message me hear. call or text him. he is our oil master. the more oil the better. we have enough storage for 100 gallons of oil. if you can get us 30 gallons we'll cook you dinner on the bus (we have a little kitchen and many great cooks).


please repost this to anywhere you think it might help.
thanks you!

dan


That's from a Myspace bulletin and, as Dan asks, re-post it or tell anyone and everyone who can help cos they can go to the Middle East and see Dan Deacon with Future Islands and Teeth Mountain May 13. If you can't get your oil together it's alright, the show's just $10.

PHS


Chicago's Nick Donlin does his music thing as Paralyze Humanity Sequence. The name's a mouthfull but the music is not, instead light and airy, using vocals, guitar, and sampling to create golden, glimmering sounds, something like Panda Bear but less rhythm-oriented, or Julian Lynch but more grounded. This is the type of music that begs a breezy Summer day, not as green as the Spring, perhaps slightly sunscorched. You can download his Feelings Party EP for free, which is a treat and features the lazy songs from his Myspace "Hammock" and "Eating Cake" as well as the more rhythmic "Wise Guy" and "Your Head."

Paralyze Humanity Sequence - Feelings Party

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Hacksaw/Elevens/GZA




A Hawk and a Hacksaw played the Copperworks in Pittsfield Sunday with opener Jets and Snakes. I'm liking the venue more and more each time I'm inside, from bumming around before and during Mt. Eerie/Julie Doiron to eating a Thanksgiving dinner at their Thanksgiving potluck. Two members of the group started in the crowd, Jeremy Barnes on accordion and Heather Trost on violin. Eventually they moved to the stage, where a trumpeter and tubist joined them. A nice feature at the Copperworks is the chalk board wall behind the stage. For Mt. Eerie it was smattered with children's doodles, but Sunday it was neater with only a bird and a trumpet. The four played a while, induced much dancing, and generally were solid, something like a cousin of Beirut minus the vocals. Jets and Snakes opened (in four-piece mode), also toting an accordion. Catchy enough pop songs, but I'm curious to see what Roger does by himself with samples and such. He's playing at Hampshire College April 24.

There's a bunch of nice photos from the show here.

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Monday night I went to the Elevens to check out Nonhorse, Casper Electronics, and Embarker. Embarker was first, and was nearly too jarring. I felt like the glass in my hand was going to shatter. Then Nonhorse, who is G. Lucas Crane from Woods. Awesome tape loops and manipulations and mutations and vocals. Very cool stuff, can't wait to hear more from him. Casper Electronics was interesting too, more beat-driven.

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Tonight GZA will play Pearl Street. I will be there gettin hyped and sword slashing. Check out my piece for the Daily Collegian previewing his appearance here.

Also check out GZA Daytripping with his son (via Pitchfork).

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Ya Gotta Be Kidding Me


Best thing I saw this April Fools Day by far. And it's real. Honest.

Candy Claws


These guys randomly crossed my field of vision. Candy Claws is Wesley, Kay, and Ryan of Fort Collins, CO but they really sound like New Zealand's Ruby Suns, which is so say they're destined to create euphoric pop with undeniable thickness and solid dynamics. Check em out on their Myspace - you can buy their new record In the Dream of the Sea Life from them directly.


If you dig, check out another one of their records, Two Airships/Exploder Falls, here, via Peppermill Records.