CMJ Week is Here, but first: the Rapture

[Pic Cred: The Rapture in London]
While last night's Rapture and Presets show at Webster Hall may not officially count as CMJ, in all essence it was. CMJ week is CMJ week and hell, some of the best shows aren't technically organized by them. At the very least it was a preview of tonight's official line up at Bowery Ballrooom. Or, more likely: tonight is an aftershock. For once, the entire volume at Webster was used to amplify the kinetic energy pulsing on the floor.

The Presets won me over early, proving that they could not only dominate the vast room but they could so with only two members. I've rarely seen a headliner so well-executed at Webster let alone an opener. Yet still, make no mistake. They by no means upstaged anybody. The Rapture -you see- came through loud -and I mean LOUD!- and forceful. The dance floor was awash in revelry and sweat. Less like a concert and more like a club, it's the type of show Webster Hall is designed for.

Major bonus points to the band for the constant playback. They didn't stop to tune and barely had any closure to any songs, instead flowing from one into the next as if the sweaty masses would cease if they ever stopped to realize their exhaustion.

Rachael was there: "I must say seeing The Rapture last night was the perfect way to kick off this week. By golly! I've never seen the band live before and was totally and utterly impressed."

Why is My Sister Such a Dumbass?

Why is My Sister Such a Dumbass? She walks around in her underwear...

Ok. This is cool:

By searching for the phrase "mic in track" in your favorite p2p file sharing program, you can find audio tracks people recorded on their own computers and probably never intended for public broadcast. Lots of them are empty or otherwise pretty dull, but sometimes you can find some really interesting stuff.[via]

Stark Effect - Why Is My Sister Such a Dumbass? [mp3]

I just listened to this first track by Stark Effect and I must admit, this is pretty awesome. Bunch more available here.

Here's another off his free "EP":
Stark Effect - Think of Me [mp3]

They all have hilarious names like "Stop! I'm Watching TV!" or "Eeples and Beeneenees." I'll be downloading a bunch of these tomorrow when I have more time to play around.

Halloween Yeti

Here's what I'm going as for Halloween. Yes, I am a nerd. Click here for a much more detailed version.

K-Fed is Streaming at AOL

Yes, it's true. K-Fed is streaming over at AOL. Rock this all weekend. Learn the great lyrics such as, "Girls say I'm cocky, I think I'm humble, Basically ya'll just talk like Bryant Gumbel."

Then get ready for his Webster Hall travesty next Saturday. [via]

Reminder: Love is All this Friday, Knitting Factory

For those of you who weren't in attendance last time Love is All came through NYC, it was one of the best shows of the first half of this year. I'm hoping this Friday is one of the best shows of the second half as well.

Tickets still available to the early show and late show. I don't listen to their album much but damn that was a fine show.

With several other events happening this Friday, I should go to the late show, but I really can't stay up that late when I need to reserve my energy for next week. We'll see. Which show is everyone else going to?

Speaking of Knitting Factory, they made a new hire.

Ghost Stories are Really Good

Stream Ghost Stories Quixoticism here.

It's almost Halloween, so this is timely. I was going through old emails from labels, publicists and various other pushers last night when I revisited one from Sonic Boom Records. Based in Seattle, Sonic Boom is best known as the label that gave U.S.E. a release, and U.S.E. is best known as the best live band ever. That would be a hyperbole if I wasn't so damn sincere about it.

Sonic Boom is releasing a debut in January by a band called Ghost Stories [myspace]:

Ghost Stories is the musical brainchild of Ron Lewis, a bedroom recordist steeped in haunting lo-fi folk, found-sound ambience and epic psych-pop grandeur. Quixoticism, Ghost Stories’ debut, unfolds like a passive-aggressive psych-rock opera.

Apparrantly Lewis has played with the Fruit Bats, the Joggers, and Colin Meloy. Not bad company, and I'm glad to announce that Ghost Stories is not bad listening. In fact, it may be one of the three best releases to expect in January [along with Menomena and Shins].

No downloads yet but I'm working that. In the meantime I've been streaming the songs over at Sonic Boom here. So if you need something nice to keep you company this autumn morning, head over there.

Wrens playing CMJ at NYU, opening for Walkmen

I had missed this before, but now I see that the Wrens will be playing CMJ at NYU on Thursday November 2, scheduled to go on at 9:00. That's the same time Malajube -which to me sounds not dissimilar to the Wrens albeit in French- play Mercury Lounge.

Shows Reviewed: Viva Voce, Okkervil River, YYY's, Kooks, 120 Days

10-12 Viva Voce @ Bowery Ballroom
Viva Voce [website/myspace] has been on my mind since January when I cam upon "Wrecking Ball" and "Alive with Pleasure." When their new album came out, I gave it an eager listen. Nearly as solid as those older two songs, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out really rocks in concert. They are a duo with the guy on drums and the woman on guitar [another joined them on bass but since this is a duo band, we'll ignore that]. When they came out, they fed us fruit. Very tasty. They played a short version of "We Do Not Fuck Around" early and then did a reprise later on. I wish more bands did this. In the past few hundreds of shows I've seen I cannot remember a single reprise. Sure, some bands full-out repeat songs for lack of material, but that's not the same thing. If I was in a band [not just the theoretical kind], I'd play my Big Hit early and then slide from a later song back into 30 seconds of that Big Hit. Imagine how glorious that'd be!
Viva Voce - We Do Not Fuck Around [mp3]
Viva Voce - When Planets Collide [mp3]

10-14 Okkervil River, Elvis Perkins @ Bowery Ballroom
A little worried how Elvis Perkins would translate to a sold out Bowery crowd, my fears were quickly displaced as they easily won over a fairly attentive audience. I've seen him a few hundreds of times -at least- and this was one of the best. Okkervil River came out and once again dominated with a long rocking set of all my favorites. Will Sheff promised -like he always does- a "completely new set of material" the next night, but I wonder what was left that was worth it.

Spin.com reports from the Atlanta show, and asked attendees: "Given that Elvis Perkins' father is classic actor Anthony Perkins, we want to know, if you could have a famous father, who would it be?" Guess what this guy said. Go on. Guess. Hint: Check his shirt. [Answer at bottom] But that wasn't even the best response. That award goes to the guy who said, "Whoever is Paris Hilton's father." So you, ummm, wanna screw your sister?

10-18 TV on the Radio @ Irving Plaza
Review Here.

10-19 Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Bowery Ballroom
With the crowd licqoured up, Nick Zinner got the Bowery show he didn't get last time around. Rollingstone was celebrating something -an anniversary of a few hundred years- and we pumped our fists in approval as Karen O delighted and wooed. This time we knew the lyrics to the new -well, now not so new- material, and could let loose. The highlight [other than the incredible amount of smiles and energy Ms. O emits] came after a few ambient minutes of intro in Maps; Karen stopped the song dead and had Nick switch guitars to play it acoustically.
-Productshop was there as well.

10-23 The Kooks @ Bowery Ballroom
Wavering on actually attending this show, I decided it would be at least worth the $10 admission. And it was. I do mostly like a handful of their songs. The crowd sang back all the lyrics which in my mind recalled last year's invasion of the A'Monks, but this year's model lacks the aloofness I find so appealing in Alex Turner. The Kooks aren't innovative enough to make a lasting impression, but at least they're a decent one night stand.

10-23 120 Days @ Fontana's
Either they started their set with their crappiest songs, or by the end I had enough beer in me to not care. They have potential but for the moment are uneven.

Essential 2006: Benjy Ferree's Leaving the Nest

I have yet to learn how to pronounce his last name. We gave many attempts and hypotheses on air last week, but that's unimportant. What *is* important is that Benjy Ferree [website / myspace] has created one of my favorite albums this year. It's one of those things I knew I was in love before I was halfway through, and the second half only reinforced my devotion. Here are just a couple tracks on it, but really, the whole thing is quite stellar:

Benjy Ferree - Private Honeymoon
Benjy Ferree - In The Countryside

Leaving the Nest was released as an EP last October and since then Domino Records came come a-knocking and expanded that into Leaving the Nest, the LP.

When Domino representatives called Ferree one morning to tell him that they loved his album, "Leaving the Nest," and were interested in offering him a deal, he hung up on them, thinking it was friends playing a joke. Thankfully, Domino called back. [Wash Post]

So give a listen, and if you like it, the album comes out November 7th. He'll be here for CMJ too on November 2nd.

TV on the Radio @ Irving Plaza

Picture Credit: Swan's Song.

Cookie Mountain, TV on the Radio's '06 release has been gathering laud and praise from everywhere I look. Sure, it's compelling; but at the same time I can't help feel the whole is lesser than it's constituents. Do people listen to this thing straight through? Really? Heartonastick said it well back in June, "Each time I listen to it, the first track – whichever track comes up – always strikes me as the Best Song Ever. But then, as the album goes on, everything grinds into the same white noise." And that's just it. Every song is like a fresh crisp apple, but unfortunately it's always the same apple. To it's credit, it's a damn tasty apple, but I want -dare I say it?- less consistency.

For me, TVotR has always been a pleasant live experience, whether crammed at Tonic with Antibalas, or playing a last-minute gig at the sweat lodge, Union Pool. Unsurprising, the smaller the venue, the higher the intensity. It's likely the reason I felt so removed from their Prospect Park show in June. Dual shows at Irving Plaza is about as small as they can get on this current tour, and Irving had it's moments: most notably the encore which united a cross of musicians on stage in an orgy of sound and celebration.

On the one hand, TVotR's music demands the crowd to respond to the passion set forth by Tunde Adebimpe, the band's energetic thrust. On the other, it's so rich and complex that one can get caught up thinking too hard about the music. It was a limbo that confounded me, as some in the audience rapturously convulsed, while others stroked their chin deep in thought. Neither is superior to the other, but nevertheless, it's a striking dichotomy.

I've had this percussive assault in my head all weekend:
TV on the Radio - Tonight
[Oh phoeey. My internet is wanky. I'll upload later.]

P.S. I missed Grizzly Bear. Sorry, dear readers. I lost track of time watching the Mets.

Blogs that were there:
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Angry Citizen
and maybe:
Brooklyn Vegan

"Teen Using MySpace to Lure Bands to Los Angeles"

As reported on BBspot:

Los Angeles, CA – A thirteen-year-old girl posing as a record executive on MySpace has lured several bands to Los Angeles with promises of a record contract...

On arriving at Ashley's house, band members were lured inside with free pizza and Crystal Light. "How could we resist?" said McLeod. "She locked us in the basement and told us we had to play for her free. It wasn't that bad, so we stuck around for a while. Her mom eventually kicked us out."

Online band predators are such a big concern that the RIAA has created a website warning bands about the problem.

Hopefully y'all aren't as gullible as the commentors on Digg. Oh brother.

Official CMJ Schedule Announced.

Kathryn points out that the official CMJ schedule is posted. Keep in mind however of all the unofficial parties this year, of which there are a ton.

Start calculating set times and travel times now. As expected, all our favorite bands are playing the same day at the same time in different boroughs.

Randomness

-Tomorrow sometime after 7:30 AM, the USofA will reach a population of EXACTLY 300 Million. Watch the riveting clock here.

-Spaceref relays a forthcoming "Major SETI Institute Announcement."

"For all of you out there who have been waving your arms around and speculating, this is not an announcement about finding a signal from ETs the face on Mars, or anything else. It is far more mundane."

Snooze. Someone alert SETI and inform them they are not to label anything a "Major Announcement" unless it's about aliens. Or that SETI rhymes with yeti.

Pela Tour Dates and CMJ

Pela [website/myspace] are on tour before CMJ. I first saw them at last year's CMJ and still like them a lot. Hopefully I'll be able to catch them again.

Oct 19 Mohawk Place Buffalo, NY
Oct 20 Beachland Ballroom Tavern Cleveland, OH
Oct 21 Oregon Express Dayton, OH
Oct 23 Landlocked Music Bloomington, IN
Oct 24 WOXY In Studio Cincinatti, OH
Oct 24 The Poison Room Cincinnati, OH
Oct 25 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL
Oct 26 Mr. Small's Theater Millvale, PA
Oct 28 DC 9 *DAM! Festival* Washington , DC
Oct 31 B61 Halloween party Brooklyn NY
Nov 2 *CMJ* White Rabbit Lounge
Nov 2 *CMJ* TBA
Nov 3 *CMJ* Sin-e
Nov 5 (Post) *CMJ* Union Pool

Update: Pela - Lonesome Hearts [Cassettes Won't Listen Remix] [mp3]

Stream the Annuals, More

New AOL streaming "parties." [AOL's term, not mine]. My parties would have free [as in beer] beer.

Annuals, 'Be He Me'
The opening song "Brother" promises the world. It's hard to judge the rest since nothing quite regains that moment. I go back and repeat Brother.

Badly Drawn Boy, ‘Born In The UK’
Has anyone tried this out yet? Any good?

Gomez, ‘Five Men In A Hut’
A menstrual hut? That would make a great segment on Oprah.

Kevin Devine, 'Put Your Ghost to Rest'
Pretty strong songs on their own, but as an album it's repetitive.

Pandora Astroturfing for $5

"Why," I kept asking myself. "Why are all these blogs bothering with Pandora?" I won't even link to it because it's mostly a waste of time. Today I came across CREAMaid on MeFi. We'll get to the sex jokes in a minute, but first we got serious business: payola per post.

Are You A Mareketer Blogger?
As if the ethical stake's in blogging weren't high enough [I have none!], along comes CREAMaid -heh heh heh- to give bloggers royalties to post. Along with such obscure companies like MacDonald's, another willing to astroturf this impenetrable community was none other than Pandora. No link, but I'll give you a clue. You got a clue now? Because I got one. I got a raging clue.

My beef with Pandora is that it's a crappy service. You enter in an artist and it's supposed to find similar artist based on criteria of what that artist sounds like. I enter in the Wrens, and I get -I'm not kidding- "Faster Gun" by the Wrens. Wow. UH-MAZE-ZING! Then the next song is some crappy song that sounds kinda like but not really anything nearly as interesting as the Wrens. It's like a music blogger with shitty taste in music and has no clue what they are doing, kind of like Village Indian. [I kid, I kid]. I don't want bands that sound like the Wrens, I want bands that sound nothing like them, but are equally as amazing in their own right.

Look at die hard fans of Interpol: did they embrace Editors? Mostly no. Because Interpol did Interpol. OK, they did Joy Division, but you get my point. [For the record, I enjoy Editors more. Interpol's too glum]. Why every artist doesn't yield the Beatles I have yet to figure out. Didn't they invent music?

For Pandora, you can't program quality by dissecting individual components of individual songs. As Claude Debussy said, "Music is the space between the notes."

Crap, this rant is running too long. No time for CREAMaid/Bukkake jokes. Not that you really wanted them anyhow.

Marathons and Music

Is Mike Skinner of the Streets still planning on running this year's NYC Marathon? If so, he might be wise to upload James Murphy's new jogger mix for Nike+ titled "43:33" which has a running time of -well, according to PFM- 43:55.

Amy Phillips -bless her heart- loaded the tune into her iPod for her maximum 20-minute run, and before I could snicker, my gut looked up at me and asked, "When was the last time you went for a run, Fatso?" Thing is, is that I would. I really would. Give me some of the super special Nike+ shoes that make me look cool and futuristic and I would. I found this observation by Phillips delightful:

During the first [moment of throbbing space disco], Murphy chants "shame on you" over and over again under his breath. This is not what I want to hear while I'm exercising. I want to hear "You rule! You are awesome! You are being healthy! I am so proud of you!"

The track is available tomorrow, complete with iTunes DRM. I'll find an alternative long-play track. Has anyone recorded "99 Bottles of Beer" yet?

Meanwhile, Sound Team had this to add: We want to hear "You rule! You are awesome! You are being healthy! I am so proud of you!"

Radio is Sirius Business

I was Brooklyn Vegan's guest this week on Sirius Blog Radio. Dave had a bunch of CBGB-related songs to play that got lost in the shuffle, but managed to fit one Bad Brain tune in at the end. Here's the playlist. Gorilla Vs. Bear also played that excellent Menomena track this week.

1. Lo-Fi FNK - Louder
2. The Octopus Project - HMRA Sinners
3. The Rapture - Don Gon Do It
4. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - Rent a Wreck
5. Bound Stems - Risking Life and Limb for the Coupon
6. White Whale - The Admiral
7. Grizzly Bear - On a Neck, On a Spit
8. Menomena - Wet and Rusting
9. Sparklehorse - Don't Take My Sunshine Away
10. Tunng - The Pioneers [Bloc Party Cover]
11. Stars - Ageless Beauty [Most Serene Republic Remix]
12. Benjy Ferree - Leaving the Nest
13. Devin Davis - When the Angels Lift Our Eyelids in the Morning
14. William Elliott Whitmore - Take It on the Chin
15. Presidents of the United States of America - Some Postman
16. Oxford Collapse - Let's Vanish
17. The Stills - She's Walking Out
18. The Little Ones - Cha Cha Cha
19. Jens Lekman - Happy Birthday, Dear Friend Lisa
20. Hayden - Hollywood Ending
21. The Thermals - An Ear for Baby
22. Palomar - Knitting For Pleasure
23. The Mugs - Broken Signals
24. Lily Allen - Oh My God (Kaiser Chiefs Cover)
25. Belle & Sebastian - Sukie in the Graveyard
26. Bad Brains - Pay to Cum

CMJ Shaping Up

So far here's what CMJ is amounting to from my perspective. What's up with Saturday? Looks kinda weak. And by "kinda" I mean: WTF? As Kathryn points out, the big days are Wednesday and Thursday. Too many conflicts those days and not enough for the weekend. The biggest show Saturday is K-Fed, of which I have the suspicion isn't for CMJ.

Tuesday Oct 31
PARADE!
Pianos - Irving, Birdmonster

Wed Nov 1
Pianos – [daytime] CSS, Thunderbirds are Now! Land of Talk, The Little Ones, Nicolai Dunger, Loney, Dear, Sure Juror
----------
Webster Hall - The Knife (2 Shows)
Pianos - Professor Murder, Mixel Pixel, White Rabbits, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Loney Dear, Peter and The Wolf
Galapagos - Lo-Fi Fnk, Thunderbirds Are Now!
Bowery Ballroom - Tapes & Tapes, Cold War Kids, Elvis Perkins
Sin-e - Kunek
Studio B - Mindless Self Indulgence, The Giraffes
R&R - Plus/Minus
Syrup Room - The Annuals, Bound Stems, Professor Murder

Thurs Nov 2
KEXP – Hot Chip, Forward Russia
Pianos [Day Party]- Cities, Apples In Stereo
---------
Bowery Ballroom - The Shins, The Thermals, CSS, Oxford Collapse
Mercury Lounge - Forward, Russia!, Nicole Atkins, Malajube, Benjy Ferree, Archie Bronson Outfit
Webster Hall - Hot Chip
Sin-e - Chromeo, 120 Days

Fri Nov 3
Fontanas - Brooklyn Vegan Day Show
Studio B - The Thermals, The Horrors, Birdmonster, Ra Ra Riot, Sam Champion
Hammerstein Ballroom - The Decemberists
Arelene's Grocery - Forget Cassettes
Pianos - Rahim, Thunderbirds Are Now!
Pianos - The Picture
KEXP / Friction Showcase - Sin-e - Dirty on Purpose, Pela, The Diableros
Knitting Factory - White Whale, Richard Buckner
Knitting Factory - Chin Up Chin Up, Bound Stems,
Mercury Lounge - Tokyo Police Club, Cloud Cult, Land of Talk
R&R - The Grates
Irving Plaza - Architecture in Helsinki, The Blow
Canal Room - The Little Ones

Sat Nov 4
? Venue - Brooklyn Vegan Day Show
The Delancey - Slowlands, Takka Takka
Union Pool - Bloodshot Records BBQ Party – BBJr.
Sin-e - Made Out of Babies
Sin-e - A Brief Smile, Division Day, Ra Ra Riot, Birdmonster

Thx to Chris for his own extensive compiling.

More Shows Reviewed

09-27 Joseph Arthur and Annie Stella @ Bowery Ballroom
With a great voice and singing passionately behind her piano, Annie Stella is a charming female vocalist. It's a little too Adult Contemporary for my tastes, and the songs tend to be a little sappy. Still, it was enjoyable for what it was and I could see her gaining mometum with an older set. I didn't stay the entire show and so I only saw a few by Joseph Arthur. Not a big fan, but I was warming up to him y the time I had to leave. I hear Michael Stipe joined him on stage, but oh well.

09-28 CYHSY, Architecture in Helsinki @ Summerstage
Clap Your Hands couldn't work up a frenzy in the crowd like they did earlier in '06 when they stormed Bowery and Sasquatch. They are still much improved over 2005, but by now have toured their debut into the ground. Architecture in Helsinki was an enjoyable opener and played a full 60 minute show.

09-29 Menomena, Long Winters @ Bowery Ballroom
I drank too much. I remember very little besides loving Menomena and enjoying the Long Winters. I ate the most delicious crepe afterwards while Kelly gave me water. I was esctasy for Menomena, but that could have been the euphoria of the coffee tequila.

10-03 Prayers & Tears for Arthur Digby Sellers @ Sputnik
I really wanted to like these guys and their quiet soothing songs. But it was too relaxing without enough to engage my interest. I started to doze on the couch and only perked up for Lisa.

10-04 Gomez @ Spinhouse Live
Still promoting their lastest release, Gomez played as the backdrop to what felt like an office party and not the other way around. Yet, instead of the disinterested attendees detracting from the intimate performance, it almost augmented the casual nonchalantness of the show. I yearned to attend one of the three sold out Bowery shows, but didn't manage to make any.

10-04 Locksley @ CBGB
Another non-show. I saw one song [pretty good if not groundbreaking], during which I was largely distracted by their ridiculous uniforms. Then I proceeded to chat with their manager, in effect missing the rest of the gig.

10-06 Damien Jurado @ Knitting Factory
I fell in love with Jurado at this show. I was going to highlight my new fandom in a separate post titled "Jurado Vs. Bear" but that never came to be. So here, listen up: check out Jurado. [I am so damn convincing]. The new album is ideal for an autumn stroll: it's both quiet and patient: pretty much all I was hoping Prayers and Tears would be but wasn't. Strong melodies and soft arrangements. I hope he returns soon.

10-07 Oxford Collapse, Chin Up Chin Up @ Glasslands
Oxford Collapse brought a frenzied party. The ventless, windowless and lawless room that is known as Glasslands is not a venue but rather -well- just a big room. It breaks so many codes I wouldn't even begin, but hey, it's Williamsburg. A small but riotous crowd sang back the lyrics in the front as the Ox Cal riffled through their catchy new material. Two great shows in two nights. What a treat.

10-10 Lily Allen @ Hiro Ballroom
Already reviewed.

Hot? Or Not?

Last night on Sirius Blog Radio, I was Brooklyn Vegan's geeky guest. Somewhere in the broadcast we mentioned my new feature Hot? or Not? which didn't exist until Dave invented it. Even so, it didn't stick until I saw these two picture of Lily Allen, both taken at her Hiro show last night. The left photo is by Laura Modernage, and the right is by Bao Nguyen.

So what'll it be? Hot or Not?


Go check out Laura Modernage's other photos and review, and definitely check out the fantastic Bao pictures. Gold stars for both of you.

Lily Allen Live: Meh.

Lily Allen - Truth [Demo] [mp3]

I must dissent from my esteemed friend Brooklyn Vegan.

"This show was supposed to be mediocre." Yes, it was [supposed to be] and yes, it mostly was.

"The blogosphere should be full of nasty comments today." I whispered last night that I felt like I just made a terribly regrettable purchase, like buying an Ace of Base album or something. Afterwards the nearly unianimous consensus I witnessed was disappointment. Maybe all my friends are curmudgeons.

Every minute I felt pressured that I should be getting Value. I rarely pay $25 for a show, but alas I made an exception because I really love Lily Allen's music. It's fantastic. I also thought that over the summer her band would learn a song or two more. Nope. So the kitchen timer was set and at $0.80/minute the show raced onward like a lost cab driver.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the songs. But the live show didn't bring me anywhere new. It didn't help that two of the seven were my least favorite of all: Friday Night and Little Things. This regretabley pushed my more favorite songs off the set.

Some good: The band was tight, if a little young and amazingly Average Joe-looking [and wearing Lily Allen merch]. And a lot of what I expected to be samples were actually played on the keyboard. Lily Allen herself was cute but without charisma.

What the show needed was some craziness. Some Motherfucker-injected trannies and Redbull pumping through our veins. Some were dancing and singing, and I saw a lot of smiles. Yeti Don't Smile.

Heartonastick has his fair review up.

---------------------------
Totally unrelated, but speaking of Ace of Base: they are #15 at Google Trends for classical music, right around Beethoven and Vivaldi. What the fuck? [thx dg]

Google enters the Music Chart Fray

There's Billboard and CMJ as the old tenets of music chartdom. Now comes Google Music Trends. If you use Google Talk and share your listening preferences your data is updated into the Google database and compiled to show what most Google Talk users are listening to. The results? Nothing surprising: Killers, James Blunt, Panic! at the Disco. *Yawn* Doesn't look that much different from the Last.fm chart.

There's always the Tripwire chart, the KEXP chart, Elbo.ws chart, Hype Machine chart, Radio 1 chart, ad infinitum. The most puzzling chart award goes to Myspace.

So much data, so little _____.

Thermals at CMJ

Y'all don't know this, but many many weeks ago I sent Sub Pop myriads of whiney emails about the Thermals skipping NYC on their current tour and complained about how their only CMJ show was eclipsed by the Shins. In addition to the Sub Pop Showcase at Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, November 2 [which is rounded out by Oxford Collapse and CSS among others], the Thermals are playing a couple of other shows now. Productshop just announced they are having the Thermals at Studio B on Friday November 3rd. I am stoked.

There are other bands on the bill [click the image for a bigger flyer]. I've mentioned them all before somewhere in the annals of this blog with the exception of the Horrors. They're a surf/goth band that NYC is importing from NME for Halloween. I'm not that into them, but I must admit this video made me scared. So good on them. And yet their song "Jack the Ripper" [mp3] makes me roll my eyes and chuckle. The baseline kind of sounds like the Batman theme. Go figure.

Album Cover Mayhem

Album covers battle it out in: Battle of the Bands [mov]

Pictured: Dead Kennedys invade Van Halen.

Hilarity ensues. [via]

But Will They Play a Bar Mitzvah?

As Stereogum noted, Clear Channel has a running list for how much a band costs to get to play your college. Here are some highlights:

Death Cab For Cutie - Late October through December - $75,000
They're real hot right now...

Death Cab for Cutie - Spring - $40,000
... but I guess not for long. Looks like they have a clearance sale coming this spring.

Gavin DeGraw - Currently Recording - Big Money
*spins the wheel* "Big money! Big money!"

Hootie & The Blowfish - Generally Available - $100,000
They're also really hot right now with this year's #17 Adult Contemporary hit and all. . Twice as hot as DCFC come spring. Generally Available? I bet you are.

KC & The Sunshine Band - Available - $35,000
Hell yeah. Who doesn't love KC & The Sunshine Band?! College kids go apeshit over them. Well, maybe in Appalachia.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Select Dates - $100,000+
I've never seen them live. Do people yell Freebird? That *has* to be worth 100G right?

Matt Pond PA - Generally Available - $5,000 to $7,500
This is cheaper.

State of the Year in Songs Part VIII

The best of the best. Without repeating an artist, my favorite songs I’ve listened to in 2006, Part VIII. [Part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII previously].

1. Annuals - Brother (mp3) Explosive. Near-perfect. This song makes me believe the grandiose-ness and intensity isn't reserved for that Arcade Fire troop.

2. The Kooks - She Moves in Her Own Way (mp3)
It remains to be seen whether the Kooks have staying power. The buzzometer is on overload as of this moment, but that's never bothered me. Sometimes flavors of the months are tasty. This song is great, and I'll be humming it for at least two more months.

3. Benjy Ferree - In the Countryside (mp3)
Benjy is my music-crush right now. Ridiculously good album. This is the first track and the one that made me initially search out more. If you like this one, there are even better ones coming.

4. Akron/Family - Meek Warrior (mp3)
Not a big fan of Akron/Family, but I'll be damned if every album they release hasn't at least one song on it I adore. Surprise: this is it that tune.

5. Bobby Bare Jr. - Stop Crying (mp3)
I've posted the live KEXP version of this song before. Here's the studio version that sounds 10% better. He rocks live and is a professional musician in an age of part-timers.

6. Okkervil River - O Dana [Big Star] (mp3)
Okkervil River just keeps pumping them out. The EP is on repeat in my car-less stereo ,and I look forward to seeing Mr. Sheff dominate Bowery next week.

7. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - What'll We Do (mp3)
This band continues to surprise me. Took a little warming up, but this song stuck out from the rest. Delicate and pretty, in a sad sort of way.

8. Bishop Allen - Butterfly Nets (mp3)
I've been a fan of Bishop Allen up until they started that whole EP/month business. Then I got bored. Too much output. Too much of the same thing. That's why it took me this long to find this track: it doesn't sound like Bishop Allen at all. If you passing on the band because they are ubiquitous, give this a shot.

9. White Whale - The Admiral (mp3)
It would belong in a musical if it wasn't told in third-person. One of the best narratives this year. Sweeping and gleefully predictable. Grab a chorus of men, sing along, and start a mutiny/coup/revolution.

10. Grizzly Bear - On A Neck, On A Spit (mp3)
Not sure how I got pegged as Anti-Grizzly Bear. Oh wait, yes I do. The truth of the matter is that I actually like them, and some of their songs I love. Yes, love. But others I do not. "On a Neck" falls into the former camp and is quite amazing. The harmonies and arrangements are smart, and each element of the piece is working to its highest efficiency.

Spin.com Band of the Day: Driveshaft

Spin.com picked Driveshaft as it's band of the day. Pretty shitty mp3s for a band that "made it big," eh?

Driveshaft - You All Everybody (mp3) [wtf is this, a demo?]

Spin says:

DriveShaft are best known for their British hit, "You All Everybody," the anthemic, slow-burner from their debut that skyrocketed the band to international success and all the spoils.

What the hell do the words "you all everybody" mean anyhow?

Prayers and Tears for Fears of Arthur Digby Sellers (phew) in Brooklyn Tonight; Also: with the Lisps

Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers [website/myspace]are playing in my neighborhood tonight at Sputnik. I find it odd such a venue would host their only NYC show. Cover is only $5, and includes an adventure in Brooklyn. [G-train it to Classon].

Prayers and Tears for Arthur Digby Sellers - Lisa (mp3)

Listening to Daniel Karsten Daniels, who is also playing, and this is pretty great too.

Also on the bill, a band which emailed me a couple weeks ago named the Lisps [website/myspace]. I wrote back furious at them for not being called the Lithpth. I didn't listen to them at the time, because I rarely get around to solicitations anymore, but I'm glad I recognized their name. I went back and checked out these tunes:

The Lisps - Winter that I missed (mp3)
The Lisps - Pepper Spray (mp3)

Should be a great bill tonight of bands I've never seen.

A New Rating System at Pitchfork?

Pitckfork has some interesting reviews up today. First: the 9.4 awarded to the Hold Steady, the highest grade of the year. Unfortunately I didn't make it to their show last night. After the partying I did on Friday that spilled into the partying I did on Saturday night, I needed a day to rest. I did read the NYTimes feature on the band, which was quite informative. Anyone go to the show last night? Any good?

Something more interesting that caught my eye was the byline for the Jet album on their front page, solely reading: NSFW. This means, in my mind, "Must Click Here." This would *have* to be good, right? Like Louis XIV good, right? Well, PFM staffers didn't even indulge the work with words. Hell, they didn't even bother with a numerical rating. They solely posted a video of the monkey sipping his own urine.

Quite frankly, I'm apalled at Pitchfork! Why use that video when there's an even cooler NSFW monkey video out there [mov] [NSFW!!! warning]. [Seriously, I'm warning you!]

When Pitchfork starts posting pictures of TubGirl, I'm outta here.

Damien Jurado - New Album, Win Tickets to Fri.'s Show

Email me here to win a pair of ticket to Damien Jurado's show at the Knitting Factory this Friday with Rosie Thomas, or buy tickets here.

Damien Jurado [website/myspace] will be releasing his next full-length album And Now That I'm in Your Shadow on October 10th. This being my first time sitting down with a Jurado album, the similarities to David Bazan struck me first; thus, I really shouldn't be surprised to recall that the two musicians are Northwest buddies [verified by the oracle we call wikipedia]. Jurado is softer, slower, and sadder. - both in person but even more so on the album. The stillness almost was too much to bear as I listened on my hectic commute home on Friday, but walking through the cool October night last night, it was perfect.

I haven't found my favorite track off the new album yet, but here's the one offered up by Secretly Canadian:

Damien Jurado - What Were the Chances (mp3)

Spin.com has Jurado covering the ubiquitous Nick Drake tune "Pink Moon."

Damien Jurado - Pink Moon (mp3)

According to the forum at Spin, Jurado covered six Drake songs. I guess they didn't think the kids would appreciate the others. Dear Spin, I would. S'Gum has a couple more Pink Moon renditions here.