The Intelligence / Tonight

Damn. The Intelligence was great last night. What the hell. I did not expect a mosh/crowd surfing at an Intelligence show. Was actually kinda scared that the crowd wouldn't be that into them, since it didn't start to fill up until well into last night's show, but it ended up being one of the more fun crowd's I've seen recently.

Aside from them, Wild Yaks and Golden Triangle were somewhat forgettable-- neither did anything really new or interesting, nor was the music strong enough to transcend how derivative they were. Not exactly saying that either band was terrible, there's much worse around, but neither is really worth watching out for.

However, the first band of the night, Smarts was definitely a nice surprise, an affectingly ramshackle band, somewhat reminiscent of fellow baltimore-ites, Double Dagger. Definitely kept me interested and entertained throughout their set, much more than I can say for the two bands preceding Intelligence.


As for tonight's show,

SAT 9/12 — REAL ESTATE, Desolation Wilderness, Zola Jesus, Big Troubles @ SILENT BARN

I'm pretty fucking psyched. Zola Jesus is one of my favorite bands/whatever you call one person who writes/plays it all (is that still a band?) that I've listened to recently, so I really can't wait for that. The Spoils is a great album, and while I still prefer the somewhat darker aesthetic of New Amsterdam and Tsar Bomba, I definitely appreciate the album as well.

Besides Zola, I just started listening to Big Troubles today after noticing their addition to the lineup. I actually missed them at the Underwater Peoples showcase last month, since I came a bit late, but I'm really impressed by what they have on their myspace. It's really great/simple indie-pop, in a similar vein as the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, with an equally great shoegaze influence, specifically The Boo Radleys (Compare the song Lazy Day by the Radleys and Freudian Slip by Big Troubles--it's the same riff!).

The Drums [hype post]

[taper link taken down, sry dus]

Okay, so I'll admit, I'm pretty late on jumping on The Drums bandwagon, but hey! I tried to be immune to the hype, be a rebel/elitist and 'Just-Say-No' to the increasing allure of a popular NYC indie pop band that ISN'T the Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Sorry guys, love yall, but NYC is in dire need of more twee).

And so, I finally caught them opening for Cymbals Eat Guitars at Brooklyn Bowl the other night along with my summer love: Real Estate, These Are Powers, and Suckers; much to my elitist chagrin, I actually... kinda liked them. A lot. And was really annoyed/disappointed that, for the most part, no one else was dancing along with them. I mean, for chrissakes, the frontman and the tambourinist/guitarist were shooting around the stage and flailing their arms, showing more energy in that one set than I've seen in full shows.

This whole surf/ocean/beach thing is kinda getting old, but while The Drums' 50s/60s/80s inspired take on it isn't the most original thing, in what's becoming a very crowded 'theme' (I see you Real Estate/Beach Fossils/Wavves/Best Coast/Vivian Girls/Crystal Stilts/etc.), they definitely stand out as a nice and poppy alternative to reverb soaked or fuzzed out competition.

I can't wait to see these guys blow up.

I need to update more / WOODSIST+CAPTURED TRACKS FEST

Damn. Three weeks since my last update. Almost like a musiconfessional (haw haw. See what I did there?).

Great past weekend though, Woodsist/Captured Tracks weekend was as great as expected. Some great bands, some okay ones, but nothing TOO terrible. Plus, the weather was perfect (for once), so staying outside all day was wonderful.

The highlight for me was definitely Dum Dum Girls. I liked them a lot before I saw them live, but goddamn, for a first show...:



Yeah. Pretty great. One hell of a DIY-star studded line up also. Mike Sniper (Blank Dogs) on bass, Frankie Rose (Crystal Stilts) on drums, and dude from Crocodiles (sry dude, dunno your name :() on guitar. Dum Dum Girls also sings way better live than on record. Or at least, I find her voice live to be more interesting. The reverb covers up your voice! Love reverb, but it might not suit yours as much as say, Cassie from Viv Girls.

Besides them, Real Estate played a fucking great show also. Some blog coined them as "Shorecore" and I'z down with that term. Really technically competent, and so fucking tight. Feel the only reason they're not more popular is that they haven't released an album yet, so most people haven't really checked 'em out (Similar to Dinowalrus). Check them out (and Dinowalrus too).

Other highlights: Gary War, Mayfair Set (<3 u Dee Dee), Kevin Failure rapping (actually good. f'realz), Thee Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees mosh, Thee Oh Sees mosh fight, Fresh & Onlys at the afterparty, fireworks going off behind show.

Now for pic highlights:

DAY ONE


Chinese take-out place across from MH apparently really loves Michael Jackson.


Supercrush on Gary War's keyboardist. Would make her breakfast. (msg me)


Hole in Market Hotel stage. Psych Horseshit almost broke a leg through it :(


Kevin Failure
Kevin Failure WERKIN IT.

DAY TWO


Whilst editing pics, my mom passed by and goes "Oh, the bands look good also". Real Estate. MOTHER APPROVED.


<3 u Dee Dee (u 2, Mikey)


Just really liked this shot.


Babies. Babbys.

Check out all the pics here:
Woodsist/Captured Tracks Day One

Woodsist/Captured Tracks Day Two

Screaming Females - What if Someone is Watching Their T.V.?

Ah, rough week.
It's good to have some fucking awesome NJ punk to listen to then.




Screaming Females - What if Someone is Watching Their T.V.?

Saw them play with Double Dagger, So So Glos, and Air Waves (missed Videohippos) last Saturday at Market Hotel, and they were amazing live. It's always great to see a band you've never listened to completely blow you away when you see them live. I was very ready to join the moshing.

[Screaming Females] One of my favorite 'new' 'discoveries' in a whiiiile. Like damn. This shit's intense. She rocks that guitar. <3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJHibEbQtvbg9Q2WtXS3VTSHjejm8hAEBnynPSYJMowCC0LNO3ShDSgUdTxAxDLqXF1e7h4qRcU1rUDl3GfXqyBPK1Z8tHprelI2XQQSvM2_vpYuoky1JsKbY0BtBA0-HgMcFdUM1mSXi/s1600-h/5-23-09-double+dagger-3.jpg">

Double Dagger kicked ass as well of course. Still haven't gotten around to listen to their albums (sorry webb!) but they throw a great show. Propz to the tiny girl moshing in front of me. You got balls.

Actually missed out on the first half of the So So Glos set after recovering from the Double Dagger set downstairs, but it was still pretty fun. What else can I say about a band I've seen before? Consistently fun to watch and listen to, even if they don't really push any boundaries.

Rest of the pics are Here.

5.10.09 - Times New Viking/Blues Control/Pink Reason @ Market Hotel

So, just to get this out of the way: Market Hotel's new art installations make for some fucking awesome background shots. A bit less 'punk'/'DIY' than before, but way more art school dropout/middle school play about the inside of your stomach. In fact, in some shots, the walls look organic, like they're rocking some Aliens steez.
Pink Reason started off the night (really late) at 10pm. Way more rocking than when I saw them last time at Monster Island, full band this time, though the tempo is still a bit more "lazy" compared to the recordsGreat show either way, especially since I was already hyped on them due to Webb's comments about their previous night's show being better than Blank Dogs (on 5/8 anyways).

Blues Control was great also, even with the disappointment of both Blank Dogs and Woods canceling. Really noisy...noise rock? Not sure what else to call it. Though, listening to their myspace page now, it sounds a bit more ambient on their records. Still great either way though, and definitely a nice surprise.


As for Times New Viking, they were definitely better tonight than when I last remembered them at Maxwell's even though I didn't recognize a bunch of what they played (a lot of newer songs). Cute mini-mosh pit.

Rest of the photo's Here.

Anyway, I'm satisfied, even though I was pretty disappointed with the cancellations. Turned one of the best line-ups I've seen for a while into a pretty good one. Oh well. Doesn't look like Blank Dogs is playing any time soon though (besides No Fun Fest, which I was wayyyy too late to get tix for). The next Woods show should be good though: Kurt Vile/Woods/Blues Control at the Shank? Nice.

Been lazy with pics

Soft Circle @ WBAR-B-Q




Spectrum @ DBA



Crash Diet Crew @ LAMC



Psychic Ills @ DBA





















Dinowalrus @ LAMC

Early May Showlisting

A bit late but..

May 1st, A Place to Bury Strangers/Dinowalrus/Crash Diet Crew @ Less Artists, More Condos
May 2nd, Kurt Vile/Sightings/Gary War @ Silent Barn
May 3rd, King Khan and the Shrines/Mark Sultan @ Santos
May 8th, Crystal Stilts/Blank Dogs/Religious Knives @ Bell House
May 9th, Awesome Color/USAISAMONSTER/Lots of bands @ Market Hotel
May 9th, So Cow/Pink Reason @ DBA
May 10th, Times New Viking/Blues Control/Woods/Blank Dogs @ Market Hotel
*May 14th, Crystal Stilts/Gary War/Nice Face @ Don Pedro's
May 14th, NYC Popfest 09! My Teenage Stride/Knight School @ Cake Shop
May 15th, NYC Popfest 09! Cats on Fire @ Don Hills
May 15th, Dan Deacon/Future Islands/Teeth Mountain @ MH/Brooklyn Backyard
May 16th, NYC Popfest 09! Radio Dept./Pants Yell! @ Bell House
May 17th, Suburban Kids w/Biblical Names (!!!!!!)/Rose Melberg (!!!!!!!!) @ Cake Shop
May 22nd, Holy Fuck/APTBS/Crocodiles @ Music Hall
May 23rd, So So Glos/Double Dagger @ Market Hotel
*May 27th, Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Southpaw
May 29th, Wolfgang Voigt (aka GAS) @ Miller Theater (at Columbia/Uptown U.)

*added later

Popfest is going to be great. I can't believe that Suburban Kids with Biblical Names are playing. Oh man, such a throwback to high school, not that I'm like, "better" than that now, but that I listened to them a lot back in high school, so going there is like reliving my high school indie phase! Memories.

Rose Melberg is also going to be great.

I should update this more/Blank Dogs!

Yeah, been almost a week? Oh well. Big music news/release of the week: Blank Dogs - Under and Under leaked!!!!!

Great album if only for 'No Compass'. I wish that Slow Room were on it also, but that whole 'In Here' preorder fiasco has kinda put that on hold.

New Woods single also. Definitely moving into poppier territory here. I've always been a big fan of their more pop-influenced songs (How to Survive+In the Woods and Songs of Shame/Some Shame are easily their top 2), but this just isn't hitting me right..

Uploaded a bunch of stuff so..
Blank Dogs - Seconds EP
Blank Dogs - Under and Under
Woods - Sunlit 7"
Dum Dum Girls - S/T

Currently listening to this band Gun Outfit and I am very down with it, lo-fi punky stuff. Will probably put up later.

I Need More Indie-Pop Loving Friends/Comet Gain/Pants Yell!

See Title.
4.11.09 - Pants Yell!/Sisters/Knight School/World Atlas @ Dead Herring
Woo! Never been there before. Seems like it'll be an awesomely catchy night. Love Pants Yell! I'm down with both Sisters and Knight School. Haven't seen World Atlas before, myspace sounds like Belle and Sebastian derivative indie-pop, but eh, can't say I'm not down with that; 'sides, they should fit in well with a Pants Yell! headlined show.

Pants Yell - Recent Drama

4.12.09 - Comet Gain/Crystal Stilts/Cold Cave @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
I'm not exactly sure how Cold Cave fits into this lineup, but it should be great nonetheless. Never seen Comet Gain live before, but I've got my hopes up.

Comet Gain - City Fallen Leaves

Anyone going to the Pants Yell! show? It will be sick. In the most fun, cutesy, indie-pop way possible.

4.3.09 - Kurt Vile/Gary War/US Girls/Birds of Maya

[Birds of Maya]

[US Girls]

[Gary War]

[Kurt Vile]

[Rest of the pics here]

Cool show. Gary War's a 3-piece now? Kurt Vile was almost fully acoustic? What's up with bands/people (US Girls) that play effects pedals (Woods)? Birds of Maya was a total throwback to 70s rock.

Tyvek/Woods/Changing Holes/Nymphetes @ DBA; 4.1.09

[Nymphetes]

[Changing Holes]

[Woods]

[Tyvek]

[Rest of shots here]

Woods threw a great show as always, been improving a lot since I started listening to them last year. Still wish they'd play stuff from "How to Survive In" sometime.

Tyvek was good. I remember liking them more last time I saw them at DBA with caUSE Co-MOTION!, and Crystal Stilts, but oh well.

First two bands were whatever.

Tonight = Dan Deacon @ NYU

Busy Weeks

Don't think I've had a week this filled with shows since the fall. Pretty crazy:

[Mentioning the bands I'm there for]

Tonight (4/1):
Tyvek (now 'Tyvjk'??), Woods @ DBA
Should be fun. Saw Tyvek last fall with Crystal Stilts and Cause Co-Motion! at Death by Audio. Fun garage-punk. Woods is always great, been getting better since I first saw them live last summer.

Tomorrow (4/2):
Dan Deacon, Future Islands @ NYU
Not looking that forward to Future Islands, but Dan Deacon was ridiculously fun last time I saw him at 1896. This is going to be his first time playing on stage though I believe. Will be interesting to see how he works with a full band.

Friday (4/3):
Kurt Vile, Gary War @ Silent Barn; off to La Roux @ Studio B
Yep. Two shows in a night. From lo-fi to electro-pop.

Saturday (4/4):
WFMU Party @ Bell House: Thee Oh Sees, Pink Skull
Really looking forward to this. Hope it doesn't sell out early.