Fuck Buttons + Growing: 4 November 2009 - DC9, Washington DC / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
Upon ascending the stairs at DC9 Wednesday night, I was greeted by a haze of digital chirps and static. Growing, a three-piece noise outfit from Brooklyn, had already launched into their set and I couldn't make heads or tails of what I was hearing. Order did start to emerge from the chaos, however, as I discerned a method to the madness. Using two guitars, an army of effects pedals and countless sequencers, drum machines and synths, the band built up and tore down a series of warped, disorienting sound collages, underpinned by harsh, driving beats. It felt like the ideal…]]>Colin Powell: 3 November 2009 - University of Delaware
Colin Powell may have graduated from the City College of New York with a 2.0 GPA in 1958 and he may not be savvy with computers, especially Facebook or Twitter. But he worked his way up to four-star general, head of the NSA, Chairman on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State under George W. Bush. And he likes hot dogs. In his speech at the University of Delaware on November 3rd (Election Day), Former Secretary of State Colin Powell came to address “Diplomacy: Persuasion, Trust and Values” as the second guest in the prestigious UD Speaks series…]]>To cap off their stellar year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs captivated a massive hometown crowd at the legendary Radio City Music Hall.
Where are the wild things? For one glorious night, they roamed Radio City Music Hall. Despite the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ scrappy beginnings, their entrance on this night seemed elegant and almost regal. That’s not to say that they’ve betrayed their origins/true selves in any way, but they have steadily become one of the best bands of this decade and such a thing cannot be achieved without cultivating a certain amount of grace and showmanship. Granted, some of that elegance and regality can be attributed to the venue, but, given that New York City is their hometown, the audience and myself…]]>Lyle Lovett and his Large Band: 4 November 2009 - Beacon Theatre, New York / Words and Pictures by Thomas Hauner
Not even tickets to game six of the World Series could dissuade some fans from settling down to two-and-a-half hours with Lyle Lovett and his large band—though several Yankee ticket scalpers still paced outside the Beacon Theatre, miles from the big game in the Bronx. It was pretty fulfilling to see so many eschewing the conspicuous pomposity of yet another pinstriped championship for the antithetic Lovett. At times self-deprecating, but always dapper, demure, and humbling, Lovett led his 14-piece ensemble through a broad setlist of sounds old and new, big and small. Though supporting his most recent release, Natural Forces,…]]>Girls + Real Estate: 3 November 2009 - The Black Cat, Washington DC / Words and Pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya
Last night, two of the most buzzed-about new bands of the moment rolled through Washington: San Francisco's Girls and New Jersey's Real Estate. Though both bands mine similar sonic territory (lo-fi indie-pop,) and have impossible names to google, in a live setting, their approaches clearly diverge. Real Estate ably demonstrated that beneath all the haze hides a tight ensemble. Belying their beach bum reputation, there was nary a stray note to be found in the band's set, though they certainly made it look effortless. What's more, the band imbued their sunny, midtempo compositions with a palpable sense of warmth, rendering…]]>Yonder Mountain String Band: 23 October 2009 - House of Blues, Chicago / Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
It truly was a family affair for the Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) in Chicago last week as the newgrass quartet kicked off their annual two day run at the House of Blues. Opening the show was banjoist Danny Barnes, accompanied by YMSB mandolin player Jeff Austin.]]>Even in the moments when they seem to be teetering on the edge of control, like during one of Ira’s guitar tirades, every single note and squall of feedback feels necessary.
There was absolutely nothing extraordinary about the start of the concert, except for the complete lack of anything of note. There was no climactic intro music nor was there any dazzling array of light. There were no bells and whistles and aside from a brief dimming of the house lights, the only thing to indicate the start of the show was the appearance of the band and their music. Nothing could have been more unassuming and nothing could have been more befitting for Yo la Tengo. The entrance could almost be a metaphor for how they have conducted their entire…]]>Words and pictures by Mehan Jayasuriya.
Every time I attempt to see the Boss, disaster strikes. In May, Bruce Springsteen and company rolled through town and, needless to say, I was looking forward to the show. But on the eve of the concert, upon returning home from a trip, I discovered that my apartment had been flooded, no thanks to a busted water pipe. Out of desperation, I asked my colleague Wilson McBee if he would attend and review the show in my place while I mopped. (He kindly obliged and did one better by writing a more thoughtful review than I ever could have.) Luck…]]>Mirah established her versatility as a musician while unintentionally proving that song choice truly can make or break an entire performance.
As I eagerly shuffled down Bowery and made that familiar left onto Delancey, a lot was on my mind about long-celebrated Mirah Yom Tov Zietlyn. I knew, from many friendly tip-offs and a personal interview conducted earlier this year, Mirah’s onstage disposition is heavily affected by the crowd’s attentiveness - she takes none too kindly to a rowdy audience, often becoming antsy and flustered. I also knew that some of the most riotous weekends of my young life were spent at the Bowery Ballroom. I was fixated on this conundrum for some hours before the show, nervous that the K…]]>Words and Pictures by Zach Schwartz
The Phenomenal Handclap Band played a funky, fun, lively set at the 9:30 Club to kick off their international tour. Hardly the "eye-popping spectacle that overwhelms the senses" that their press materials promise, they do have a great stage presence and a better sound. It also doesn’t hurt that upfront duo Laura Marin and Joan Tick are nice to look at, in addition to having great voices. For a Sunday night at 10pm, they definitely rocked.]]>Far beyond the end of the show and into the night, the songs continued to burrow deep and swift -- these Irish lads know exactly how our hearts and minds are wired.
On a Friday night at the Double Door in Chicago, Bell X1was more than just an Irish rock trio. They were also musical cardiac surgeons performing sonic surgery on the hearts of the gathered. Lead singer/percussionist/guitarist Paul Noonan crooned softly as they began to slowly slice open the ballad “How Your Heart Is Wired”, a song where the lyrics imply coyness, confusion and uncertainty of love’s next steps. “Kick the can I can’t see you now behind that temper and ire / Mister wolf knows what time it is / He says it’s dinner time / I don’t know what…]]>Though several bands demanded double-takes, and many impressed, there were no obvious standouts at this year's CMJ. Instead, our writers found bands that exemplified standards for success, and failure, putting together ten rules on how to sink or swim at CMJ.
For an aspiring artist the CMJ Music Marathon used to be the opportunity to make it or break it, to land that exalting record deal, to meet that catalytic publicist, or to simply generate the resounding buzz that would launch a career into the next stratosphere. It was a must—because A and R scouts stalked it and, for some, success followed it. But we all know what happened next: the internet came, saw, and conquered recorded music while giving anyone with a computer and conviction the opportunity to launch a music career. Just as the MyFaces are inundated with artists…]]>Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
New York City’s Bishop Allen took stage just after midnight at the El Mocambo in Toronto. Supported by Darwin Deez, also from NYC, and Throw Me The Statue, from Seattle, the band had their work cut out for them since both openers played lively sets that had onlookers impressed and actually paying attention. Frontman Justin Rice announced his pleasure at being back in Toronto, noting how much warmer the weather was than his last visit in January--which the crowd reacted to with enthusiastic clapping, cueing the band to get the set rolling. Performing a nearly gapless stream of light-hearted indie-rock…]]>Words and Pictures by Kirstie Shanley
David-Ivar Herman Düne has a problem. You see, he’s really a superhero and he has to find a way to tell his girlfriend. It’s a good thing he’s an apt lyricist or there’d be no hope for the situation at all. It’s topics like these that separate French duo Herman Düne from other bands concentrating heavily on the singer/songwriter format. The idiosyncratic makes for great conversational elements and interesting rhyme schemes. It also helps keep the audience listening and, at times, even laughing.]]>Words by Chris Catania. Pictures by Colleen Catania
The Afro-Punk tour arrived in Chicago with poet/actor/emcee Saul Williams leading the hip hop, punk and funk tribe to the Double Door. Openers American Fangs showed tons of passion and promise, but sadly the surly upstarts failed to strike any chords of freshness or uniqueness. But I feel for them, because having Saul Williams—-the personification of pure originality—-as your tour mate can make most bands seem average.]]>Touring after the release of their latest album, Time to Die, the Dodos revert to a more raw and experimental sound
Based on what I'd heard of their music, I expected the Dodos to be another passive, achy but indifferent, semi-polished indie band. Perhaps this is because I'd mostly listened to Time to Die, their latest album, produced by Phil Ek, who has also worked with the Shins. An article in the Chicago Tribune said that lead singer and guitarist Meric Long hoped Ek wouldn't make their album too polished, but reviews indicated that some of the band's original free-spirited, experimental musicality got ironed out in the studio. However, at The Music Hall of Williamsburg on 13 October, the band was…]]>Words and Pictures by Rory O'Connor
In an age where so many genres and musical ideas get mashed together, the Raveonettes are unique in how singular their vision and how unabashedly they practically wear their loved ones on their sleeves. But, as it turns out, they are none the worse for it. In fact, it is the paradox created by this pulling from the past and channeling it into something that radiates an effortless cool, metallic, almost futuristic feel, both in presence and sound--which may ultimately be their most magnetic quality.]]>From the moment Portugal. The Man begin playing, intensity and urgency enter the theatre with them.
Imagine the music of Portugal. The Man inscribes circles across you. Perhaps these circles are just the associations carried forward from film footage of gyrating Woodstock attendees, tie dyed T-shirts, or more modern and acid-trippy geo-circular screensavers. Mental association aside, it's not often that a band of obvious influences creates music with contours novel enough to conjure shapes rather than trite comparisons to their heroes and contemporaries. I arrive at the century old Majestic Theatre, a Madison staple since 1906, on a rainy autumn night. In a century of bawdy history, the theatre has housed everything from vaudeville to Harry…]]>Film adaptations from black masterpieces -- and the Chitlin Circuit -- are rejuvenating America's Black Arts Movement.
When it was announced that Tyler Perry would direct the screen version of Ntozake Shange's seminal black womanist work For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, there was a collective moan of pain from black women all over America. Though I feel their pain, some of the sentiment's expressed over the blogosphere were sadly lacking in any form of analysis that connected the dots between the Black Arts Movement which gave life to Shange's work, and the so-called Chitlin Circuit which spawned Tyler Perry. Instead, many of these critics chose to be mean-spirited and question…]]>Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
Last week was Wilco's homecoming, the capstone to their North American tour if you will. The two Chicago shows were the first shows the band had played here since the release of their latest,Wilco (the album). They were also the climax of their US tour and nothing short of epic.]]>My eyes widen as the band sets up, and I wonder which albums Anderson will draw from tonight.
The backdrop on stage is a simple, white cloth emblazoned with a dark flute-playing figure standing on one leg, which harkens back to Ian Anderson’s cult status as frontman -- and presently the only original member -- of the 40-year-old legendary progressive rock band Jethro Tull. Anderson has been admonished for imitating sacred Hindu deities who also have been depicted as standing ceremoniously on one leg. In the bird kingdom, a flamingo can stand for up to four hours on one leg in an effort to conserve bodily energies. Perhaps, then, Anderson’s reasons were equally innocent. Regardless, I don’t see…]]>It feels like Ndegeocello is treating us audience members like adults-she respects us far too much to withhold the ugly truths, or to censor her interpretations of them.
“Yeah, everyone thinks they’re so fucking special!” It’s a startling enough phrase to hear from as cosmic a presence as Meshell Ndegeocello on “Lola”, an upbeat rock number from her new disc, Devil’s Halo. But uttered live, it’s even more surprising—as much a rallying cry for the jilted lovers in the audience as a door in the face. At one point, she polls the audience at the Highline Ballroom: “Who’s here with a special someone?” That’s nice, but for a mysterious romantic like Ndegeocello, it’s more interesting to probe the situations of those who are here alone. So it has…]]>Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
Back in early March, I saw The Airborne Toxic Event perform at the Mod Club in Toronto. Despite being flu-stricken, lead singer Mikel Jollett sang his heart out. I remember later reading that the band had cancelled multiple dates prior to the show and that Jollett had vehemently refused recommendations from his doctor to cancel the Toronto gig on the grounds that Toronto simply wasn’t a city you cancelled over the flu. I also remember thinking to myself that he didn’t seem that sick to me because the show was so good.]]>Words and Pictures by Dave MacIntyre
Time is definitely on Ian McCulloch’s side. Even at 50 years of age, the front man of 80’s post-punk sensation Echo & The Bunnymen didn’t look a bit out of place on stage with a microphone in hand. In front of a respectable turnout at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, McCulloch addressed the crowd wearing his trademark shades, announcing it was good to be back in Canada. “I like it colder” he stated. “Can you make it colder?”]]>Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
Three time Grammy Award singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams dazzled Chicago fans over the course of three nights at the Park West in Lincoln Park. Each concert celebrated Williams’ 30-year musical career, highlighting a specific period of work each night. The first night covered 1979 to 1989, the second 1992 to 2001, and the third installment relayed 2003 to the present.]]>Words and Pictures by Dan Kober
The Vancouver two-piece, Japandroids, did not put on much of a show in Philadelphia. The whole experience felt like being stuck in some sad version of Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” video. But these guys were singing about French-kissing French girls and getting drunk in the basement, rather than breaking a human face. I’ll gladly take the former over the latter, but that’s not much of a compliment. It was also pretty upsetting to see these guys almost break down on a tour that does not seem to be going their way. I was one of the eight lonely guys in…]]>Words and Pictures by Allison Taich
A few weeks ago Brooklyn based indie rockers The Subjects played an intimate yet compelling set at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. By intimate I mean there was not a huge crowd at the show, but attendees were appreciative nonetheless. Perhaps the spurts of freezing drizzle that night prompted people to take a rain check that night.]]>Words and photos by Mehan Jayasuriya.
Back in June, I saw the Dirty Projectors play to a crowd of a few hundred kids at the Rufustival in Baltimore. It was the week before the release of Bitte Orca and I remarked at the time that it seemed, "a foregone conclusion that after years spent as an opening act, the band will soon graduate to headliner status," What a difference a few months makes. Last week, I elbowed my way to the front of Washington D.C.'s renowned Black Cat, to watch the Projectors play to a sold out crowd of 700. From the first song on, it…]]>Indietracks was a pure pop fantasy, an addictive DIY pop experience amidst scenery untouched by time. It‘ll fuel the dreams of all who came for weeks to come.
Day 1 The Indietracks Festival needs a little explaining. It’s a festival set on a steam railway depot, for a sector of musicians and music fans who worship pop music in its most poetic form. It’s a festival where indie’s dreamers and outsiders will celebrate their love for pop’s poetry and melody, for its beatific individuals, for their wild pop-music passions, and for one weekend only live the way they like to think it used to be - before the arrogant bastards took over and cut their world apart. The Swanwick Steam Railway station in Derbyshire, England, is the perfect…]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words by Andrew Martin, Pictures by David Reyneke
As long as The Foreign Exchange is performing, no one can ever even think about showmanship being dead. The eight-piece band that took the stage of B.B. King's Blues Club & Grille on Friday night moved the crowd in a way that few acts are capable. And it all started at 1 a.m. As such, you would think a show starting that late would lend itself to a somewhat less-than-energetic audience. But that was simply not the case--this is New York City we're talking about.]]>Let me speak for L.A. when I say that you are welcome back anytime, Thom.
Thom Yorke loves a good bass line. He was 16 when he wrote the riff for “The National Anthem” and played it when recorded for Kid A. On his solo album, The Eraser, the bass propelled songs forward and provided a melodic counterpoint to his vocals. Once shock subsided from Thom’s announced new band, attention immediately turned to the man on the four-string, Michael Balzary. For me, Balzary (a.k.a. Flea) was a surprising but inspired choice. I wondered whether Thom and Flea would have chemistry. Who would out dance whom? Could I still get tickets? After a little luck, I…]]>There were plenty of films in the New York Film Festival that captured similar redemptive moments and there is nothing esoteric, depressing or arduous about that.
This year’s New York Film Festival was quiet and unassuming, except for the fuss made by critics over it being quiet and unassuming. Jeffrey Wells wrote, “The NYFF selection committee has become a gathering of Trappist monks who've been slurping too much goat's milk with their granola.” In the New York Times, A.O. Scott called it “a panorama of pessimism notable for its exhausting rigor and relentless consistency,” while Stephen Holden said, “As it gazes disdainfully from its cinematic ivory tower, this year’s festival sends the chilly message that attending worthwhile movies should be the aesthetic equivalent of going to…]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words and Pictures by Stephen Stirling
Imaad Wasif Bowery Ballroom, New York City Imaad Wasif is chock full of two things: Hair and love. In case you weren’t certain of the latter half of that combo, Wasif took the time to remind the crowd at Bowery Ballroom... after every song: “I love the city. I love being insane. I love being insanely in love.” Though Wasif was somewhat awkward while trying to make conversation with the crowd between songs, he was at home while performing his brand of classic rock. All of his songs, all of which he was quick to point out were “love songs,”…]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words and Pictures by Thomas Hauner
Body Language AM Only Booking Showcase The Studio at Webster Hall, New York City Body Language, a Brooklyn four-piece, played colorful synth pop shaped by Tropicalia climaxes and a compelling lead singer, Angelica Bess. Saccharine synthesizer lines harmonized three ways, along with bells, forged dreamy melodies under a dance beat. Though their sound was saturated in electronica, practically all of it was played live on multiple keyboards creating a refreshing live dynamic and a lush full sound many electronic-focused bands couldn't touch. Their last song, “Holiday,” showed off more of their melancholy vocals over another strong but ethereal beat.]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words and Pictures by Thomas Hauner
Male Bonding Piano’s, New York City The Windish Agency showcase was eclectic in sound and personality, but it didn’t begin with Male Bonding. The UK trio’s rhythm section was tight and its drummer rigorous, propelling their songs at Slayer-speed. Vocals and intonation were at odds, but that seemed to be their MO. Sadly their dejected attitude made it seem like they were just trying to finish the set at soon as possible. Above it all, loud guitars and racing beats—not entangled pitch, however--made for a respectable opening.]]>The Righteous Hillbillies were there not only to provide opening entertainment for a country music legend, but to claim ownership of the entire building.
In its high moments, rock and roll is a belief system. It is a philosophy in action against the petty materialism and paternalistic hang-ups of the bourgeois. It combines traditional sentiment and imagery of rebellion with a communal approach to artistic production that is unique among a plethora of musical genres. This is what Bruce Springsteen had in mind a few years ago when he told the New York Times that his music is “community in the making”. The Righteous Hillbillies, a Chicago-area Southern Rock and Americana band, represent this approach to music making and communal creation that implants artistic…]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words and Pictures by Thomas Hauner
Free Energy Santos Party House, New York City “This is all we got tonight,” sang Free Energy in raggedy, homespun harmonies. It was the sentiment, however, not the vocals, which resonated in their early set. They played an agreeable synthesis of classic, at times psychedelic, rock (two raging, and dueling, Epiphone Les Pauls) and post-punk dance music (propulsive rhythms and a skinny, dancing front man), instantly becoming the best bar band around without even playing a cover. Whether their sound could convince a dance floor is dubious, despite their tambourine and cowbell qualifications. As new additions to the DFA family,…]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words and Pictures by Caroline Shadood
Surf City Bell House, Brooklyn I hate to slap on labels like “buzz” or “bandwagon,” but when every song intro in some way replicates The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and then develops into a more Japandroids concoction, it’s hard not to. The resurgence of, often over-calculated, garage music has fully breached Brooklyn boarders, and New Zealand’s Surf City is wallowing in the flood zone. Though pleasant sounding they lacked innovation, making it harder to appreciate the soothing melodies and hints at surf rock that my ears usually welcome.]]>The CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival invades New York City this week. Here's the latest from PopMatters' writers on the beat. Words and Pictures by Stephen Stirling
Javelin Mercury Lounge, New York City It’s tough to perform electronic music live. The availability of reliable, touch-sensitive MIDI interfaces has made this somewhat easier, but still, if you don’t have a Daft Punk LED pyramid or a primo sound system it’s difficult to keep people interested if they're not moving their feet. But when Javelin began setting up their day-glo boom box collection--which they use to amplify their music using an old FM radio transmitter--I thought for sure they’d have a shot a bucking this trend. Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Javelin’s 45-minute set was plagued with sound problems…]]>In its third year, the Dark Carnival Film Festival attracts filmmakers and audiences with a real love for the horror film genre.
The breakdown of the family, economic woes, destruction of the environment, homelessness: issues that could have been topics at a contentious town hall meeting informed the 36 films screened at the Dark Carnival Film Festival, held in Bloomington, Indiana (September 28 through October 3, 2009). That, plus miles of entrails and an impressive array of power tools. In its third year, Dark Carnival attracts filmmakers and audiences with a real love for the horror film genre. Unlike typical horror conventions that showcase celebrities and merchandise and screen films almost as an afterthought, says festival director David Pruett, “we’re all about…]]>Yoni Wolf entertained by dancing oddly about the stage and at times speaking to the audience about random things, things which perhaps only Wolf himself fully understood.
You never think the thing you began as a “side project,” an “experiment,” or some such term will blow up and become the thing you’ll always be remembered for. No one thinks his or her underground experiments will be called “indefinable” and “groundbreaking” when you’re just hanging out in the basement playing around. The following may be true of Yoni Wolf, the creative lead of Berkeley-based Why?, whose in-person nonchalance seems unexpected for someone so talented, but at the same time, is just the personality to attract an audience. Why?’s performance at New York’s Le Poisson Rouge almost seemed the…]]>Words and Pictures by Kirstie Shanley
This is one duo whose music is equally as interesting as their story. Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero began in Mexico City and traveled to Ireland to make their way in music. From busking to officially breaking into the music scene, they garnered a following devoted enough to guarantee their success. Selling out Chicago’s Riviera Theater was no shock for what are now accomplished musicians, but what may have been surprising is the utter joy that accompanied their obvious talent. Like fellow musician José González, Rodrigo y Gabriela are incredibly proficient in guitar, capable of performing with daunting layers of…]]>