Contest

Grow a Pair: Win Free Tickets to See Brand New on 7/11

July 7th, 2009

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Brand New’s music is more mature than the punk-pop genre with which they’ve been saddled. And judging by how quickly their U.S. tour sold out—including Saturday’s show at Music Hall of Williamsburg—there should be considerable interest in the Long Island band’s fourth studio album, due out later this year. If you want to know what the fuss is all about, try to Grow a Pair of free tickets from The House List. Just fill out the form below, listing your name, e-mail address, which show you’re trying to win tickets to (Brand New, 7/11) and a brief message telling us why you no longer want to be brand new to Brand New. Eddie Bruiser, who’s too old to be brand new, will notify the winner by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 10th. Good luck.

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See Umphrey’s McGee and Matisyahu on Thursday in Central Park

July 7th, 2009

Some stories seem like you’ve heard them before. But that’s probably not the case with Matisyahu’s. As a teenager on Phish tour, Matthew Miller had an interest in hip-hop and reggae. Later he grew interested in the strict Lubavitch Hasidic sect of Judaism and joined a synagogue where his musical ambition was encouraged. Soon enough Miller had a talented backing band and—under the name Matisyahu—he became an engaging performer of his own mash-up of dancehall, hip-hop, reggae and rock.

Umphrey’s McGee, the progressive-rock group that began at the University of Notre Dame, is part jam (their live shows feature extended onstage improvisation) and part ham (their first studio release was titled Greatest Hits, Vol. III). The band allowed taping of its shows from the very beginning, and as those shows were traded across the country, Umphrey’s earned a following in places the band hadn’t even played yet. They’ve been a national touring band ever since.

What, you ask, does one have to do with the other? They’re both playing SummerStage this Thursday, July 9th. Check out this video of Umphrey’s McGee playing “Made to Measure,” the first song of their most-recent studio album, Mantis. Tickets are still available for Thursday’s show, and if you are, too, get yourself to Central Park.

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My Five: Johnny Beach

July 6th, 2009
Mission accomplished

Mission accomplished

Johnny Beach is a Renaissance man. He has been in his current position as The Bowery Ballroom talent buyer for more than two years. Prior to that, he served as Mercury Lounge talent buyer for four years. But he’s been shotgunning beers for considerably longer. Check out his insight below.

The Middle East, The Recordings of the Middle East
They are called the Middle East, but they’re from Australia. (Not sure how that came about.) While they are still virtually unknown here in the States—which will all change very soon—the Middle East is starting to make a name for themselves in their homeland. Spunk Records (home of Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, the Shins, M. Ward in Australia and New Zealand) recently released their debut EP. Listen to the song “Blood” and you’ll become a believer.

The Antlers, Hospice
They self-released the best record of an NYC band so far this year, which will receive a proper release via FrenchKiss Records later this summer. This captivating three-piece band sounds completely at home on the haunting “Kettering” as well as the more rocking “Syliva” and “Two.” They’ve recently supported the Walkmen, Vetiver, White Rabbits and others, but they should be headlining shows in the not-too-distant future. Plus, these guys are improving their ability to shotgun beers.

Centro-matic, Love You Just the Same
This record is by no means a new one, but I cannot help but include it. It’s safe to say that Centro-matic is the most underrated band in America. I got to see Will Johnson play two solo sets recently and it further proves that he has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard. He is quite the prolific songwriter—in Centro-matic, South San Gabriel and also on a few records just as Will Johnson. So while you should go out and spend $150 now to buy his entire catalog, this one might be the best place to start.

Manchester Orchestra, Mean Everything to Nothing
They hail from Atlanta, and while they are still quite young, they already have some sweet beardage and are a well-oiled rock machine. They’ve toured a lot in the emo-kiddie world, but they would be equally at home opening for the likes of My Morning Jacket. Their new record is stacked with a bunch of sweet jams—check out “The Only One” and “I’ve Got Friends” and the more mellow but equally awesome “I Can Feel a Hot One.” They’ll be touring with Silversun Pickups throughout August.

Telekinesis, Telekinesis
This record has really grown on me in the past couple of months and now it’s in constant rotation. It’s basically just a 21-year-old dude named Michael Lerner, and Chris Walla from Death Cab for Cutie produced it. I saw them live for the first time recently, but became quite worried a few days before the gig when I found out the drummer sings. (I am still plagued by weekly Phil Collins nightmares.) But I was pleasantly surprised when Telekinesis pulled it off quite well. The disc is filled with sweet, straight-up-catchy pop songs. And who can argue with that?

And also my top-five beers to shotgun:

1. Tecate
2. Pabst Blue Ribbon
3. Budweiser
4. King Cobra
5. Modelo

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Downtown Band Rocks Uptown Theater

July 6th, 2009

Sonic Youth – United Palace – July 3, 2009

Sonic Youth
United Palace Theater is an impressive venue with ornately carved, vaulted ceilings, elaborate hanging fixtures and gold as far as you can see. Plus, it’s a novel experience to sit in seats and watch Sonic Youth play on a theatrical stage. The acoustics of this space were painstakingly designed for live sound, but of course that’s lost when the amps are turned up to 11.

Friday night, this majestic palace hosted rock royalty. Just offstage sat a double custom rack holding rows of guitars that would make any 16-year-old boy cry. This resulted in a lot of guitar choreography between songs—roadies handed over the next prepared guitar to Thurston Moore, who proceeded to grind the neck against an amp, throw it on the stage and step on the strings. After almost 30 years, it’s impressive to continuously put on a show like this. Sonic Youth is a band driven by their passion for exploring dissonant sound in a pop structure and it’s evident on their latest album, the appropriately titled The Eternal.

When the band returned to the stage for the encore, Moore beckoned to the audience: “Come closer, closer to us.” Those in the crowd abandoned their seats to get up close and personal. “That’s better.” This is where the show went from passive observation to a sea of bouncing mayhem, which encouraged the band to come out for yet another encore and play two obscure tracks from their early catalog, “Brother James” and “Death Valley ’69.” Sonic Youth doesn’t rely on playing their groundbreaking early work, so these songs won’t be repeated live anytime soon. They continue to innovate and remain one of the most challenging and influential bands in experimental rock. —Jason Dean

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Punk Minus Apathy and Incompetence

July 6th, 2009

Jay Reatard – Music Hall of Williamsburg – July 2, 2009

(Photo: Morgan Harris)

(Photo: Morgan Harris)

Leave it to someone self-deprecatingly named Jay Reatard to take power-pop punk to a new level—to find relevance in this genre, to reinvent three chords, harmonies and all. He’s proving rock can be dangerous again. If you venture in front of center stage, where crowd surfing is still a viable form of expression, it’ll leave you battered and with one less shoe.

The frantic feel of Reatard recorded is unleashed live. He has a compelling energy as a performer, a classic lead singer who is the complete package. The nonstop set mainly consisted of songs from his acclaimed conceptual album, Blood Visions, which draws from the punk staples of teenage alienation and violence. Armed with his characteristic Gibson Flying V, Reatard is a head of curly, head-banging hair climbing atop amps to solo, spitting beer into the crowd and encouraging a cascade of beer cups (sometimes full) in return. Stage left, Stephen Pope played bass and sang along with Reatard’s every word. They are flawless performers—punk minus apathy and incompetence.

For the encore, TV Smith, the opener, sang “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes,” “Bored Teenagers” and “We Who Wait” (which Reatard had covered on Blood Visions) from his influential ’70s British punk band, the Adverts, while Reatard, Pope and drummer Billy Hayes added their own style to the songs. Not content to be part of up to four other projects at any given time, Reatard continues to release an avalanche of 7″ singles as they are recorded. (Even his latest album, Watch Me Fall, was at the merch table a month before its official release.) He’s always considered himself an outsider, pushing the limits, making music his own way. It just happens to be exactly what everyone’s been looking for. —Jason Dean

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Cheeeeeeeese!

July 3rd, 2009


Some nights you want live music and some nights you want to laugh. But what if you want both? The answer: the cover band and comedy act Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine. Richard claims this is “really, really, really the final farewell tour.” So now’s (possibly) your (last) chance to see some music and laugh your ass off. Check out Richard’s own take on “Baby Got Back” and “Personal Jesus” on Jimmy Kimmel Live and then proceed to Music Hall of Williamsburg on Tuesday, July 7th.

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Fake Problems Cuts to the Chase

July 2nd, 2009

Fake Problems – Mercury Lounge – July 1, 2009

Fake Problems - Mercury Lounge - July 1, 2009
In an age of cookie-cutter bands, Fake Problems has truly created a sound all its own. Some call it folk-punk, as singer Chris Farren’s husky growl is reminiscent of Chuck Ragan’s (Hot Water Music) and Ben Nichols’ (Lucero), but what makes this Naples, Fla., quartet stand alone is not only its ability to stray its sound from such a limiting genre tag, but it’s done without sounding like a hot mess.

Both on record and live, Fake Problems includes much more diverse instrumentation than many of its peers. At last night’s Mercury Lounge show, bassist Derek Perry hopped all over the stage, his lanky body lunging back and forth with each chord played. A set of bongos—which the keyboardist played with drumsticks—and drums rounded out the rhythm section. And a trumpet player completed Fake Problems’ lineup.

Although the band played only a 40-minute set (despite having two full-lengths and an EP), the time spent onstage was well done. A few one-sentence song introductions and a couple shout-outs to guitarist Casey Lee, who was not present due to a family emergency, was all the crowd heard from Farren that wasn’t in song. The title track from 2007’s How Far Our Bodies Go, introduced by Farren as a “sing-along,” got perhaps the best crowd reaction of the night, with the simple melody of “The Dream Team”—the single off the band’s most recent release, It’s Great to Be Alive—coming in at a close second. Fake Problems has already been heralded as this year’s Gaslight Anthem, and surely it won’t playing as intimate a place as Mercury Lounge on its next Northeast trek. —Kirsten Housel

Photos courtesy of Kirsten Housel

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You Can’t Blame the Youth

July 2nd, 2009


Thurston Moore met Kim Gordon in 1980. Nearly 30 years—and one marriage later—the iconic group they formed, Sonic Youth, is still going as strong as ever, touring in support of their 16th studio album, the fittingly titled The Eternal, out last month. Tomorrow this dowtown band brings their sprawling, avant-garde sound uptown to the United Palace Theater. Check out Sonic Youth here playing “Teenage Riot” on the BBC music show Later…With Jools Holland and then start your three-day weekend off hot by seeing them play live.

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An Instrumental Soundtrack to a Movie That Doesn’t Exist

July 1st, 2009

Explosions in the Sky – SummerStage – June 30, 2009

Explosions in the SkyHow do four unassuming guys from Austin, Texas, sell out the Central Park SummerStage? By letting the music speak for itself. This was the perfect venue for Explosions in the Sky’s 10th anniversary—open to the sky, the epic instrumentation echoing the dramatic landscape of towering buildings surrounding the park as the sun went down and the light faded.

This is not a conventional group. They have a deliberate anti-star image. Without a real frontman, you’re left to approach the band as a whole entity. No one is introducing the songs, no one is getting the crowd going. There’s no typical stage show, aside from watching guitarist Munaf Rayani sway, back to the crowd, in his own world. Yet last night the entire audience spontaneously reacted to every rise and fall in rhythm with cheers, even clapping along to the song “Catastrophe and the Cure” as they realized it was all coming to an end.

Since the beginning of their career, Explosions in the Sky have defied the conventions of song structure in a surprisingly accessible way, as the turnout of 5,000 fans attested. The music is all about the timing, allowing for space, letting everything breathe, forgetting about the prescribed standards of pop-music length. As the music is instrumental, it’s not about the individual songs—this is meant to be experienced as an entire movement, not unlike a symphony: all at once, uninterrupted, alternating between delicate melodies and erupting passages. It’s a soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist.

Contrary to another live-rock custom, they don’t play an encore at the slightest provocation. Last night was no exception. When they ended the set with “The Only Moment We’re Alone,” they gave it everything, throwing themselves into the massive soaring guitars. There’s nothing left but the ringing in your ears. —Jason Dean

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A Night of Dreamy Music

July 1st, 2009

As Tall as Lions – The Bowery Ballroom – June 30, 2009

As Tall as Lions - The Bowery Ballroom - June 30, 2009
If you’re looking for a break from the barrage of pop-punk coming out of Long Island, look no further than As Tall as Lions. Last night the band put on an impressive show with their ethereal rock in front of a sold-out crowd at The Bowery Ballroom. Their hour-plus set consisted of songs off of their new CD, You Can’t Take It With You (coming out in August), and a healthy dose of their most recent EP, Into the Flood, and their last LP, As Tall as Lions, released three summers ago. The songs from their newest releases are articulately beautiful—the new track and set-starter, “Circles,” echoed heavily of Broken Social Scene.

While the fans enjoyed the newer music (even singing along on well-traveled tracks like “Go Easy”), they were thrilled as most of the highlights from the self-titled LP were played. “Ghost of York” had the whole floor shaking, and during “Be Here Now” the crowd tried desperately to match the highest highs of lead singer Dan Nigro’s range. His voice alone is worth the price of admission: His pipes carry so much power he would have every right to be in an ’80s hair band.

Behind his unique voice, though, is an incredibly talented group of musicians and performers. The performance aspect of As Tall as Lions’ four static members was never lost even as the band expanded to as many as 10 people at times during the set. Bassist Julio Tavarez put on a veritable Tae Bo act during each song, guitarist Saen Fitzgerald quickly plucked away one brilliant lead riff after another and drummer Cliff Sarcona kept everyone on their toes with wildly syncopated beats. —Sean O’Kane

Photos courtesy of Sean O’Kane | seanokanephoto.com

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These Germs Are Worth Catching

July 1st, 2009

The start of the L.A. punk scene began and ended with the Germs. The band—Darby Crash, Pat Smear, Lorna Doom and Don Bolles—first put the public on notice with the single “Forming” (with a live recording of “Sexboy” on the B side) in 1977. And while they released just one full-length album, GI, the Germs were featured in Wayne’s World director Penelope Spheeris’s ode to L.A. punk, The Decline of Western Civilization. Singer Crash committed suicide by heroin overdose, at just 22, on December 7, 1980. (His death was quickly overshadowed by John Lennon’s murder the following night.) And that would be where this story ends if it hadn’t for the Germs biopic, What We Do Is Secret. Because the three surviving bandmates were so impressed with E.R. star Shane West’s turn as Darby Crash that they decided to reunite the band with West as the singer. Check out this clip from The Decline of Western Civilization and then catch the Germs at Mercury Lounge tomorrow, July 2nd.

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