Silver Jews Touring

March 17th. Webster Hall. No it's not an indie misprint. While they have performed near their home before, they have never toured to play their 6 album or so catalogue. Head Jew Dave Berman hinted that it will be something resembling a weirdo showcase of musci, def poetry from ex-pavement members, and "country comedy". He is probably kidding but you never really know with a guy who sings "I love you to the max!" without a drip of irony. As long as he plays "Tennesse", he can be as absurdly post-modern as he likes.

Blake You Beautiful Man

Pitchfork reports a new Elected album from everyone's favorite Rilo Kiley side project(sorry Jenny, though the Travellng Wilburies cover was a nice try) is hitting stores January 24th. It's called "Sun, Sun, Sun" and it should be leaking any minute. He will then tour the country baring his soul on stage while being called McFly by some mook in the back. Why is that guy here anyway?

Healthy Political Dialogue

I may have my opinions on this administration, and like everyone, sometimes they get a little passionate. But sometimes the best thing is to listen, really listen, to informed, articulate, intelligent people that happen to disagree with you. It's the only way we might connect in the center again, and it may be the only hope our country has.

Open your mind and listen.

Arrested Development Cancelled

Could the silver lining be the return of Tinkle, the mostly defunct comedy show starring Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin and David Cross? I think Arrested Development is what defuncted it in the first place when they were dicks enough to employ Mr. Cross. It was every Sunday night at Piano's, only $5 (free upstairs) and pretty consistently awesome. Invite Them Up has done a great job of filling the void since.

New Bright Eyes video

It's done by the same girl who did the stop motion video using yarn for "Bowl of Oranges". It's pretty durn good and you can watch it here.

Songs That Make People Think Their Cell Phones Are Ringing

These five songs have a sound or noise or something in them that will make listeners reach for their motorollas every time. Throw a party and play them all!

The Winner Takes It All (Abba)
Your Cover's Blown (Belle & Sebastian)
Summer (Modest Mouse)
Nothing Came Out (Moldy Peaches)
Should I Stay or Should I Go? (The Clash)

I'm Not Alone

I always thought I was probably the only person who enjoyed violent video games and Elliott Smith music. Turns out I was way off-base.

Watch Bobby Brown & Mike Tyson Sing "Monster Mash" on Jimmy Kimmel

Trust me.

MASH!

Indie Rock Bedtime Story

I was out sick yesterday and this is how I made use of my time. All the dialogue is indie rock song titles. It helps if you imagine both characters are foreign.

"No More Workhorse Blues" by Trousermouse (Palace)

Fade in.

Little Girl: Mister, would you please help my pony? (Ween)

Man: Sick? (Echo & The Bunnymen)

Litlle Girl: Sad and lonely. (The Secret Machines)

Man: Sometimes a pony gets depressed. (Silver Jews)

Little Girl: They shoot horse don't they? (Quickspace)

Man: If you're feeling sinister… (Belle & Sebastian)

Little Girl: Go ahead. (Rilo Kiley)

Man: Look away. (Apples In Stereo)

Little Girl: Don’t wanna. (Lemonheads)

Sound Effect: Bang! (Yeah Yeah Yeah's)

Man: There goes my gun. (Pixies)

Sound Effect: Bang! (Yeah Yeah Yeah's)

Little Girl: Staying alive. (Cursive)

Sound Effect: Bang! (Yeah Yeah Yeah's)

Little Girl: Don't Stop Now. (Guided By Voices)

Sound Effect: Bang! (Yeah Yeah Yeah's)

Man: Where's your patience, dear? (Matt Suggs)

Sound Effect: Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! (Yeah Yeah Yeah'sX5)

Man: Stop Breathing! (Pavement)

Sound Effect: Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! (Yeah Yeah Yeah'sX17)

Little Girl: Dead. (Pixies)

Man: Monkey gone to heaven. (Pixies)

Little Girl: Horse. (Sodastream)

Man: Yeah. Oh yeah. (Magnetic Fields)

Man: Looks like a mess. (Sunday's Best)

Little Girl: Hungry? (Stereo Total)

Spoon @ Warsaw 11-06

I love their last album and have never seen them. I like Warsaw and all especially considering they're playing the new Nokia Live theater in Times Square(capacity 2100) the night before. What I don't like is $30 tickets after Ticketmaster convenience charge. I'm torn like Imbruglia.

Wolf Parade @ Northsix 10/25

IMG_2305.JPG
Originally uploaded by jonemmerling.

Lofty expectations made a really good show seem like a slight letdown, as Wolf Parade played the capitol of hip last night. It was my second time seeing them but my first after getting my grubbies on their mp3's last spring and more recently their hot shit album. Four gentlemen played their flaming hearts out, a theremin was rocked, and wind chimes took a beating. It was undeniably enjoyable, though the little hairs on my arm stayed down. I did finally get a handle on which guy sings which songs. To me they both just sound like Will Ferrel's impression of Harry Cary.

New Years Eve Show Update

Now the band's website and ticketmaster are saying they are playing with a "very special guest to be announced". David Byrne? David Bowie? Chris Dingillian?

I love the Jews

The Silverjews released Tanglewood Numbers last week and it's really good. To celebrate I will share some of my favorite Dave Berman lyrics. They are one part Gram Parsons, one part Steven Wright. Or maybe just Jerry Seinfeld on blotter acid. Anyway, they will not be making anyone's yearbook page.


-Punk rock died when the first kid said "Punk's not dead".

-You can't change a feeling, but you can change the feeling about the feeling.

-All my favorite singers couldn't sing.

-Tanning beds explode with rich women inside.

-I am the trick my mother played on the world.
Seventeen doctors couldn't decide
Whether I should be allowed in the game.

-What can't monsters get along with other monsters?

-I've been working at the airport bar
It's like Christmas in a submarine.

-My horse's legs look like four brown shotguns.

-I love to see a rainbow from a garden hose
Lit up like the blood of a centerfold.

-People ask people to watch their scotch.
People send people up to the moon.

-My ski vest has buttons like convenience store mirrors

-The drums march along at the clip of an I.V. drip
Like sparks from a muffler dragged down the strip.

-They sat there with their hooks in the water
With their moustaches caked with airplane glue.

I'm Back

And I miss concerts. Two weeks and already I don't know who half the bands mentioned on BrooklynVegan are. Arctic Monkeys?

Wolf Parade next tuesday at Northsix. Thursday at my Alma Mater. I have one extra for tuesday but so far no one is willing to commit and swear against bailing. I think it's going to be the show of the Fall. This ring feels weird.

Booking Agents Dabble In Irony

Oct. 16th. The Faint. B.B. King's Blues Club.

New Years Eve Show

Yes. It's September. No one knows what they're doing yet. Take it up with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah who are playing Irving Plaza for $25. It was definitely a headscratcher but that is one cheap New Years show and I always thought the band's music was missing the sound of those cardboard and plastic blowhorn things. 119 preparty/postparty? Tix on ticketmaster or fee-free at the Irving box office. The Hennings and The Emmerlings will be in attendance with a possible appearance by the King(lewis).

Such Nice Kids

From the newsletter:

"Many of the artists on the Saddle Creek roster have taken some time in the last week to record some new tracks and organize a compilation to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The final tracklist for the compilation is coming together now and will feature Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, The Good Life, Mayday, Orenda Fink, Maria Taylor, Andy LeMaster, Broken Spindles, Criteria, and others. The compilation will be made available on iTunes very soon and a CD version will be on the website and in stores as soon as possible. 100% of the proceeds from this will go to the Red Cross."

"A full tracklisting and more info will be posted on the Saddle Creek site on Monday, September 12. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the hurricane."

Where Did You Hear About Them?

Most people love to tell you how long they've loved a band, how early they were to the party. But you didn't come out yo mama's clam with indie cred so let's be honest and give props to those who let us into the party. It's hard to imagine anyone was able to hear any new music before blogs, but we did manage. So here are my top fifty favorite bands and how I was introduced to them.

The 6ths- Mixtape by Alyssa
Apollo Sunshine- Followed Bishop Allen at Rothko
Arcade Fire- Brooklyn Vegan
Belle & Sebastian- Mixtape by Alyssa
Beulah-Mixtape by Alyssa
Bishop Allen- CD handout outside Shins show.
Bloc Party- General Blogosphere
Bright Eyes- Mixtape by Alyssa
Broken Social Scene- Lewis Recommend
Built To Spill- Mixtape by Alyssa
Cat Power- Matador Sampler CD
Cursive- Mixtape by Alyssa
Desaparecidos- Association w/ Bright Eyes
Destroyer- A friend's friend who is in We Are Scientists recommend
The Elected- Association w/ Rilo Kiley
Elliott Smith- Andrew recommend
Eminem- MTV
The Faint- Mixtape by Alyssa
The Flaming Lips- MTV
The Good Life- Association w/ Cursive
Grandaddy- Opened for Elliott Smith
GBV- Mixtape by Alyssa
Hefner- Mixtape by Alyssa
Interpol- Opened for the Faint
The Kinks- Mixtape by Alyssa(well I had heard of them)
Lemonheads- MTV
Liz Phair(pre-lobotomy)- Honestly Can't Remember
M. Ward- Association w/ Bright Eyes
The Magnetic Fields- Mixtape by Alyssa
The Mendoza Line- Mixtape by Alyssa
Modest Mouse- Mixtape by Alyssa
The Muffs- MTV
The New Pornographers- Coworker's Friendster Page
Neutral Milk Hotel- Mixtape by Alyssa
Palace Music- Mixtape by Alyssa
Paul Simon- My Dad
Pavement- Mixtape by Edward
Pixies- Mixtape by Jenn
Postal Service- MTV2
Pulp- Honestly Can't Remember
Ramones- Mixtape by Edward
Rilo Kiley- Association w/ Bright Eyes
The Rolling Stones- Pitchfork
Silver Jews- Mixtape by Alyssa
The Shins- Association w/ Isaac Brock
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks- Association w/ Pavement
Ther Strokes- Opened for GBV
Ugly Cassanova- Association w/ Isaac Brock
Weezer- Janeane Garafalo recommend
White Stripes- General Buzz
Wilco- Betsey recommend
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Other Music
Yo La Tengo- Mixtape by Alyssa

Man I wish Alyssa still made me mixtapes. At least Isaac Brock and Conor Oberst still associate with people.

3 Letter Song Reviews

A lot of great bands have new songs available for download. With respect to your busy schedules:

Bloc Party- "Two More Years"...LUV
Grandaddy- "Pull The Curtains"...BLA
Fiery Furnaces- "Seven Silver Curses"(c/o Fluxblog)...WTF
Silverjews- "Farmer's Hotel"-(taken down)...AOK
Broken Social Scene- "Shorelines"(taken down)...ROX
New Pornographers- "Use It"...HOT
Franz Ferdinand- "Do You Want To?"...POO

Of Montreal

I've always thought Of Montreal was a decent member of the Elephant 6. Somewhat weird, somewhat catchy. Their latest single "Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games" is somewhat weird and extremely catchy. Nice adjustment. Watch the video here.

Accepting Submissions

An open letter to all those musical artists I don't know a lot about but everyone else does:

If you are a musical artist with a hit song in the last ten years, Trouser Mouse has exciting news for you. The T-Mouse staff will be throwing a week-long invitation-only party in Key West, Florida this fall. We are currently building a music library of every crowd-pleasing, non-crap song ever recorded. While we still have our usual standards, we acknowledge that not listening to the radio or watching MTV, VH1 or the Grammy's in the last seven years has left some gaps in our knowledge.

Duff sisters, Simpson sisters, 50 Cent, Kylie Minogue, L. Lo this is your one chance to hobknob in playlists with giants like Joy Division, Neutral Milk Hotel and the Faint. If you think you may be elgible, please submit your name, song name and documentation of its success on the Billboard chart. We will then go online and steal your song and listen to it once. If we think it sucks balls we will immediatley purge it from our iTunes. However if it only sucks, this could be your lucky day.

If you are John Mayer, Coldplay or the Black Eyed Peas please don't bother.

Pixies & Rilo @ Coney Island

I can't find any more info on this but it's listed on pollstar as the "Across The Narrows Festival". It's at Keyspan Park on Saturday, October 1st. Beck plays the next day. I will be a little busy that week.

M. Ward @ Maxwell's

Five things I learned last night in Hoboken:

1) There is a really cool series of posters for Absolut vodka on the PATH tunnel walls that animate as you speed by.
2) A cab from the PATH station to Maxwell's is only $4 and very worth it.
3) There are three pizzerias for every Hoboken resident.
4) Maxwell's has mashed potatoes that impress Southern people.
5) Once M. starts growing on you, it does not stop.

Bloc Party @ Roseland 9/9

Where does it end?

Clap Your Hands/Dirty On Purpose Preparty

What is just a few drunken steps from Southpaw, has $3 dollar drinks and one of the best juke boxes in the city? What's the only family-run Irish pub with equal parts scenesters and geriatrics? What was Elliott Smith's favorite Park Slope haunt? It's O'Connor's(39 5th Ave.) and they don't have a website to link because fuck that shite. (Note: This is an unofficial pre-party and the band will not be there, but I will be. I'll be the guy hanging out with the child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars,child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars, child stars.)

God Bless the EP

Boston's Apollo Sunshine are a bunch of bearded acid kids that can muster some serious adrenaline to curtail too big a hippie following. Their debut 2003 LP, Katonah, was like a hackeysack session with roid rage. Their live show is hit and miss. It's either a rockin light show musical extravaganza or a jammy, indulgent mess with technical difficulties. They have had a couple of very unfortunate NY shows lately and I am therefore boycotting them for at least six more months. None of this takes away from their catchy, bipolar songwriting. Their new EP The Other Side Of The World is available exclusively on iTunes.

Katonah mp3's here and here.


Isaac Brock sobered up one of his favorite young bands long enough to record a self titled EP and a full album to be released in September. Wolf Parade have a very meaty, classic indie sound and remind me of a less serious, more catchy Walkmen, without the slowjams. The EP is good(and available on insound or iTunes). The album should be unbelievable.

Download a ridiculously good Wolf Parade song.

Celebrity Crooklyn

Okay, I am not and never will be a name dropper. But I am a total starfucker. So I will say that my Mississipian friend and I played Battleship at the Boat tonight against the advice of a very famous actress who was sitting next to us at the bar. She recommended Scrabble instead. This follows several page six reports about celebs like Leo and Liv at that Frankie's 187 place. If I see Liev Shrieber at Gowanus Yacht Club, I may be forced to check out the rents in Staten Island.

The Eames Era @ Piano's tonite

The endlessly entertaining Eames Era are touring for their forthcoming release "Double Dutch" which I haven't heard but has been praised by trustworthy people. Listen to a song from their first EP here.

Celebrate Brooklyn Afterparty @ Southpaw

Not clear if the NP's are playing, DJing or hanging out, but sounds interesting.

JELLYNYC Presents
JELLY
special 1 am performance by 33 Hz
CELEBRATE BROOKLYN's
THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS & special guests
after party
w/ Roof Top Films
10 pm doors
21 & over
$5 cover

Unlocking Shared iTunes Playlists

If you have shared iTunes playlists at work, and some coworkers with good taste in music, Outunes is a program that will let you download, not just listen to, all music on the network. It downloads an album in about 7 seconds. Works for Mac or PC's. The best part is telling people non-chalantly that you hacked itunes. (Thanks MM)

Celebrate (Canada in) Brooklyn

Indie-pop canucks the New Pornographers are playing Prospect Park bandshell this Saturday with financial support from the Canadian Consulate General in New York and stage support by Stars and the Sadies, eh.

Bottles, cans and cameras are verboten but boxes of wine are allowed. One 96 oz. Franzia per man oughta do it. Don't worry aboot bringing food as Two Boots is the food vendor. If you don't know any of the bands just think of it as a drunken picnic with a great soundtrack.

If it starts to pour I recommend getting to a port-o-john quick. They hold aboot three people each. It's called triple-douching.

Listen to a new mp3, an old mp3, and an older mp3 from the New Pornographers. Middle one's my fave.

Bring your dog to dog beach before the show.

M Ward Coming Back to NYC

He'll play two shows in July without those dead weight Jim and Conor guys. He's the greatest thing going if you ask me or my best man.

7/21 @ Castle Clinton(Free)
7/22 @ Maxwells

Listen to him do things with a guitar Bernie Williams only dreams of.

Something I Doubt Conor Saw

I was just watching the recap of the Yankees/Red Sox game on Sportscenter, and heard the following: "Conor Oberst is to Bright Eyes as Edgar Rentaria is to the Red Sox". If they compare Francona to Mogis I'm gonna freak the fuck out.

Modest Mouse to play the Borgata

The mouse will go to their happy place on June 17th and play a venue with 1,000 seats, their smallest tri-state venue show since their Rolling Stone sponsored show at Bowery last year. The $40 tix guarantee you'll be the only one to yell out "Fakes!" during Trailer Trash, and are on sale here.

iTunes Celebrity Playlist Roundup

195 musicians, actors and writers have been kind enough to give us a glimpse into their musical sensabilities by creating virtual mixtapes on iTunes. Reading them all as I did means wading through tons of gutsy endorsements of Bob Dylan, Nina Simone and Otis Redding. I've catalogued the few nuggets of interest for you and present them in no particular order:

Many Indie Rockers like Hip-Hop.

Fred Durst likes Interpol. Interpol does not like Fred Durst.

Richard Marx finds it "so hard to pick a favorite Aerosmith song". Fifth-Grade me agrees.

Jody Watley, Barry Manilow and Sammy Hagar recommend themselves.

Anita Baker loves Marvin Gaye, hates gay people(is it the extra e?)

My Chemical Romance are huge Pavement fans.

Kanye West wanted to mix his album like the Strokes, called "Seven-Nation Army" all black people's favorite white song, and said he can't wait to see Franz Ferdinand live. Quick someone make him a mix that will ruin popular music for him.

Ed Norton's list is just two complete albums and then a 2,000 word essay about them(read:douchebag).

Mischa Barton likes Moon & Antarctica!!!

When an actor tells their agent that they want to be a rock star, the agent's response is "Make an iTunes Playlist!" (see Russell Crowe, Minnie Driver, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr. and, say it with me, Kevin Bacon)

Liz Phair & John Cusack did a combo list because he desperately wants to be known as a music snob, and she wants to fuck any celebrity until their dick is blue.

Avril Lavigne likes to "get drunk and mosh" to Nirvana's "Rape Me".

DJ Mark Ronson's list is the only one with an interesting concept: an old school hip-hop song, followed by the contemporary song that sampled it.

Danny Masterson(That 70's Show) prefers to be called DJ Donkeypizzle and claims to be totally indie-fied even though he uttered the most un-indie statement ever in Spin: "Scientology really helped me stop being introverted in large crowds."

The best lists for my ninety-nine cents are by: Jesse Harris, Nick Hornby, Flaming Lips, Pedro the Lion and Mouse.

Worst go to Tom Brady, RuPaul, Jennifer Lopez(7 songs and Maroon 5 made the cut?), Jennifer Garner(who I think just submitted a Now That's What I Call Music tracklist)

Classical Musicians want nothing to do with this.

Song of the Summer

Okay, I think last year the entire country agreed it was "Float on" as Isaac Brock made back all the money that fake Jamaican stole from him.

Year before that, a lot of people gave it to "Me and Giuliani down by the schoolyard" and who am I to argue with !!! fans.

So the criteria seems to be a mid-spring release, possibly a leak, that is perfect for either a backyard bbq at 3PM or a sweaty dancefloor at 3AM, and may eventually be graced with a cover by the Kidz Bop crew.

If it had been released this week instead of two months ago, Belle & Sebastian's "Your Cover's Blown" would have cleaned some clocks. It's a ridiculously danceable and catchy apology for their last album.

So the only song that fits the bill for me right now would have to be "Baby C'mon"(hold down option to download on macs) by Stephen Malkmus for it's swelling garage-iness, SM's return-to-form shoutiness, and the lyrics "Give it to me, Timmy, I'm out here on a limby. Baby C'mon!"

Seriously Timmy, just give it to him.

Modest Mouse @ Central Park Summerstage 6/20

Let's hope tickets aren't a hosedown like Dinosaur Jr./Broken Social Scene. What happened to free concerts in the Park? I don't remember paying $50 to see the B-52's on the Great Lawn when I was twelve.

On sale noon saturday.

Update: $30

Broken Social Scene @ Central Park Summerstage

With Dinosaur Jr.. July 14th. No word on tickets but it should time nicely to give us all enough quality time with their new album.

Bloc Party @ Bowery

The boys took the Bowery stage on thursday night to prove that nice boys do play rock and roll, Axl Rose be damned. The set was short, sweet and cherrypicked their decades of songwriting. Even their slowjams had spunk. I've heard the crowd was more into it Friday, but apparently, this is not a competition.

My camera has been as asshole lately so these aren't so good.



yee-ha iha

New Arcade Fire Video

It's for Neighborhood #3(Power Out) and it looks to be about an ice storm coming to life and being generally impish. I love it. (Thanks Miss Russo)

see it here.

We're Going To A Party...

From the Onion:

Nation Planning Surprise Party To Cheer Up Conor Oberst

OMAHA, NE—American citizens are coordinating efforts to lift the spirits of wünderkind singer-songwriter Conor Oberst, sources reported Monday. "I saw Conor's picture in a Spin article about Bright Eyes, and he just looked so down," said Lindsey Keisner of Youngstown, OH, one of the party's 4,000 planners. "The country feels really bad that he's going through such a rough spell, so next Friday, everyone who can should meet in Omaha with balloons, funny cards, and silly little gag gifts." Britt Daniel from Spoon will lure Oberst to Omaha by asking him to overdub some vocals.

Rise in Blogployment

Brooklyn Vegan got a job writing for the Gothamist. I think his blog is the best thing to ever happen to what the media has dubbed the "blogiverse". But is that the bloggian's equivalent of signing to a major label? Raise your hand if you think yes.

Bravery Add a Date

They sold out Irving so they added a Warsaw show.
Tuesday May 17.
Tix on sale now.
The Killers suck.

Willy Mason Emotionally Torn

I don't know much about Willy Mason but the two things I do know are kinda interesting:

(1) Conor Oberst discovered him and put out his album on his label.
(2) He's opening for the Decembrists at Irving Plaza.

Why is that interesting? Because Colin Meloy of the Decembrists took a shit all over Conor in the Seattle Weekly. Some of the nuts in the turd were calling him "a little shallow and emotionally and creatively corrupt."(BURN!) and crediting conor's success to the fact that he's "really, really hot".

Time to choose your pasty, pretentious overlord, Willy.

Malkmus Single Review

"Post-Paint Boy", available on iTunes, is the first single from the new SM (sans jicks) album 'Face the Truth'. Not to get all pitchforky and start out on a tangeant but I saw an interview with George Lucas recently who said that the remainder of his career will be spent making movies for himself, that no one else will like. Regardless of the fact that George has already been making movies no one likes for twenty years, he has a point. He has a billion dollars and no amount of failed experiments will tarnish his legacy.

So in my court, as in many, Stephen is an indie-cred billionaire. He has released two albums since Pavement with the air of a musician doing what feels right to him. With success, he slowly went from cool geek to confident, less-interesting guy. His crafted, inspired weirdness has been subjugated to rare appearances on B-sides("Polish Mule" "Fractions and Feelings"). Instead, he indulges in a nine-minute guitar jam. His lyrics shed any enigmatic charm to wear their absurd meaninglessness as a badge. And track after track his vocals obey the speed limit. Perhaps he just got sick of Mark E. Smith egging his house for ripping him off.

The fact that a song this pulled back is the new album's first single is a bad sign for 'Wowee Zowee' fans. It's a tough sell in a time of such exciting new music because I just can't bring myself to grow up with Stephen when I'd rather be clinging to youth with Kele Okereke.

As a Stephen fan I am obliged to say 'Good for Malk'. As a music fan though, it's hard not to wish he were still sharpshooting my very specific tastes. They are tastes that he's hugely responsible for winnowing down.

But what do I know? I've been building Katamaris in an apartment that smells like corned beef and Icy Hot all night.

News from the Interweb 3-27

I noticed the Magnetic Fields song “One April Day” on a Sprint Commercial which I think is great. It probably paid the rent for Stephin's Williamsburg recording studio for the next two years. And maybe the high concept of his next album will be text-message heartbreaks.

Rilokiley.net has a downloadable new song called "Pull Me In Tighter" from an XM Radio stream. They have some new tour dates but are skipping our little burg.(UPDATE: Two shows at Webster Hall)

Bishop Allen is one of my favorite local bands. They are brainy kids who pledge allegiance to quirkiness and catchiness and toss a quarter in the guitar cases of the Talking Heads and the Kinks on every track. They released a brilliant album two years ago and apparently are shopping their second around. They play at Mercury Lounge and Brooklyn venues frequently and judging by recent shows, the second album Clementines will be no less brilliant. They also apparently provided the soundtrack to, and starred in an indie romantic comedy called Funny Ha Ha which looks pretty interesting. Watch the trailer, catch it in theaters or buy the DVD and let me know if it's decent.

Amid a torrent(pun intended) of Next Big Things bands, there has been zero buzz about the new Stephen Malkmus album and show at Irving Plaza which has been on sale for two weeks without selling out. Apparently you got to pay your dues after you pay the rent too.

Entertainment Weekly's review of SXSW highly recommended the Blood Arm and I'm digging the crap out of their downloadable song "Do I Have Your Attention?".

Still no word on my most anticipated project of '05, the Isaac Brock produced Wolf Parade album. Me wantey.

The Bravery @ Rothko

K-Rock hosted this pajamajam for $9.23 and gave two free MGD's to each entrant. That was mighty nice of them and I mentally forgave them for being a terrible radio station. Once the room was filled with buzzed hipsters, a band called Action Action(thank me for not linking) took the stage to remind everyone that K-Rock cannot tell the difference between rock music that is the shit and rock music that is shit. The bassist actually mimed slitting his own throat with his bass.

The Bravery did not disappoint at all. The good thing about overhyped indie bands is that even if they aren't the second coming they're usually still a great band. Probably because there aren't publicists involved. That's why the whole Arcade Fire backlash never really took. As sick as you were of hearing about them, you couldn't escape how good the cd was.

Whether or not the Bravery blow up, they wrote a great album and deserve the buzz. They could even be the American Franz Ferdinand. They did just announce a May 16th show at Irving Plaza.

I was hoping for a good Celebrate Brooklyn show in Prospect Park this summer and the New Pornographers answered my prayers. It's Saturday, June 25th and I'm guessing it will be free. Gotta love that bandshell.

Go! Team @ Canal Room

I’d never been to the Canal Room and it kind of felt like a place for sweet people. It wasn’t too crowded and had good sound though. Judging by other blog reviews, this sounds like it was the best out of their three NY shows(and the cheapest if you avoided the $6 beers).

This band demands that you dance, literally and figuratively. It was hard to feel light on my feet having just eaten at Corner Bistro, but the show was very fun. A lot of people were surprised the horns were prerecorded, and some live brass would be nice, but I can’t complain. I have a feeling next time around we will get to see them with a full horn section, from the back of Webster Hall.

John Cameron Mitchell, actor/writer/director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, was there. I had just hours before seen his video for "First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes. I think it’s one of the best indie videos I’ve seen.

Bright Eyes and the Faint are playing five shows in May at (ugh) Webster Hall.

Gonna rush home after work and try to get in a disco nap before F-training it to Rothko to see the Bravery, one of this season's 76 "Next Big Things".