The Rumble NY Tonight

A special edition RUMBLE: BROOKLYN goes down tonight @ Southpaw as we weave our madness into CMJ 2009. The line up is stellar.....take a look. Text stolen from the Future Sounds blog.

PAUL + THE PATIENTS (830-9)

"just damn addictive... psychedelic-based songs, the tracks consistently hook in your head" rcrdlbl.com

"I am exploding with the need to talk about a band I am fucking obsessed with right now: Paul and The Patients" ultragrrrl.blogspot.com

'Musically, this is the kind of band that the major labels try their best to create artificially. Catchy hooks abound, comfy atmospheres dominate, intelligent lyrics surprise, and it’s all easily accessible with a capital ‘A’." breakthruradio

"So many bands play hard and fast but very few are smart enough to create songs that stay with you after the amps are turned down... It is this dedication to lyrics combined with amazing hooks and bruising garage rock-soul that make this album truly special." knocksfromtheunderground.com

"Holmes’ knack for writing catchy songs. His vocals loom large over the music on the tracks—it’s mostly smooth, but at points is pushed to a perfect, raspy howl." New York Press


CLASS ACTRESS (9:15-9:45)

“We’ve gone on record repeatedly about how much we love Elizabeth Harper, and we stand by our assertion that she’s fronting one of the most promising bands in New York City.” – L Magazine

Elizabeth Harper is a Class Actress, that being the name of her musical solo-project-cum-band, an electro-pop outfit sonically not to far afield of their Brooklyn neighbors Chairlift. Unlike their peers, however, Class Actress substitute an Apple endorsement for a stack of interesting, well-composed retro new wave, and the exuberant drum-machine beat and Tears for Fears synths on "All the Saints" are tied together with Harper's romantically smoky vocal performance. - PITCHFORK FORKCAST

Once the solo project of singer Elizabeth Harper, Class Actress is now a fully-formed band, hustling around Brooklyn's preening, synth-obsessed pop scene like Chairlift's alien-abducted step siblings. "Careful What You Say" gets its kicks from ballooning square waves much like the aforementioned trio, only instead of grabbing for the hook they're content to float amongst their own self-created fog. - RCRDLBL

"Harper is a beauty with a voice like a sleepy winter afternoon. Alternately playful and melancholy, Harper’s songwriting is reminiscent of the Smiths.” – TimeOutNY

“A patch of green, Anglophilic moss thriving in the shade of the monolith that is Brooklyn’s music scene. With Harper rightfully compared to a female version of the beloved Mozzer, it’s no wonder she was first signed overseas by London’s Angular Records. Impeccable in both presentation (her demo's wax-paper packaging was covered in black-ink calligraphy) and performance, her songs recall Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, and New Order at their most tasteful." – Flavorpill


CASXIO (10:00 - 10:35)

Casxio (Ca-See-Oh) are a refreshing divine fusion of disco, funk and rock n’ roll. Reminiscent of a sound that first infiltrated our airwaves over a quarter of a century ago,Casxio is what happens when Prince, the Talking Heads, and Sly Stone all get their hearts broken by the same girl .

About to head to the East Coast for select tour dates this October, including CMJ '09 (to coincide with their forthcoming EP 'Seventeen'). We are more than proud to introduce a band certain to generate a buzz from their unique 70's inspired sound and top notch live delivery.

Indeed, you may not have heard of this Los Angeles based quartet Casxio until now, however it’s a matter of time before they are on everyone’s radar and playlists this summer and beyond. Since their inception in 2007, Casxio has developed an impressive retinue, hailed by critics and garnering a loyal following of revelers, (including cohorts Sam Sparro, Yelle and Datarock).

Inspired by the soulful falsetto balladry of classic icons as diverse as Curtis Mayfield, and Hall & Oates, Casxio’s aim is to "be more than just a friend to you” -Bringing the intensity and emotion back into a world where pop has become stagnant and disposable, this West Coast four-piece revives the timeless soul and funk feeling we've been long since waiting for.

Check out video for new catchy single "Seventeen"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07zMjzAeJ5Q


AEROPLANE PAGEANT (10:45-11:15)

"Somewhere between Of Montreal and MGMT, you’ll find New York’s Aeroplane Pageant. 2007’s Wave To The MoonEven The Kids Don’t Believe Me. earned the four childhood friends a spot onstage with Vampire Weekend, the Hold Steady and Dr. Dog; “Stars Still Pretty” is the first video from the dreamy new album" MAGNET

“It’s a fucking weird album! I like it! I have to listen some more, because it has that Fiery Furnaces thing about it: DEEP, REQUIRES EFFORT. But I was very surprised in good ways at the bizarre arrangements and the way the melodies don’t follow and stuff. My kind of thing, in fact. Consider me a fan, and put me on the mailing list, and all that sort of thing.” -Rick Moody


TEENAGE PRAYERS (11:30-12:05)

"Tim Adams inflects his voice with some of the soul of a Nathan Willett and a Jim James when he sings about sex as well as escape and being lost in the cluster, and his band mates help to create a sound that is rambunctious in its meaning and energy, giving off sparks and the kind of cleansing, sweaty movement that all good days should have at least a little bit of or they’ve been wasted. The Teenage Prayers makes sure that theirs – the prayers and all of the things that actually did happen – weren’t in vain. DAYTROTTER.COM:

Everyone Thinks You're the Best is a rocking good time, executed with soul and conviction, and ultimately a wonderful endorsement for a band that must be a blast in a live setting.
ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"If you’ve bounced from Marah to the Hold Steady to Art Brut looking to recapture the high you get from discovering fresh, 24-karat rock ’n’ roll, you need to freebase New York’s Teenage Prayers… this Steve Wynn-produced follow-up clobbers cool and catchy with maniacal rock brilliance."
BOSTON HERALD: “A” -


"Bucking the "nostalgia band" trend by being authentically nostalgic, the Teenage Prayers cause you to give blessings to that raw, purely enthusiastic adolescent music fan in all of us."
POPMATTERS.COM

THE RUMBLE CMJ @ SOUTHPAW
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
8PM DOORS / 83O START

SIS Gig Review (in Pictures): Johnny Foreigner @ CMJ

10/24/08 @ Fontana's in New York. Photos by Dany Sloan.

Bang! Bang! Eche! at R-Bar 10-22-08

I parked in Hoboken out of habit. It’s something I’d live to regret around 3:00am. It smelled better than I remembered, the Hudson River almost drinkable and that was probably pure nostalgia. China-town still overflows into the Bowery, Little Italy is still gentrifying and that end of the Bowery by the R-Bar is still peppered with kitchen and industrial supply stores. It’s just a few blocks from Joey Ramone Place… right where it belongs. I arrived at the Big Noyes Showcase while Bang! Bang! Eche! tuned up.

The R in R-bar stands for Red. Red is describes a set of colors evoked by light in the wavelength range of roughly 625–740 nm , a frequency of about 480-405 THz. Color perception varies across cultural lines, They always begin with perceptions of darkness and light, but Red is always the first color; and that is enough to see the inside of R-Bar. The lamps and ceiling fixtures cast a thick red light on everything. The stripper poles glowed slightly pink where the chrome gleamed. The pleather padded walls further glowed crimson looking more and more like an asylum as the room filled.

Charlie was already grinding his crotch on the one pole while eating a slice of Lombardi’s Pizza. He would repeat the maneuver later in the evening while playing guitar. Mary-Elizabeth from the Underground Management introduced me to T'Nealle Worsley. “This is Jose. He called you a slut.” They both looked at me. I was probably guilty. Worsley just shrugged and finished a last bite of pizza crust.

Zach was jumping around warming up. His tight black pants squeaked as they crushed his testicles. The sound guy said something unintelligible to the crowd, but audible in the stage monitors. Zach grabbed the mic and said something that sounded like “We are Bang! Bang! Eche! and we gotta play this one fast.” With that they tore into the first song. The operative word here is “tore” as in to pull apart and to destroy, to rend asunder. Josh Burgess stepped back as Zach flung himself across the stage wrapping his throat in mic cord.

They never let off the pressure. The stage was narrow constraining but not stopping Zach. He ran back and forth like a caged dingo tangling mic cord around drum mics, mic stands, tuning pegs and Charlie’s legs. There was no escape. Band members had to untie themselves to trade instruments.

I’ve had their EP for months now but seeing Worsley’s fingers crawling like a spider up and down the neck of her bass reminded me of great basslines of yore: White Zombie- Black Sunshine, Stone Roses - She bangs the drum, Bjork -Army Of Me, Muse- Hysteria. The idea crawled into my head that she already plays like this and she’s only 18 years old. And goddamn doesn’t that make us all feel old and unaccomplished.

They played a couple new songs I’d never head before, then ended with “Finger in the Till.” Josh said “You can turn it up now.” He might have said it to Charlie or to the sound guy or to himself, but then the low end of the synthesizer started vibrating the cartilage in my sternum. My neoprene earplugs were squeaking in my ears. It was an intense sensation, like they were testing the durability of my prostate in a quest for the brown note.

Now, days later, the most striking and enduring detail about Bang! Bang! Eche! is that after that burning 45 minute set, they broke down their amps, wound up their cables, folded their guitar stands, packed up their guitars and carried them across the street to another club, Crash Mansion. They walked onto that stage still glistening with sweat from the last one, and played another set that was if anything; harder, faster and louder than the last. Maybe a dozen of us crossed the street with them, and that second time we just stood in dumb-faced in awe.

New Release Tuesday: Crystal Stilts

They played CMJ several times - possibly more than Passion Pit did - yet I didn't get to see Crystal Stilts once. The one time I was in place to see them they didn't go on until well past 4 in the morning, and after sitting through Gang Gang Dance for a third begrudgingly time, I couldn't bare to sit through Ponytail for the second time within five hours.

Phew, now that I got that off of my chest.

Ever since a co-worker mentioned I should check them out, their theme song, "Crystal Stilts," has been taking the lead in my self-poll for best song of this year. But now that Alight of Night is out this week and been in my possession long enough, I've found other songs that stick out: Brad Hargett's warbled vocal is very reminiscent of some Thurston Moore character we're all familiar with. The difference here is that rather than snarl over difficult to comprehend walls of feedback and catastrophic drums and other non-sense, it's all catchy melodies. "Stilts" the song has this surfer vibe to it, complete with requisite farifsa organ. The closing number, "The City In The Sea," just pulsates over a delicate guitar as Townsend sings of the sea swallowing things whole, tying together a song that could rival "NYC" on so many levels.

They're another band from New York, they're another one amuck in all the buzz, and hopefully they'll be around long enough to make an impact with their future releases.

Download: "Crystal Stilts" [mp3] // [Buy Here]

Starfucker at Cakeshop 10-22-08

The prospect of rock before sundown is a strange jubrous expenditure of time indeed. It was Wednesday at Cakeshop. I had a CMJ badge, and I walked it down to the lower east side. For the uninitiate, the L.E.S. is the area South of Houston St., East of China town, and West of Allen St. It's Southern border is unclear.. petering out around East Broadway where no one cares.

Coming up the block I passed a block of Frighteningprospect posters, wheat-pasted to a plywood sidewalk enclosure. There was graffitti on the walls, filth on the pavement and trash on the sidewalk... goddamn I miss this city. On the way up Ludlow St. I passed the crowd outside Pianos. I made a mental note that I need to return for The King Left.

What fine club Cakeshop is. where else can you see some nice refined rock n' roll show and eat tasty snacks? I arrived mid-set. Starfucker was laying down the lo fi keyboard pop and had packed a dark basement out of the reach of the sun. Poughkeepsie station WVKR had wallpapered the downstairs urinals with their bumper stickers somewhat missing the purpose of sticker placement. I'll award some consolation points for enthusiasm.


Starfucker was my "surprise" band for CMJ. I hadn't really intended to catch them, but they surprised me in their gravitas and their energy. All too often lo-fi also means low-impact, low fiber, and low-milage. Starfucker attacked the crowd, distributing nerd-glasses and their strange brand of man-boy love. Their shameless affection was devoured and rows of ironic ballcaps bobbed bounced and gyrated while new fans gripped fresh copies of Starfuckers Burning Up pink 7-inch in their sweaty hands. They are undoubtedly the best band ever to be named after an obscure censored Rolling Stones song.

I retreated upstairs to find Stranded in Stereo's assistant editor Rusty Roberts again swarmed in women: leggy blondes, diminutive brunetts with bob haircuts, and a Palinesque milf sporting a naughty-librarian outfit. It's hard to get at his ear for even a moment, there might be a band on stage there might not, but understandably his attention is elsewhere. I had to abandon him there on my way to the next show as we all must. At CMJ, this non-stop week-long festival drives us to move, move, move, stopping only to eat and drink supporting the most minimal needs of our frail physical bodies, and for Rusty, to scrawl yet another phone number on the back of his hand.

SIS @ CMJ

So the lack of internet at my hotel has really put a damper on me getting to let you all in on what I've seen so far at this year's CMJ Festival.

Tuesday night had easily the highlight and low light between Passion Pit and Jens Lekman. The Pit were on top of their game, best performance yet, delighting the sold out crowd at the Music Hall of Williamsburg at the Brooklyn Vegan party. But afterwards, "Singing DJ" Jens Lekman came out and did the most bizarre DJ set, where he sang along to songs that were not his own. Sadly, I left unimpressed and marched out and on to the Stereogum party where I saw Gang Gang Dance and Ponytail for the third and second times, respectively.

Last night was Wednesday, and Hot Lava tore up a late night 1AM set at the Delancey, showcasing material from their recent Bar None debut, Lavalogy. Before that I was able to catch GBV guitarist Doug Gillard at the Alphabet Lounge, previewing material from his upcoming solo album, Call From Restricted.

Tonight there's Koufax, and there's also Janelle Monae (guilty pleasure? Yeah, sure.)

Oh, and were you at the SIS party last night? Do let us know if you were and if you took and pics or would care to give us an awesome quote or four for an upcoming blog post.

CMJ 2008!

I was there, where the hell are you?

CMJ 2k8 Preview: Pale Young Gentlemen

A band with a distinct indie-rock meets Baroque sound, Pale Young Gentlemen write songs that are pleasant to listen to but contain an underlying, unidentifiable haunting tone. Beauty has hardly been put into a rock song better than through their tunes, which use cellos, violins, harp, guitar and even xylophone. The Yellow Stereo calls them “one of the best indie bands around, and one that definitely deserves more attention.” Their smart orchestrations and clever lyrics have been compared to the likes of Coldplay and Andrew Bird, yet their sound remains uniquely their own. The cinematic quality of the music will keep you listening for more, and as Ear Farm states, “Black Forest is an album that gets stronger as it progresses and with repeated listens.”

Download: "The Crook of My Good Arm" [mp3]

/PASSENGER US Dates

After a string of US dates earlier this year in support of their solid debut Wicked Man's Rest, /PASSENGER are returning to the states next week for a handful of shows on the east coast. This includes a number of dates in NYC around some CMJ fest that you know I'll be at. Outside of their two CMJ shows, the UK hitmakers will be playing with David Ford to round out this trip. I know I'll be sure to see them, so maybe you should, too?

Catch them if you can:
10.22 New York, NY @ Crash Mansion [BMI Showcase/CMJ]
10.23 New York, NY @ Webster Hall [Bring on the Brits/CMJ]
10.24 Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
10.26 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
10.27 Annapolis, MD @ Ram's Head Live
10.28 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10.29 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10.30 Boston, MA @ Middle East

Download: "Do What You Like" [mp3] // [Buy Here]

Cut Off Your Hands Sign to Frenchkiss

It's October now. Really. This is strange. What isn't strange, but is awesome, is that the coolest band from down under, Cut Off Your Hands, have signed a deal in the US with Frenchkiss Records. The label will release the band's debut EP, Happy As Can Be, on October 21st. To celebrate such a momentous occasion, the band will come over and play a few shows in New York during that CMJ thing people like myself go to. Best be sure I'll be catching one of their sets.

COYH at CMJ:
10/21 New York, NY @ The Delancey [New Zealand CMJ Showcase]
10/24 New York, NY @ The Cake Shop
10/25 New York, NY @ Public Assembly

You haven't heard Cut Off Your Hands yet? Really, well then, here's an mp3 of the EP's title track for you! Get ready to have your mind blown, your senses pummeled, and melodies to be trapped in your psyche for days on end.

Download: "Happy As Can Be" [mp3]