This week Wavves dropped the track “Hippies Is Punk” for Adult Swim’s 12 Tracks 12 Straight Weeks Singles Program. Give it a listen at the link below. What do y’all think? Perhaps a hint at what is to come on the upcoming Wavves LP to be released later this year.
http://www.adultswim.com/promos/201206_singles/index.html?cid=homepage_singles2012
Well-written and highly informative. I didn’t know Colleen had ties to UMASS Lowell (a college that comes up a lot in KLYAM lit), but now I do! Read here!
Colleen is playing Middle East Upstairs on September 9 with Bent Shapes, Plateaus, and Bugs and Rats. Before and after that date she is playing several shows:
8/24 – San Diego, CA @ Tower Bar
8/25 – Tucson, AZ @ Plush
8/26 – Las Cruces, NM @ The Trainyard
8/27 – Lubbock, TX @ Glassy Alley
8/28 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk (inside)
8/29 – Dallas, TX @ Bryan St Tavern
8/31 – Atlanta, GA @ 529
9/1 – Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
9/2 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar (upstairs)
9/4 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
9/5 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
9/7 – Brooklyn, NY @ 285 Kent
9/8 – Storrs, CT @ University of CT
9/9 – Boston, MA @ Middle East (upstairs)
9/10- Lowell, MA @ unchARTed
9/11 – Buffalo, NY @ Ninth Ward
9/12 – Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog
9/13 – Columbus, OH @ Cafe Bourbon Street
9/14 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
9/15 – Louisville, KY @ TBA
9/16 – Lafayette, IN @ Black Sparrow
9/18 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
9/19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
9/20 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
9/21 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
9/22 – Denver, CO @ Lion’s Lair
9/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
9/25 – Missoula, MT @ Zoo City
9/26 – Seattle, WA @ Comet Tavern
9/27 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
9/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
9/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
Sometimes it sucks to move onto something new. A vague statement that is — but think about it. Usually it means you lost or neglected something of the past. In the case of music libraries, I’ll never completely know what I listened to prior to December 2009, when I bought a new laptop and dragged a very tiny amount of music from the old computer. Still though, December 2009 is sort of long ago (for a young person like myself) so here are tunes/bands that I probably haven’t posted on KLYAM:
The 1990s – “See You At The Lights” – I remember getting into this during my Dandy Warhols/’garage rock revival’ kick back in 2007. It’s still really catchy power-pop. I was more of a songs guy in those days so it doesn’t really surprise me that this is the only song that I’ve listened to by the band.
The Apples In Stereo – “Go” – I never knew this came out in 2000. I would have thought mid-2000s. It is an eccentric track that might have subliminally contributed to my liking of similarly weird stuff, but it’s this extremely pop song that is overflowing with hooks while being a little corny. That’s part of the charm, though. I dug deeper into this band’s discography recently, but didn’t find anything really like “Go”. Maybe I didn’t dig deep enough.
The Avalanches – “Electricity” – I do have a bit of a sweet spot for some dance music, but this is in no way traditional dance music. The samples are incredible, giving this song a bit of an urban/hip-hop feel. I remember thinking about trashing this song to save up on space, but now I’m so glad I kept it.
Babyshambles – Like with a lot of bands I love, I arrived late to the party. I got into The Libertines a few years after their demise and it took me several months of hardcore fandom to give the side projects an honest look. Pete Doherty wrote some killer songs in Babyshambles: “Killamangiro,” “Fuck Forever,” “Pipedown” to name a few. I think I have to give this man a lot of credit for getting me into more ‘punk’ pop, eventually paving my ears to say Jay Reatard who was totally punk-minded albeit in a totally different way.
Bishop Allen – “Middle Management” – I remember hearing this for the first time on MLB 2k7 and being happy behind belief. It was cool to learn that these guys took their name from a street that we would eventually take on-route to seeing some damn great shows at the Middle East, but the song itself exemplified exactly what I was into in the spring of 2007. Quirky, melodic, power pop jams. I remember thinking to myself, how come these guys are virtual unknowns while a band like The Click Five is getting the time of day? There are some other tunes by Bishop Allen that I’d recommend like “Ghosts Are Good Company” and “Things Are What You Make Of Them” if you dig stuff by The Lovely Feathers or Adam Green.
Bubba Sparxxx – “Back In The Mud” – If I remember correctly, I first thought this song was off Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which is one of the few hip-hop albums I’ve ever purchased. This song is pretty straight forward, but Sparxxx’s quick fire delivery on the verses and the guitars/fuzz make this ‘not your average joe’ rap song.
Cat Power – I can’t say I’m a committed/knowledgable Cat Power listener. I’ve only heard a handful of her songs, but there was something about her voice/songwriting that struck a chord with me upon discovery. Nowadays, I can’t really imagine myself getting into her kind of music, but then again I’m sure if I hear something as striking as “Nude As The News” or “I Don’t Blame You” I’d have to take that back.
The Concretes – “You Can’t Hurry Love“ – I realized upon hearing Peter Bjorn and John’s Writer’s Block that there might be some other Swedish bands that I could enjoy. Indeed. There was The Shout Out Louds, Jens Lekman, and low and behold The Concretes. This jangle is a pop masterpiece.
Crystal Castles – I’m guessing I got into this band around the time that I heard “Electricity” given how they are very much alike. A song like “Courtship Dating” is as if The Yeah Yeah Yeahs devoted themselves to electronica while “Vanished” is just full of hooky synths. I know CC has some albums out, but as weird as it sounds, I think I felt a little guilty listening to Crystal Castles while simultaneously getting big into rock and roll bands like No Age so I limited myself to a few songs. They’ve got another album coming so maybe when that gets released, I’ll give CC the fresh look that they probably deserve.
C
Yeahhh! Our Band of the Week (or I should say month at this point), The Migs are touring the South! Check your local underground listings (if such exist!) for venues on these fine tour dates:
8/10 Somerville, MA (Moe’s Lounge/Radio Basement w/ Fat Creeps, Pile, Fancytramp)
8/11 Rochester, NH
8/12 Manhatten, NY
8/13 Richmond, VA (BAUHAUS w/ The Blue Rajas, Tyrannosaurus Awesome)
8/14 Knoxville, TN
8/15 Lexington, KY
8/16 HELP!?
8/17 FUN FUN FUN
8/18 Dover, NH (Fury’s Publick House w/ Creaturos, Nice Guys)
If you don’t know The Migs, do some homework: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/pages/The-Migs/114318615312674 and http://themigs.bandcamp.com/
San Francisco’s Sic Alps are playing RADIO (Somerville) on October 25th as part of an extensive tour of North America. Fans of contemporaries such as Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall – once a member of Sic Alps – should find themselves liking “Glyphs” which is the first song off new album Sic Alps, out September 11th on Drag City.
It’s interactive! The most comprehensive monthly calendar of events that you just won’t find anywhere else.
The Fresh & Onlys have a new album coming. It’s Long Slow Dance and it is out September 4 on Mexican Summer. You can check out the first single “Yes Or No” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Iuvu_MgfyI4. They will also be playing in Boston at the Brighton Music Hall on November 11. Check out SONGKICK for a listing of the rest of the dates.
Bands: Natural Child, Liquor Store, Skimask
Venue: Great Scott
Date: Monday, July 30, 2012
Act One: SKIMASK – SKIMASK is a band that I think everyone should have at least checked out by now and by checked out, I’m talking LIVE. They now have a website (HERE) but you still got to do some digging for recordings so for right now, at this very moment, you need to see them. Upcoming shows (Boston area) are on their website. I find myself gaining more appreciation for SKIMASK each time I see them. On this night, vocalist Prof$t Mohamed isn’t as spontaneous and incendiary as I’ve seen him in the past, but he seems more in-tune with the music. Whatever he is saying is as forceful as the drums and effects behind and to the side of him. The chemistry amongst the trio and the sounds they emit is baffling. It doesn’t take too long to realize how good the drummer is at drumming and how good the effects man is at effects. Stuffing the face with three microphones is not something you see at shows these days. The other thing I’d like to say is that even though SKIMASK is not your typical rock and roll band – stylistically and so forth – they set the tone for a night of balls out RnR. They can fit in on any bill really and just pump up the audience for what’s to come (or finish things off right…if they are headliners).
Act Two: Liquor Store – Liquor Store fit in perfectly as openers to Natural Child. While Natural Child is a bit more stripped down and to the point, Liquor Store is more expansive on this night. They build their tracks up, making grand use of the old guitar. This isn’t always the case (“Manchild In Paradise” is a short, sweet, and twisted take on classic rock), but their performance makes it seem like they’ve been around for longer than they probably have. Judging from their set-list, they’ve been playing some of these songs for a while now and a good chunk is from Yeah Buddy, their 2011 2X LP. I’ve got to listen to that record. From what I’ve read, it’s killer. I guess some cynical person could come along and say they are reinventing the late ’70s punk wheel, but with Liquor Store’s passion and sloppy New Jersey precision…that cynical person would be guilty of oversimplification. I’ve taken note and really wanna hear some Yeah Buddy and drink some Narragansett, a beer previously unheard of to one of the guitarists in Liquor Store. But like that guy, you just gotta try it out even if you can’t pronounce it and you play in none other than a band called Liquor Store. Yeah, buddy.
Set-List:
1. Proud To Be An American Man
2. Kiss
3. Manchild In Paradise
4. Vodka
5. Big Wheels
6. Gas Station
7. Pile of Dirt
8. In The Garden
Act Three: Natural Child – The last time I saw Natural Child (abbreviated Natti Child for whatever reason in a lot of KLYAM postings) was in August 2010 on a packed yacht cruising up Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty. They were opening for Black Lips so needless to say my excitement for the show was through the roof. The members of Natural Child recall that show fondly, describing it as a lot of fun and quite memorable. The other day at Great Scott wasn’t a close replica to that event, we weren’t anywhere near water, there weren’t as many transvestites, and the show wasn’t close to sell-out capacity. Natural Child themselves though – the band, the myth, and the legend – treated the crowd with plenty of spirited numbers, ranging from 1971‘s “White People” to For The Love‘s “8 AM Blues” and “DTV” to 7″ classics “Crack Mountain” and “Dogbite”. It was these last two songs that came toward the end of their set and brought the most willies for me. The crowd was into Natti, but not on the scale as that NY show that finished off with guitarist/vocalist Seth crowd-surfing his way up to the boat’s balcony. There weren’t any moments like that at GS, but I think I was spoiled for that NY gig. Either way, it’s great to see these guys rising through the ranks and chugging out quality records every few months or so. I’ll make every effort to see them next time around and who knows what that show might bring. This was a fun night, but I surmise the most fun is yet to come!
Playing some songs and talking!
Watch: http://blip.tv/seriousbusinessonbtr/banditas-serious-business-on-btr-ep84-6261408
Featured in Pitchfork‘s 5-10-15-20 series: http://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/8895-thee-oh-sees-john-dwyer/?utm_medium=site&utm_source=ticker&utm_name=ticker
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Also, check out Thee Oh Sees performing “Enemy Destruct” at the 2012 P-Fork Fest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CycwR8yqqJ4&feature=channel&list=UL
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 