NYC Popfest, I have to thank you for being one of very few reasons that BOAT actually leave the comfort of their beloved pacific northwest and come all the way out to New York City to play some music.
People who have been following the Great Pumpkin know that BOAT’s amazing album of up beat post-twee pop music titled Setting the Paces was one that I loved last year (my rave review can be found here), and their performance at Bruar Falls back in November was one of the live performance highlights of 2009 for me…it included: posters, signs, dancing, jokes, baseball, but no confetti (supposedly Tim Harrington came and took it…lots of videos of this show can be found below).
But this time around BOAT is in town for Pop Fest, and are playing not one, but two Pop Fest shows, and another special appearance this Thursday at Bruar Falls! Here are the dates/details:
I highly recommend catching BOAT while they are here…they can pick up your spirits, put you in the presence of good people, and give you a great time…even if you don’t know the words you will be singing along. If you need more convincing check out the mp3s, videos, poster, and dog below. See you at Bruar Falls!
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Mr. David Crane of BOAT was nice enough to send over this wonderful poster that BOAT did for the upcoming show at Bruar Falls…for more of BOAT’s art click here.
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When BOAT was here back in November I shot a bunch of video at Bruar Falls…here are a couple, and there will be more after the jump (an mp3 after the jump too!):
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I would also like to take the chance to congratulate David on the new addition to his family…meet Boom (named after The Sonics’album), a Sharpei mix who was adopted from the Tacoma Humane Society!
If Boom is anything like my Cooper he has quickly become David’s new best friend.
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More on BOAT here.
More videos (and an MP3) after the jump!
While it seems that most of the world has been partying at SXSW some bands have actually been on tour playing a different city every night. One of those bands being the Box Elders, who happen to be on tour with Black Lips.
Box Elders released a wonderful 7″ of self proclaimed Cave Pop in 2008 (which is shockingly still available through Grotto Records), and followed it up with a excellent first LP, Alice and Friends, on Memphis’ Goner Records.
“Hole In My Head” was the first single (on both of the above mentioned records), and I found myself singing a lot last spring while riding my bike. While Cave Rock might seem like something dark, Box Elders present it in a way that seems cool and damp. ”Hole In My Head” is the song that got this band stuck on many music fans iPods, and turntables, and it’s garage rock meets almost a Mammas and the Pappas retro haze.
Alice & Friends carried on this tradition, and I’m excited to get the chance to see them play all of these songs live. Their live shows are intense, with every member of the band completely enthralled in the music. Alice & Friends brought a slight calypso tone to the drums at times, and some girl group backing vocals were thrown in to reinforce that same quirky 60′s influenced rock n’ roll that we have come to expect from these Omaha, Nebraska natives. The title track of the record is named after the bands favorite vegan BBQ restaurant, and comes early on the album…it is a perfect example of Box Elders light hearted hazy rock and roll that I expect will rock Black Lips fans live:
I’m a little nervous to see them in a venue like Brooklyn Bowl or Bowery Ballroom after the magic of their intimate performance at Bruar Falls last March, and if you share this sentiment you are in luck because the first stop on the Box Elders NYC stint in back at Bruar Falls (without Black Lips).
Whether they are dressed in loin cloths, capes, or just regular clothes it’s sure to be an awesome show…and make sure to keep an eye on their drummer…he is a mad man on both keyboards and drums all at the same time. Box Elders prove that Saddle Creek isn’t the only thing coming out of Omaha.
I just got my bike back from the shop, and plan on belting out some Box Elders on my way to the show…tomorrow is going to be fun.
A couple days before Twin Sister played Bruar Falls with Pure Ecstasy, Hunter from Infinite Best Records sent over a track by them called “Kimmi In A Ricefield.” Twin Sister had been getting a lot of blog press, but this was the first track that I heard by them…and I was absolutely floored. Hunter knew I was liked minded catching the White Lodge reference.
While Twin Sister’s sound is ever evolving “Kimmi In A Ricefield” is an instrumental track that evokes the eeriness of the woods, and not just any woods those of the Pacific North West. Maybe it was just Hunter’s suggestion of hearing this song for the first time after a two week long Twin Peaks marathon, but it’s pretty clear that Twin Sister was channeling Angelo Badalamenti during the song writing process on this one. This enchanting track diverges from Badalamenti influence with the use of light dance grooves, and echoing percussion creating something that is very much their own. Even in a track like this that seems like this that seems far from a dance jam… Twin Sister can put their subtle touch on it, and make it entirely unique and with a bit of a indie disco edge. The night that this song was sent over I sat at the computer, and listened to it over and over…I hope you have the same experience:
“Kimmi In A Ricefield” is a master piece, and I can only hope to hear more music that sounds like this from Twin Sister. This track has been available on Twin Sister’s website for quite sometime now, and will be featured on The Report compilation being put out by none other than Chocolate Bobka.
While their live set was very different from the track above that didn’t take away from their talent and showmanship. Twin Sister was initially supposed to play before Pure Ecstasy, but they ended up headlining. While Pure Ecstasy was great, but no one could have followed Twin Sister that night. Extremely tight, and for a band I had heard very little of their music they truly blew me away. This band is a pleasure to see live, and they have many tour dates coming up (see the bottom of this post) so go check them out. I’m extremely happy with how some of my photos came from that night, and I am very excited to share them with you. These photos are from the White Lodge.
If you would like to hear more Twin Sister you can download their fabulous EP Vampires With Dreaming Kids for free here.
Mar 31 2010 @ Case Western University w/ Holiday Shores –>Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 1 2010 @ Cameo w/ Holiday Shores –>Brooklyn, New York
Apr 9 2010 @ Bowery Ballroom w/ Xiu Xiu, Tune-Yards, Zola Jesus –>New York, New York
Apr 10 2010 @ The Middle East (Downstairs) w/ Xiu Xiu, Tune-Yards –> Cambridge, Massachusetts
Apr 13 2010 @ First Unitarian Church w/ Xiu Xiu, Tune-Yards –>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 14 2010 @ DC9 w/ Xiu Xiu, Tune Yards –> District of Columbia, Washington DC
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These photos of Twin Sister were taken on January 29th, 2010 at Bruar Falls, and are from the White Lodge. If you would like to use one of these photos please link back to the flickr page, and credit the White Lodge.
When your first introduction to a band is a cover song an initial opinion is typically made pretty quick, and there was no exception with Pure Ecstasy.
Winter time is the time of year, oddly enough, when I gravitate towards reggae…I bust out my Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, Soul Jazz and Pressure Sounds comps, Scientist LPs, and The Abyssinians…but I honestly don’t own anything by Toots & The Maytals…that didn’t mean I wasn’t familiar with “Pressure Drop.”
“Pressure Drop” is one of those songs that if you have the slightest interest in reggae as a genre you have probably heard(or maybe you have heard one of the many covers of it), and to hear a cover coming from a fuzzy indie band I can say at the very least I was skeptical, but I shouldn’t have been.
But Austin, Texas’ Pure Ecstasy hit this one right on. Pure Ecstasy manages to stay true to both the song itself, and to their own sound. While it’s not clean cut that it is a cover of a reggae classic, but the tone and vibe manage to remain true to the original. On top of this Pure Ecstasy manage to incorporate their lightly fuzzed out mellow pop into it, and let both sides shine. In my opinion they accomplish everything that should be present in a good cover song.
originally appeared on Friendship Bracelet Club Vol 2. (get that here)
Bringing Pure Ecstasy back to their own tunes is the track “Easy” the A Side off of their 7″ on Light Lodge Records. I was able to pick this 7″ up when I saw them play at Bruar Falls with Twin Sister last month (which is also where these pictures were taken). “Easy” showcases Pure Ecstasy’s laid back indie pop, and has been playing on my iPod way before I got the 7″. I’m so used to short songs these days, and everytime I play “Easy” I forget that it is a four minute jam…mellow, and long enough to let you truly get into it and relax. Just when you think the track is over it goes into a ambient drone with just a vocal melody…and the then the guitar kicks back in to finish out the song… a perfect end to the track.
After listening to “Easy” you can really see that Pure Ecstasy’s sound really does shine in “Pressure Drop.” Looking forward to more from these dudes. I know their trip to NYC wasn’t the best…some asshole had to steal their guitar. I really hope they will be back.
My first show of Twenty Ten will be tonight, and as far as I’m concerned it couldn’t be any better than Julian Lynch. Julian Lynch made one of my favorite records of 2009 (my lists are still to come), and he will be contributing his own best of list to the Great Pumpkin later this week! I also hope to shoot a little video at the show tonight as well…we will see.
If you can make it this should be a really good show(oh and it’s FREE!), honestly it would be a really good show if Julian was the only one playing…but I’m pretty excited to see Big Troubles as well.
I’ve been digging on the Julian Lynch tracks that Friendship Bracelet posted a while back from the Birthday CDr on Buffalo Songs, and I thought I would share one here with you now. Just as dreamy as Orange You Glad, but with some found tapes and loops added in…initially reminded me of the backwards speak in Twin Peaks.
Grass Widow have released two 12″s with in a matter of months. Their self titled record on Make A Messwas one of those albums that I looked for for ever, but had no luck. The first pressing of the LP went out of print very quickly, and even though I tried calling record stores in other parts of the country trying to mail order it I had no luck. From what I understand the remaining copies of this LP floating around at your local shop are from the second pressing…that appears to be going out of print as fast as the first. It was a nice surprise walking into Permanent Records, and seeing this one up on the wall long after I had given up on it.
Girl pop seems to be king, or queen in this case, and these days there is no shortage of all girl bands…but there are three that I feel are a step above the rest, and Grass Widow is one of those.
Their debut full length on Make A Mess channels a more powerful force, at least for me. In the depths of their music I can feel the faintest hints of Beat Happening. One might think that this would be a hard thing to pull out of their music being that they are an all girl band, and that one of the corner stones of Beat Happening is Calvin Johnson’s baritone voice, but it is more the subtleties in the music more than a direct comparison that brings this to mind….a vocal cadence or part of a drum beat. It’s not necessary to see this, but it’s something I pick up on…and in the end anything that reminds me of Beat Happening tends to be a winner with me.
I feel that Grass Widow emphasis this on “Celebrate the Mundane” the second track off the Make A Mess full length. Even at first listen Grass Widow are clearly different than their contemporaries in the way that they utilize every member of the band. All three of the women in Grass Widow contribute to the vocals, and it is not just on choruses but at times all three of them are simultaneously singing different lyrics….creating harmonies that at first don’t seem possible. This combination of lyrics, vocals, cadence, and harmony are where I truly see the connections I alluded to above, but occasionally in the beat as well.
Grass Widow bring in the the horns later on in the LP, and overall have created a truly beautiful post-twee record. Extremely impressive as a debut LP, and one that has been spinning on the turntable and headphones for weeks. It’s looking like this is another one in my year end list as well.
A couple Sundays ago Grass Widow jumped on the bill for the Tom Tom Magazine launch party at Bruar Falls. Grass Widow had been playing shows all weekend, but I didn’t quite make it to any of them, and when I heard this show was at Bruar Falls I couldn’t not go. If you the Great Pumpkin you already know this, but Bruar Falls just happens to be my favorite venue right now…so the location was perfect.
I got to Bruar Falls about 20 minutes before Grass Widow went on, and the place was totally packed. It seemed like more people were there for the magazine than the music (this was made clear by how many people just talked through the bands sets), but I guess that could be expected. I was a little surprised by the music that was being played between sets…after all Tom Tom Magazine is a magazine about female drummers, but I’m pretty sure there wasn’t an actual drum set used in any of the dance/hip hop music that was being played (I guess a party atmosphere was the desired effect)….just thought this was odd and worth mentioning.
By time Grass Widow took the stage I was really ready to hear the music that I came for, and these ladies brought it. With songs like “Celebrate the Mundane” and “To Where” it can be hard for a band to pull it off live, but Grass Widow were well practiced and sounded great even on what I assume, due to the distance they traveled without a full tour, was borrowed equipment. It’s really impressive that all three of their vocals can be so tight in a live setting. I was able to capture some of this on video, and I am now happy to share it with you.
While reviewing my recordings I realized that I didn’t know three of the tracks I taped. I emailed Grass Widow, and Hannah was kind enough to help me identify them.
Hannah informed me that the three tracks are from their yet to be recorded album for Slumberland Records! Grass Widow will be hitting the studio in January, and these three tracks, and many others, will be put to tape. Enjoy:
Grass Widow- “Give Me Shapes”
Grass Widow- “Landscape”
Grass Widow- “Uncertain Memory”
Thanks to Hannah, and the rest of Grass Widow, for identifying these songs for me. I’m really looking forward to the new record, and to your return to New York!
A couple weeks ago I got a copy of BOAT‘s new album Setting the Paces. It’s not unlike me to get obsessive over an album, but it has been damn hard to get Setting the Paces out of my headphones (literally at least once a day since I got it).
BOAT make up beat indie pop with catchy hooks, and lyrics that are borderline twee (and as you probably know I have no problem with this) that latched on to my brain. When some bad things started happening around me lat week I was really glad to have BOAT to help pull me out of the sadness.
Setting the Paces is BOAT’s 3rd LP, but the first that I am hearing…and if it is any indication of their other work there is a strong chance I might end up with all of them.
BOAT was one of those bands that didn’t initially sink in, and “Name Tossing” was the first track that I heard (and this was long before I heard the whole album). It ended up on a mix I made out of tracks I downloaded. At first I was indifferent, then I kept going back to it, and then I played it on repeat…it was a slow but gradual progression to obsession. At that point I snagged a couple more tracks from The Finest Kiss and Soundbites, two blogs that have been championing BOAT for quite a while.
There is something intensely personal about BOAT. Their songs aren’t just songs…they are stories about friends, family, life, and fantasy. BOAT is a band that indie pop fans will probably fall in love with, and if the musicians are anything like their music…people you would want to be friends with as well. When a band writes a description of their own music…I am typically skeptical…but I think BOAT’s is true to form:
Reptile boy vocals being sung in the same room with many guitars, a bass, two drumsets, a Wurlitzer, several keyboards, mediocre talent, fragile egos, some soft tacos, a piece of pizza, and several Diet Cokes. (via)
Besides the diet cokes, this sounds pretty much amazing…and Setting the Paces is the product of this. And from this description you can only expect lyrics about eating nachos, hanging out with the family, friends of past and present, and stories of sadness and success. You will probably find yourself singing along with lines like “I knew you when your mini van was up on cinder blocks” (from “Reverie”) or “I was eating nachos, sitting with my mother, talking bout nothing, talking about growing….up in New Jersey, a state without a hero…who could be our hero? Drive into the City!” (from “Lately”). It’s very seldom that a band can write lyrics like this, and not sound cheesy…but rather completely honest and sincere, and from what I can tell…BOAT does this better than anyone.
11/14/09- Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls
If you can make it to any of these shows I’m pretty sure that it is guaranteed to be an energetic fun filled night. I don’t know about you, but I think I can use one of those. Setting the Paces appears to be BOAT’s first album to be put out on LP, and I can’t wait to pick one up on Saturday at Bruar Falls. BOAT claims that their line up for this East Coast tour knows 23 BOAT songs, and all will be played…I predict good things to come of this.
This past Monday Dum Dum Girls played a show at Bruar Falls. The show might have been last minute, or at the least not very publicized, but when I got there at a quarter after eleven the bar was packed. Monday’s are typically a free show night at Bruar Falls, but no one seemed to have a problem paying five bucks to see one of Sub Pop‘s newest acts.
I picked up the Yours Alone the 12″ EP that came out on Captured Tracks back in March, and have been pretty into that record. The songs are solid, but I didnt’ really know how it would transfer to a full band format. In July the Dum Dum’s played with Dee Dee fronting the band, and Mike Sniper, Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles (her husband), and Frankie Rose, but this show at Bruar Falls showed the Dum Dum Girls new line up…Frankie Rose is still on drums, but they are joined by Jules and Bambi.
The four ladies on stage were dressed to impress, and their music did the same thing. The fuzzy lo-fi sound that I was expecting totally fell away, and the Dum Dum Girls brought loud, slightly gothy, rock and roll to the audience. The vocals and the guitars were crisp…it was perfectly wonderful. For a band that has only played like 10 shows (or any band for that matter) these ladies totally have it together, and I was completely impressed. I can’t wait to hear the full length that is slated for Sub Pop…it should be a great record.
The ladies played for just under45 minutes, and a couple of the songs were from records that I have heard, but the majority were new to me. I captured a couple of them on video to share with you…if you happen to know the name of the last song…please let me know…as far as I know it is unreleased.
Dum Dum Girls- “Don’t Talk To Me” (G.G. Allin cover)
the white lodge is a photography collaboration between klk and myself. We specialize in analog photography using both 35mm and medium format film. Please check out our flickr.
i occasionally post mp3s and videos on this blog for the sole purpose of promoting artists that I believe deserve attention. all songs are for sampling purposes only, if you like it there will be a link to buy music from the artist (or tour dates...go see them!). if by chance I post an mp3 or video with audio that you own, and you would like me to take it down please let me know. you can reach me at:
(tom at gprecs.com)
in this instance i am very sorry.
it's a slippery slope. RT: @mattlemay: This whole "hit the 'like' button to access this content" thing on Facebook is incredibly obnoxious.about 14 hours agofrom Echofon
