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.

[mp3] BOAT- “Price of Tacoma”

[mp3] BOAT- “Lately”

both are from Setting the Paces…if you like these you are sure to love the whole album.

Buy Setting the Paces here!

then…..

Go see BOAT play live, on what I think is a very rare East Coast tour:

“we could be the touring band and eat take out food every night of the week, but I’m not all that interested in that” (from “Jeff Fell Dream #48″)

• 11/11/09-  Boston, Massachusetts @ PA’s Lounge
• 11/12/09-  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Pilam (all ages!)
• 11/13/09- Brooklyn, New York @ Union Hall
• 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.

Links:

• Boat’s Website
• Magic Market Records
• more this week in mail order.

As I said yesterday, I was on the fence about Those Dancing Days.  The singles that I had heard were good, but I wanted to see more…and last night I did.  From a band with so much pop in the recording the live show has to be something special, and entertaining…I use Los Campesinos as a gold standard for this measure.

Those Dancing Days were spot on last night.  They played for almost an hour straight to a well attended show at Union Hall. Their entire set was really tight (including a Britney Spears cover)  Each of the ladies had their own style, but meshed cohesively.  Over all I have to say that I was really impressed, and that they made what was kind of a crappy Thursday a whole lot better. Wichita Records should get on this, and get these ladies a tour with Los Campesinos…that would be an amazing show (add So Cow, and it would be even better!).

Here are the pictures from last night:

More photos from the show are available here. (I might upload more too.  I thought I had more of the keyboard player, but she is more or less absent…I’ll try to fix that this weekend)

More on Those Dancing Days (including mp3/video) here.

So I’m now kicking myself for going to see Nick Krgovich at Cake Shop rather than seeing Liechtenstein at Bruar Falls last week.  Liechtenstein have penetrated my ipod, and I have to say that I am very excited for this new 10″ to come out on Slumberland.  Their vein of all girl pop (there are three of them) brings to mind  twee of the past, think Talulah Gosh and Tiger Trap, with their own twist.  Great summer music… check it out:

[mp3] Liechtenstein- Roses in the Park (Pre-Order it here!)

It was bad enough missing Liechtenstein, but Cats on Fire opened that show, who are not from Sweden but from Finland… but that doesn’t matter because his Morrisey esque voice, and excellent pop tunes have been sounding great to me.  I have only heard a couple tracks, but they seem to be worth exploring…I just wish that new record was on LP.  Here is where I started:

[mp3] Cats on Fire- “Lay Down Your Arms” (via The Finest Kiss) (buy it here!)

But enough about what I missed (and you missed, or if you were smart, what you saw).  The topic at hand today is another bit of Sweden, and this time it is five women instead of three .  I’m talking about Those Dancing Days. I was clued into them when klk saw their video for “Hitten” on New York Noise a couple weeks ago, and since we have explored their music a little further, but are still a little bit on the fence.  I figure that there is no better way to form and opinion either way than seeing them live.

Those Dancing Days have one more tour date in the US, and it’s tonight:

5/28/09 (tonight!)- Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall – Those Dancing Days (playing 2nd) w/ Mancino and Brain Fang

They do make some cute music videos:

Those Dancing Days- “Hitten”

Those Dancing Days- “Run Run”

Those Dancing Days- “Home Sweet Home”

[mp3] Those Dancing Days- “Those Dancing Days” (via MBV) (It’s an import so it’s pricey, but you can still buy it here!)

Last but not least is my favorite Swede Jens Lekman!  Jens has been off the scene since sometime last year, and is finally back…this time in the form of a mix tape.  Jens’ summer mix is full of dance jams Jens style, and I’m totes digging on it.  Check it out here:

[mp3] Jens Lekman- The Summer Never Ends Mixtape

So ya’ll there is a lot going on this weekend!

(Calvin Johnson and the Hive Dwellers at 92nd Street Y Tribeca)

Tonight Friday April 24th!

Julie Doiron & Katie Stelmanis @ Cake Shop (early show starts at 8pm, Julie’s on at 9pm)

Gary War w/ Sore Eros and more @ Pianos

Jeremy Jay @ Union Hall

Blank Dogs and Cold Cave @ Secret Robot Project

Tomorrow Saturday April 25th:

Oneida and Pterodactyl @ Monster Island Basement

Box Elders and Greg Ashley @ Cake Shop

Blank Dogs and Jeremy Jay @ The Silent Barn

Julie Doiron and Purse Snatchers @ Union Hall

Ponytail and Real Estate @ MHOW

Sunday April 26th:

Chain and the Gang , Calvin Johnson , Mahjongg , Noah Britton@ Market Hotel

Monday April 27th

Lord Dog Bird and Micah Blue Smaldone @ Cake Shop

I won’t make it to all of them, but if I was a super hero I would.

Julie Doiron has been making music for many years now, and it all started back in 1990 with Eric’s Trip.  I wish I would have know about Julie back in high school and college, when all those Eric’s Trip 7″s were sitting on the shelf at 52.5…I guess I was too punk rock or hardcore or something to explore it at that time, but I’m glad I found her now.  She has been releasing solo recordings since 1993 (first as Broken Girl, and then as Julie Doiron)

I guess what opened my eyes to Julie Doiron’s beautiful music was her collaboration with Mount Eerie and Fred Squire last year titled Lost Wisdom.  Admittedly I am a really big Phil Elverum fan, and Lost Wisdom almost brings me to tears each time I listen to it.  I have to say that there really couldn’t have been a better way for me to be introduced to Julie Doiron, and he lovely voice.

It was about a month ago that I tracked down Doiron’s newest album I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day, and I’m so very glad that I did.  I had been told that her previous albums were depressingly beautiful so I wasn’t expecting I Can Wonder… to be a wonderfully up lifting album.  While you get a couple tracks on this album that are mellow with just Julie singing and playing guitar…those tracks are interspersed with really rocking heavier numbers (almost in the vein of Scout Niblett, but less abrasive) that really show how talented and diverse Doiron can be.  I Can Wonder… is a nice counter balance to Lost Wisdom, and I have tended to listen to them back to back…going from depressed to more or less happy in under two hours (manic depressive through music I guess).  It is a wonderful thing for one artist to be able to convey such diverse strong feelings through their music, and this is what Julie Doiron does best.

Other than Mount Eerie, Doiron has collaborated with Calvin Johnson and Herman Dune and many others.

I was able to see Julie play with Mount Eerie, but now that I am familiar with her solo work I am excited about the upcoming shows this weekend here in New York:

4/24/09- New York, NY @ Cake Shop (Early Show: Julie goes on at 9pm)

4/25/09-Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall

for other tour dates check out her click here.

[mp3] Julie Doiron- “Spill Yer Lungs”

“Spill Yer Lungs” is possibly my favorite song off of her new album.  Buy I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day here! If you can make it out to either of these shows I think you will be very happy that you did.  See you at Cake Shop.

The Mommyheads played a very short set on Saturday afternoon at Union Hall for the Second Annual Memorial show for Jan Koti, their drummer, who pasted away in 2007.

for more pictures from the show click here.