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e x
via Myspace
Friday, September 19, 2008
Erol Alkan's Phantasy
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Artist Spotlight: Plastic Little
Plastic Little are the latest in the new wave of old school hip hop acts (is that a contradiction in terms?). The Philadelphia natives have been making a name for themselves slowly but surely, releasing mix tapes and working with or remixing an impressive list of people ranging from Diplo to Mark Ronson.
Their album, Welcome To The Jang House, is full of impossibly clever mash-ups and grimy beats that would undoubtedly have Theo Huxtable "jammin on the 1!" They'll be opening for Santogold this Friday. Look out for our show coverage.
Plastic Little was recently featured as The Guardian's New Band of the Day No.388.
Read the New York Times article on Cool Kids and the recent nostalgia for 1980s-90s hip hop .
Plastic Little video for The Jump Off:
MP3: Plastic Little - Foil or zShare
MP3: Plastic Little - Foil or zShare
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Album Preview: Kings of Leon "Only By The Night"
Click the image above to listen NOW!+ Kings of Leon will perform on Saturday Night Live this Saturday
Rehearsal Space with We Are Scientists
Enjoy the intriguing video segment below featuring We Are Scientists as they discuss popularity in the UK, the advantages of being signed to a major label, the process of recording music and "how one member's hobby either created or nearly destroyed the band." Thanks Katie!
MP3: We Are Scientists - Be My Baby (Ronettes Cover) or zShare
Beck, MGMT, Girl Talk, Vampire Weekend Presales
Beck w/ MGMT
October 8, United Palace
3rd & final night added!
On Sale Thurs at 10AM
MGMT
October 30, Webster Hall
October 31, Music Hall of Williamsburg
On Sale Fri at Noon
Girl Talk
November 18, Terminal 5
3rd & final night added!
On Sale Now
Vampire Weekend
December 4, Terminal 5
2nd night added!
On Sale Now
MP3: Beck - Go it Alone or zShare
The Day and Age of The Killers
The highly-anticipated new Killers' record titled Day and Age is set to be released on November 25th. Day and Age will be the band's third studio album (not including the B-Sides record, Sawdust). As previously reported, the album will be produced by electro-genius Stuart Price, and the first single will be titled "Human."
I am eagerly awaiting this record and accompanying tour. See the pictures I snapped from their surprise gig at Highline Ballroom in July here!
The Metros Debut Album FINALLY Out!
Here it is kids, The Metros' More Money Less Grief. The debut album from TLC's favorite South London rabblerousers finally came out in the UK Monday, September 15 on 1965 Records (no word yet on a US release).
As you can tell from the album cover (left) these fellas don't take themselves too seriously. Tongues firmly planted in cheeks, the boys have the songwriting chops and street cred to back them up.
If you're in London see them at the teeny tiny Borderline next week.
We brought you the video for single, Talk About It, back in July. Now check out the behind the scenes footage of the Peckham romp:
MP3: The Metros - Education Pt.2
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Kooks and The Wombats Rock Asbury Park
These two fabulous British bands, The Kooks and The Wombats, got together for one night last Friday, September 12 to play an intimate show at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ.
TLC friend Rachel Pesin was there. Read her review below:
Though I was struck down with a cold and pain from wisdom teeth removal, I just had to suck it up and head down to the New Jersey beach to see The Wombats AND The Kooks (a double whammy of goodness!) at the famed Stone Pony; a gig this good is the kind you can't pass up.
First up were The Wombats, who really riled up the crowd and got us excited for The Kooks. I really love The Wombats' music but always thought something was missing from their live show; not so this time--they were great! Their fast-paced, indie-rock disco tunes had the audience moving their feet. They even encouraged the crowd to get to know one another by saying something like, "Now's the time to touch the person next to you...even if you don't know them." How can you not like a band that tries to facilitate such strange comraderie?
After a quick changeover, The Kooks came on. What can I say about them? They kill it live every time you see them. Every catchy, poppy love song they play has the girls swooning, the guys jumping around, and everybody singing along. What was different about this show was the size of the venue and the age of the audience. Through hard work and constant touring, The Kooks have gained more and more fans and played larger venues each time they come back, which made seeing them in the tiny Stone Pony a real treat. Though I was all the way in the back of the venue, I was still only thirty feet away from the stage--that's something you just don't get at bigger venues or festivals.
As for the crowd, I would say the majority of the people there were well under 21; probably in the mid to late teens. To some this might seem normal, but this really surprised me. I had no idea that teens of today had stopped solely listening to mainstream music and ventured out of the box. I know The Kooks have pretty accessible music, but it still takes effort to get into them, love them, buy a ticket to their concert, and show up and sing along to every song; I was thoroughly impressed. And it wasn't just The Kooks--I looked around during The Wombats' set and saw a bunch of kids singing along to their music, too. When I was 15 and saw The Strokes at the Stone Pony in 2001, I was the only person there under 21. It seems like the musical taste of young kids today is changing, and that couldn't make me happier.
The Wombats Kill The Director at Stone Pony 9/12/08:
MP3: The Wombats - Patience (Take That cover)
MP3: The Kooks - Kids (MGMT cover)
MP3: The Wombats - Patience (Take That cover)
MP3: The Kooks - Kids (MGMT cover)
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Upcoming Gig Spotlight: Noah and the Whale Take NYC
Call them what you will...neo-folk, anti-folk, etc, but Noah and The Whale are definitely refreshingly clever indie-pop with an overtly folksy twinge and an unabashed Wes Anderson infatuation that strongly influences their aesthetic.
The Londoners have been doing very well in the UK and are probably most recognizable to those in the US from their song, 5 Years Time, which was featured in a whimsical Saturn car commercial.
Their debut album, Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down, gets its US release on Tuesday. The album features backing vocals from the lovely Laura Marling (vocalist and songwriter Charlie Fink produced Laura's debut Alas, I Cannot Swim).
Catch Noah and the Whale as they play three nights in NYC:
+ Union Pool 9/16 (tix still available)
+ Sidewalk Cafe 9/18
+ Mercury Lounge 9/19 (tix still available)
NYC To Try Out Double Deckers
Until now, the only double decker buses New Yorkers have seen since the 1950s are the sightseeing buses with open tops, traversing the city full of wide eyed, camera faced tourists. Starting this month, the MTA will be testing out a few double decker buses for public transportation.
These buses are more energy efficient with low emissions and seat more (83 people!) than the average bus. The buses are being tested out on a few routes for a monthly trial and if they pass the tests, we should expect to see more.
Read the NY Times article here.
Look out for the buses on these routes:
1) X17J from Staten Island
2) BXM3 from
3) M15 Limited along First and Second Avenues
4) M5 Manhattan's Westside
5) Fifth Avenue
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Lovely 2 C Goldfrapp at Radio City Music Hall
I attended my first ever Goldfrapp concert last night at Radio City Music Hall, with opener Martha Wainwright. I really enjoyed Martha's folky sound complete with a smokey, raspy voice over an acoustic guitar. My favorite songs from her set was a song called "BMA," which was unexpectedly explicit and a French song that her mother came out and played keyboard for.
The show began with Allison shining through a backdrop of lights, arms spread like wings and singing the opening notes of Utopia. The first half of the concert continued with mostly songs from the band's latest album, Seventh Tree. Allison finally gave us all what we really wanted when she sang songs from the ultra successful Supernature including: Train, Ooh La La, and the show stopper Strict Machine (and a hint of the remix from We Are Glitter). For the remainder of the night, my pal and I caught ourselves attempting to hit those notes from Strict Machine. My only complaint about the show was the choice of venue, why Radio City Music Hall? The venue is expensive Goldfrapp is so dancey, who wants to be seated? Unfortunately this intimidated most concert goers to stay seated during the show, but not I!
Martha Wainwright
Friday, September 12, 2008
High Places, Crystal Stilts and Deastro at Le Poisson Rouge
Last night I attended my first gig at the newly opened Le Poisson Rouge in Soho. I must say the venue is really beautiful, classy, artsy and decor-wise it trumps all. I missed the first act, Breathe Owl Breathe but I'm told they were interesting. I got my $7 vodka and tonic and set up shop for Deastro. Not bad musically, but definitely not my cup of tea. Next up was Crystal Stilts, a band whose Joy Divison + Morrissey influences are definitely apparent in instrumentation and the lead singer's performance...not that it's a bad thing! I really enjoyed their set and found my hair in my face and my hands drumming along. Unfortunately the studio tracks don't do their live performance any justice. Nonetheless, definitely check out the track below.
I saw High Places back in July at The Yard's Mid-Summer Outdoor Party and was delightfully intruiged. Obviously the sound at Le Poisson Rouge blew the outdoor sound at The Yard out of the water. Lead singer, Mary's vocals weaved in and out of techy beats and thumping drums courtesy of Rob as the duo breezed through an impressive set. The crowd packed in, flailing around bobbing their heads to the multi-layered tribal-esque percussion sound that High Places has become known for. Look for our upcoming interview with the band in the near future. Have any questions for the band? Post them here and we'll try to get some answers.
Crystal Stilts
Deastro
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