Comme Ci, Comme Ça

Delightful.

2010-10-19T16:04:00.001-04:00

Corin Tucker Band video

2010-10-04T16:40:00.001-04:00

MxDwn.com review of Keane's Night Train EP

2010-09-30T12:45:00.003-04:00

No Passengers, Please

When you look at some of the finer-tuned pop acts from the UK in the past decade, Keane make a lot of sense. With acts like U2 and Oasis paving the way for softer, polished acts like Travis and Snow Patrol to make a killing, you could see how Keane could achieve accolades like Q’s best album and track of 2008, or the Brit Awards’ Best Breakthrough Act. But with their eight-song extended player Night Train, Keane have steered the train right off the track.

A tour of their earlier singles reveal infectious and beautiful piano melodies (”Somewhere Only We Know” from Hopes and Fears) giving way to more complex and electrified work like “Is It Any Wonder?” (from Under the Iron Sea) and “Spiralling,” (from 2008’s Perfect Symmetry). Night Train finds Keane stridently embracing the electronics of some their idols—Depeche Mode, a-ha, Pet Shop Boys but in a dreadful direction. Their invitation of guests only adds to the ghastliness bringing rappers into the studio. Oh boy, is it dreadful.

After gentle opening instrumental “House Lights,” lead single “Stop For a Minute” starts with a melodic and joyous piano-driven vibe, but then features verses from Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan, whose voice is somewhere between Lil’ Jon and will.i.am fed through Autotune. “Back in Time” and “My Shadow” attempt to make things better, but the ghastly cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s “Ishin Denshin (You’ve Got To Help Yourself)” features the indecipherable and flat voice of Japanese baile-funk singer Tigarah. “Looking Back” brings K’naan back to disappoint again and samples, to cruel effect, “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky.

Night Train has nothing more appealing than anything from Keane’s past. Naysayers or newbies to the Brit superstars’ sound may now have a hard time cheering them on; fans will see Keane as clearly lost and this EP as atrocious.

MxDwn.com link.

Debbie Harry Worship

2010-09-30T12:38:00.003-04:00

In my constant reverence for the diva in all shapes and sizes, I shine the light, now, on Miss Deborah Harry. The woman is 65 years old and one of the most iconic women of punk rock of all time. Really, who rivals her? Patti Smith, sure, Chrissie Hynde, OK. But Patti and Chrissie were grungy, dirty girls in all black with busted faces. There’s no doubt that Patti’s Horses (1975) beat Debbie to the punch with the whole “girls can rock and don’t mess with us” thing. But with 1978′s Parallel Lines, Harry and Blondie hit it out of the park. And boy did they have style doing it.

Blondie’s first was their self-titled album in 1976, attempting to cash in on the synergy of art, rock, glamour and punk evidenced by the success of NYC joints like CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and Studio 54. Harry had been in some bands before Blondie: a folk rock outfit called The Wind in the Willows in the late ’60s, then a rock band called The Stilettos, where she met her soon-to-be-boyfriend and co-band leader, Chris Stein. By then, Harry had been a waitress, a dancer, and a Playboy bunny, and it was her famous two-tone blonde mane that attracted plenty of Hey Blondie!‘s from many a drive-by truck and a-hole. Well, she certainly cashed in on that crass catcalling in the most powerful way possible: becoming a music and fashion icon.

The band’s first two efforts were more or less commercial duds. But somehow the stars aligned with Parallel Lines and four of the album’s biggest hits have sold twenty million copies since its September 1978 release: "Heart of Glass," "Sunday Girl," "One Way Or Another," and my absolute favorite, "Hanging On The Telephone." This was also an album that meshed nicely with the emergence of music video culture; "Heart of Glass" and "Hanging" are GREAT videos where Harry’s cool, casual lip-synching are overshadowed by her expressive eyes and glossy, red lips. Or, furthermore, by the uncanny control of her voice, especially with "Hanging," during which her voice often transforms into one of the sexiest growls in rock history.

The following two records did fairly well with 1980′s Autoamerican giving us "Rapture" and "The Tide Is High," but it’s "Hanging" that, to me, represents the perceived mad woman, the woman on the edge of insanity, the woman who’ll destroy your world if you let her.

She’s the woman I want to know. She’s a woman I wish my world could’ve overlapped with 32 years ago.
–BILL CHENEVERT

SO VERY GLOSSY!

Fall Records Preview for Very Glossy

2010-09-30T12:32:00.002-04:00

Summer was kind enough to give us some of the most exciting new releases of the year: Big Boi, Robyn, Kele, Kylie, Scissor Sisters, Menomena, and Arcade Fire… to name a few. This fall, we’re hoping another batch of musical wunderkinds give us something worth salivating over. Here you have a broken-down list including some of the records that show up on the radar of greatness within the coming months. Let’s discuss highlights, shall we?

Indie boys and girls have something to shout about on the front-ended tip: Chromeo, Of Montreal, The Walkmen, Flying Lotus, Deerhunter, No Age, and UNKLE all have records out this month. Then in October, they’ll get a new Belle & Sebastian, Badly Drawn Boy, and Sufjan Stevens (though let’s hope it’s not another BQE experiment)…

Oh, their twee-loving heads will want to pop! Punk princesses will delight with a new Corin Tucker experiment that promises to blow minds; and hip hop heads have plenty to look forward to as well, especially at the end of September: Gucci Mane, Ice Cube, Jeezy, T.I., and Akon have all got discs for us…

Some older folks are trying to come back this year with LPs, some are laughable and some are genuinely intriguing (you pick): Olivia Newton-John, Robert Plant, Weezer, Paula Cole (intrigued!), Bad Religion, Gin Blossoms, Neil Young, Bryan Ferry, Elton John, and Rod Stewart… go ‘head!

Country fans have a few gems already in the newly-released Justin Townes Earle and Megafaun gems, but what we’re really curious about is Kid Rock, aren’t we? Rick Rubin‘s behind him, maybe we can be too!

Last but not least, for our gay dancefloors, we have several gifts from the gods: Shontelle, Mark Ronson, Antony and the Johnsons (remixed, of course), Kelly Rowland, and the much-anticipated Nicki Minaj solo album will keep us giddy in wait…

Happy downloading!
–BILL CHENEVERT

SEPTEMBER 14 (just released)
Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
Chromeo – Business Casual
Little Beirut – Fear of Heaven
Nellie McKay – Home Sweet Mobile Home
Of Montreal – False Priest
Superchunk – Majesty Shredding
The Walkmen – Lisbon
Bilal – Air Tight Revenge
Trey Songz – Passion, Pain and Pleasure
Olivia Newton-John – Grace and Gratitude Renewed
Robert Plant – Band Of Joy
Weezer – Hurley
Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues
Megafaun – Heretofore

SEPTEMBER 21
Abe Vigoda – Crush
Flying Lotus – Pattern + Grid World
Margot & The Nuclear So and Sos – Buzzard
Shontelle – No Gravity
Vincent Minor – Vincent Minor
John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up!
Paula Cole – Ithaca
Maroon 5 – Hands All Over
Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give

SEPTEMBER 28
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
No Age – Everything In Between
Pete Yorn – Pete Yorn
Mark Ronson and the Business International – Record Collection
Gucci Mane – The Appeal
Ice Cube – I Am The West
Jeezy – TM103
T.I. – King Uncaged
Bad Religion – The Dissent of Man
The Corin Tucker Band – 1000 Years
UNKLE – The Answer
Gin Blossoms – No Chocolate Cake
Neil Young – Le Noise
Kenny Chesney – Hemingway’s Whiskey

OCTOBER 5
Apache Beat – Last Chants
Royal Baths – Litanies
Clinic – Bubblegum
David Archuleta – The Other Side Of Down
Ciara – Basic Instinct
Toby Keith – Bullets In The Gun
KT Tunstall – Tiger Suit

OCTOBER 12
Meat Beat Manifesto – Answers Come In Dreams
Badly Drawn Boy – Part. 1 – Photographing Snowflakes
Belle and Sebastian – Write About Love
Sufjan Stevens – The Age Of Adz
Antony And The Johnsons – Swanlights
Simian Mobile Disco – Is Fixed
Hauschka – Foreign Landscapes
Sister Hazel – Heartland Highway

OCTOBER 19
Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown
Elton John & Leon Russel – The Union
Ne-Yo – Libra Scale
Rod Stewart – Fly Me To The Moon…
Sugarland – The Incredible Machine

OCTOBER 26
Warpaint – The Fool
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager
Good Charlotte – Cardiology
Bryan Ferry – Olympia
Taylor Swift – Speak Now

NOVEMBER
Elvis Costello – National Ransom (11/2)
Neil Diamond – Dreams (11/2)
Brian Eno – Small Craft On a Milk Sea (11/2)
Kelly Rowland – TBD (11/2)
Destroyer – The Archers On The Beach EP (11/2)
Matt and Kim – Sidewalks (11/2)
Natasha Bedingfield – Strip Me (11/9)
Stereolab – Not Music (11/16)
Rascal Flatts – Nothing Like This (11/16)
Kid Rock – Born Free (11/16)
Akon – TBD (11/23)
Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday (11/23)

Very Very Glossy.

Janelle Is My Queen

2010-09-30T12:30:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while you connect with a record, or with an artist in such a deep way that you can’t explain it. All you can do is listen on repeat. Or watch a music video over and over. Watching singles roll out of a record that you know from beginning to end intimately can be equally thrilling or devastating. When she’s more than just a brilliant musician but also a captivating artist and style-maker, it’s even more exciting to see what she’ll do next.

Right now it’s Janelle Monae, a 24 year-old Kansas City native who moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and then to Atlanta where she met hip hop’s crown prince, Big Boi. She made an appearance on the relatively dreadful Idlewild and shortly after released a debut EP in August of 2007. Then Diddy found her and signed her to Bad Boy. With her debut LP, The ArchAndroid, she’s reviving the theme record. It’s a little mystifying: she’s a robot, she’s a messiah and it’s all inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece Metropolis. But that’s fine. We don’t always have to wrap our head around the most complex and inspiring art to appreciate it.

The first single was the undeniably funky “Tightrope” featuring Big Boi, but at the moment, my obsession is “Cold War.” A video accompanying “Cold War” was released in August and it is captivating. It’s very simple. It’s a tight shot of her face and shoulders as she lip-syncs (or in this case, sings passionately behind a camera) and emotes with her eyes. I’m deeply attached to the lyrics, especially the first four astounding lines: “So you think I’m alone / But bein’ alone’s the only way to be / When you step outside / You spend life fightin’ for your sanity.” Then, a little later on, “I’m tryin’ to find my peace / I was made to believe there’s somethin’ wrong with me / And it hurts my heart / Lord have mercy ain’t it plain to see? / That this is a cold war, do you know what you’re fightin’ for?” This is what sends her over the edge. She loses it, tears come and what looks like a laugh is clearly an emotionally poignant moment for her. It’s startling; a moment that most starlets would edit out. But it draws me in even deeper into the Janelle Monae kool-aid. I want to drink gallons of it.
–BILL CHENEVERT

Very Glossy.

MxDwn.com review of Dead Confederate's Sugar

2010-08-24T10:16:00.003-04:00

You Sound Very Much Alive, Sir

Dead Confederate have wedged their way into a genre that doesn’t really have many followers or compatriots. Grunge country-rock could come close; maybe heavy alt-country? All kinds of bands come to mind when shooting for comparisons. We know they loved Pink Floyd and most likely Sabbath in their youth, but growing up in Georgia results in a starting point with acoustic guitars and bearded roots rock. My Morning Jacket always comes up and so does Nirvana; lead singer and guitarist Hardy Morris does seem to echo Kurt Cobain at some heavier moments. Yet Dead Confederate seem unconcerned with fitting in and with their sophomore LP, Sugar, they position themselves as pioneers of a new sound.

Their 2008 full-length debut, Wrecking Ball, had a standout single in “The Rat,” a song where Morris begs to be shot—behind a “bang bang” refrain, no less—and subsequently buried. Its hauntingly simple video shows a boy pushing a cowboy-booted foot into a trash bag and hauling it into the woods on his Radio Flyer wagon to bury it. Interspersed with shots of the band playing in a church with sparsely populated church pews and you’ve got yourself one hell of a debut single. While part of the Athens, Georgia scene they’re certainly closer to the Deerhunter and Whigs camp than to R.E.M. or The B-52’s—these guys are a little darker than most and we’re all the better for it.

For this record they chose John Agnello to produce, a man who’s worked with The Hold Steady, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. The second track on Sugar, “Run from the Gun,” is one of the slowest and softest of the batch but finds Morris’ voice front and center. Even after lumbering kick drums, keyboards, other voices and feedback, his positioning aids in understanding the complexity of their songwriting.

Another far different keeper is the two-minute “Mob Scene,” where from the get-go you get a barrage of chaotic percussion, keys, and herky-jerky guitar; it sounds like a hectic Radiohead song mixed with Queens of the Stone Age. Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis makes an appearance on the stellar “Giving It All Away,” where the band’s energy and tone suggest Band of Horses on a bender.

There’s nothing revolutionary about what Dead Confederate do. They’re a five-piece with a simple drums/two guitars/bass/keyboard equation. And with the title track to finish you off at the end of Sugar, you realize that injecting feedback, noise and charm into stoner rock is all the genre needs to offer back to them some well-deserved Southern hospitality.

LINK!

Kanye West has Magical Powers

2010-08-23T22:35:00.002-04:00

This video, at under two minutes, has had almost eight million views in about three weeks. WHAT!

Reading Rainbow Slowed Down

2010-08-11T12:09:00.001-04:00

Delightful new Menomena track

2010-08-10T17:27:00.001-04:00

MxDwn.com review of The Melvins' The Bride Screamed Murder

2010-08-10T17:15:00.003-04:00

Keep on Screamin’, Lady

The Melvins are a wonder. They’ve been at if for over 20 years and with The Bride Screamed Murder, their 20th LP (or so), they’ve given us one of the best of their discography. These guys don’t usually do staid and steady; they take detours and experiment. On 2009’s Chicken Switch they recruited friends to remix their brand of sludgy, chunky metal and it was turned into nearly unlistenable noise. Here they return to form with new originals and an epic cover of The Who’s “My Generation.”

Album opener “The Water Glass,” is a bizarrely awesome thrasher that turns into a call-and-response march halfway through. It seems a suitable starting point for a band who have done whatever they wanted. They started in Washington alongside Nirvana and rode the wave to Lollapalooza, but with album titles like Prick, Stoner Witch (both ‘94) and Electroretard (’01), a record deal with Atlantic just wasn’t their destiny. With Mike Patton and Ipecac Records, however, they’ve found a new home where their creative whims aren’t questioned.

Traditionally, The Melvins have elicited comparisons to the likes of Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Dead Kennedys and The Stooges, and “Evil New War God” churns and burns like the best stoner metal around. The funny and funky presence of an off-kilter cowbell does this song good, a hint that it’s not all long hair and headbanging. They’re into moments of dark silence with dramatic builds and crashes, and with standout “I’ll Finish You Off” their haunting, pounding metallics are accented nicely by an organ that’d fit right in at the Addams Family estate.

The whopping seven-and-a-half-minute version of Pete Townshend’s anthem sounds nothing like the original. It starts out very slowly with spare drums and a low, crunchy guitar before the choral vocals of “People try to put us down” comes in. For a song that was honest-to-goodness radical and poignant for a moment in time, covering it needs to be taken seriously and the Melvins do, which is a relief. The whole album is a relief, frankly. With the state metal’s in, the old weirdos who started it all need to drop gems like this on the heads of hardcore’s youth.

MXDWN link.

30 Second Reviews from 8/4

2010-08-05T00:47:00.002-04:00

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
(Hollywood Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Fiery VT native beefs up her band, employs a big producer, and gets some classy packaging to strive for indie rock success a la Florence & the Machine
FREE ASSOCIATION: A few feel like young Bonnie Raitt, some an old Carrie Underwood
FOR FANS OF: Lucinda Williams, Susan Tedeschi, recent Norah Jones

The Maine
Black & White
(Warner Brothers/Sire)
SOUNDS LIKE: Arizona dudes' sophomore and major label debut is more mature than their debut, but that just means it's less emo and punk, more soft and adult
FREE ASSOCIATION: The love child of Avril Lavigne and Rob Thomas has a band!?!
FOR FANS OF: The Starting Line, Boys Like Girls, Yellowcard

Miniature Tigers
Fortress
(Modern Art Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Phoenix boys moved to Brooklyn and took up with the Morning Benders' Chris Chu which gives their whimsical freak folk song that trendy edge
FREE ASSOCIATION: What often starts with acoustic guitar turns raucous and ecstatic
FOR FANS OF: Animal Collective, Arcade Fire x Grizzly Bear

The Books
The Way Out
(Temporary Residence)
SOUNDS LIKE: Typically weird hiccupy pastiche of samples, found sounds, electronic music and instrumentation; their brilliant fourth has a New Age/self-help theme
FREE ASSOCIATION: These brilliant weirdos make it seem like your life is just right
FOR FANS OF: Notwist x Aphex Twin, Squarepusher x Bon Iver, hypnosis

Miley Cyrus
Can't Be Tamed
(Hollywood Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Why does it sound like every song's been fed through a pasta machine of auto-tunage; it's like this woman is actually a robot, a Disney slut robot
FREE ASSOCIATION: She covers Poison! This is darker than the usual Ms. Montana BS
FOR FANS OF: Zac Efron, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, Hillary Duff

PW LINK!

30 Second Reviews from 7/29

2010-08-05T00:39:00.004-04:00

Perfume Genius
Learning
(Matador/Turnstile)
SOUNDS LIKE: A Seattle gay goes home to his mother in the woods of Washington and starts crafting painfully emotional and personal songs with a piano
FREE ASSOCIATION: Every song seems performed on the verge of tears, in a good way
FOR FANS OF: Sufjan Stevens, Xiu Xiu, Antony and the Johnsons, journaling

Lost in the Trees
All Alone in an Empty House
(Anti-/Trekky)
SOUNDS LIKE: A re-issue of the 2008 sophomore LP from North Carolina's Ari Picker and his small army of orchestral and folk friends creating a lush folk pop dream
FREE ASSOCIATION: Ahhh! It's from NC; they got lots a beards n' grass down there
FOR FANS OF: St. Vincent x Joanna Newsom + Bonnie Prince Billy

Buckcherry
All Night Long
(Eleven Seven Music)
SOUNDS LIKE: LA's "hard" rockers were introduced by a tattoo artist nearly 15 years ago and on their fifth you wonder what their secret is; surgery and Monster, methinks
FREE ASSOCIATION: Remember "Crazy Bitch"? Man, that was awesome
FOR FANS OF: AC/DC, Aerosmith, RHCP, Collective Soul, McFadden's

Eli "Paperboy" Reed
Come and Get It!
(Capitol Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Where is white soul going to go? Not with Eli, the Boston-bred cool dadio whose spin on modern soul, horns section and all, is boring and tepid
FREE ASSOCIATION: Oh, Amy, please snap out of your drunken rage and put out a record
FOR FANS OF: Black Joe Lewis, Sharon Jones, Mayer Hawthorne

Street Sweeper Social Club
The Ghetto Blaster EP
(Gold Village Entertainment)
Sounds Like: Tom Morello and Boots Riley are a duo of '90s-inpsired rap rock activists choosing to fight the good fight with covers of MIA and LL Cool J
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sometimes, nay often, rap and rock do not mix; leave LL be, pls, thx
FOR FANS OF: Rage, The Coup, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, fist pumping

Screamin' Cyn Cyn & The Pons
Damn, Girl
(Crustacean Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Bizzare theatrical punk rock filled with moments of absurdity and rife with curses, male v. female banter and cringe-worthy low budgetness
FREE ASSOCIATION: Kind of like a harder B-52's but they did it right and thirty years ago
FOR FANS OF: Leslie and the LYs, King Khan & BBQ, press-on nails

Dan Mangan
Nice, Nice, Very Nice
(Arts & Crafts)
SOUNDS LIKE: Vancouver songwriter's second is more complex than strums and heartbreak, guests and instruments abound on a lively, thoughtful folk rock record
FREE ASSOCIATION: Moments of melancholy are punctuated by joy and swells of sound
FOR FANS OF: Louder Bon Iver, Jason Collet, Great Lake Swimmers

Mystery Jets
Serotonin
(Rough Trade Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: A grandiose third record from Brits adore XTC and Pink Floyd but here use throwback synths in romantic ways to flavor their baroque power pop
FREE ASSOCIATION: With each LP they change labels and sound, keep em' comin'!
FOR FANS OF: Arcade Fire x ELO, Travis x Smiths, Noah and the Whale

Philly Weekly link!

SONG OF THE SUMMER BATTLE ROYAL: Katy and the Homestretch

2010-08-05T00:25:00.004-04:00

It’s August. Labor Day is a mere month away and with our last installment in the Song of the Summer battle, we named a Top Ten. Only a couple songs seem to have any kind of steam to push their way into consideration before a winner is crowned but a couple will enter into the list this week and push a couple suckers out of the way. But first, let’s talk about charts.

Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” currently sits on the top of the Pop chart having needled its way into your skull for 11 weeks now. Do we admit defeat? Do we let Katy lower that sash across her torso? Absolutely not. That shit is tired. A quick look at the rest of the Pop chart’s Top Ten is revealing, in that we needn’t let the charts weigh heavily on our consideration of what is actually good and gay. B.o.B. (or Bobby Ray) hit it big with “Airplanes,” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” is still at it. Both of these songs are completely boring minus Hayley Williams’ (of Paramore) appearance on “Airplanes.” She’s adorable.

Mike Posner, now this one’s interesting. This “Cooler Than Me” song’s doing really well, and he’s sexy as hell. But, this song is brutal. The video is shiny and intoxicating, but the song just won’t cut it. Eminem’s success is slightly mystifying; “Love the Way You Lie” made it to our list, mostly because of Rihanna, but his presence on the Pop chart makes him a little gay, no? Must be tough for him.

Usher, Jason Derulo and Taio Cruz are holding down the R&B heavy hitting with “OMG,” “Ridin’ Solo” and “Dynamite.” Usher’s got it going on, always has and always will. But Derulo and Cruz are forgettable times ten. Rounding out the Top Ten are La Roux—the Brit electropop duo’s “Bulletproof” has been on the chart for 21 weeks—and the lovely and fresh-faced Shontelle, whose “Impossible” is a delightful power ballad. She’s a keeper and perhaps August will be hers for gracing magazine covers and talk-show couches.

As for our picks...
LAST WEEK’S LIST:

1. Adam Lambert – “If I Had You”

2. Nicki Minaj – “Your Love”

3. Eminem featuring Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”

4. Kylie Minogue – “All the Lovers”

5. Ke$ha – “Your Love Is My Drug”

6. Robyn – “Fembot”

7. Scissor Sisters – “Fire with Fire”

8. Big Boi featuring Cutty – “Shutterbugg”

9. Usher featuring will.i.am – OMG

10. Kelly Rowland featuring David Guetta – “Commander”

THIS WEEK’S LIST:
1. Nicki Minaj – “Your Love”

2. Kylie Minogue – “All the Lovers”

3. Robyn – “Hang with Me”/“Dancing on My Own”

4. Scissor Sisters – “Fire with Fire”

5. Ke$ha – “Your Love Is My Drug”

6. Big Boi – “Shutterbugg”

7. Shontelle – “Impossible”

8. Janelle Monáe – “Tightrope”

Adam Lambert discreetly disappeared off of the charts and out of people’s minds, it seems. His big gay video was so exciting and it still is. But maybe America’s not ready for a huge forest rave with weird cabaret outfits. Eminem will never helm a gay man’s Song of the Summer, period. Kelly’s “Commander” sunk on the charts. Her November LP release is worth getting excited over but the lead single just doesn’t have what it takes to become a national gay sensation.

Robyn’s been kicking ass and taking names this year, including a raved-about performance at Chicago’s Pitchfork festival. And I’m totally cheating by naming two songs but whatever, the new single for a danced-up version of the stunning Pt. 1 single “Hang with Me” is the lead single from September’s Pt. 2 and it feels like a perfect end-of-summer reflection on the summer flings that will undoubtedly come to a screeching halt in the next few weeks. And with “Dancing on My Own” currently banging in clubs on the regular, she actually concocted dance moves to fit the lyrics and they’re the gayest.

Nicki, Kylie and Ke$ha are all in tight contention and their singles are neck and neck at the moment. Scissor Sisters, Big Boi, Shontelle and Janelle are the wild cards, really. The newbies, “Impossible” and “Tightrope,” have been slow builders but after watching Janelle on Ellen the other day, she’s just got to be involved with this list. I’d rather have “Cold War” or “Faster” from The ArchAndroid register on people’s pop-culture radar but it’s just not the case. She’s got loads of charm. “Impossible” feels like the perfect melancholic conclusion to a sweaty, hot summer. This will be the comforting ballad for your summer-fling breakup that’ll get you moving to the club again. —Bill Chenevert

NEXUS LINK!

Robyn live review at the Trocadero

2010-08-05T00:15:00.003-04:00

If you didn't know, I can tell you for certain: Robyn is the hottest thing on Earth at the moment. She is talented as hell and she murdered a performance at the Trocadero last night in her usual charming way. She can move. She can fucking dance her ass off and you know what? It was hot as Hades in there and it was pretty packed. She came out in these high waisted white pants with a bold red floral, a small little halter tank and a billowy black jacket that she wore for about one half of a song before it came off. She got covered in sweat and thank goodness, for it. She put on a beret. She was like a sexy pop machine.

And she's working that futuristic vibe in the most delicious and almost understated way. She's slowly but surely buildinger herself up to giant international pop star status and while I will be absolutely pumped to check out future legs of this tour, when her other two Body Talk records are out, this might be one of the last times to have seen her at a smaller place like the Troc. Soon enough she'll be at the Electric Factory or the TLA. She came out with "Fembots" blazing, the charming should-be single from June's Body Talk Pt. 1 in which she likens herself to a sex machine. These are some of the most playfully sexual pop lyrics in recent memory: "Pull up in docking position, Pop the hatch and hit ignition" and "In fact I'm a very scientifically advanced hot mama, Artificially discreet no drama, Digitally chic titanium mama." One of the things I love most about Robyn is how hot she is in a modest, urban kind of way with clothes that are baggy on purpose. She's got a great body but because she's healthy, she dances her ass off every night.

I'd been YouTubing and watching Vimeo videos of hers for a few nights leading up to Tuesday night. I had to educate myself on her self-titled 2005, her triumphant return to America's airwaves after the monster hit "Show Me Love" in '96. Robyn has some phenomenally solid pop tunes on it, too. I'd listened to the new Body Rock record on repeat, over and over, late at night coming home from the bar, cleaning house, drinking beers. I've grown to know this record very intimately and somehow I hadn't found the self-titled until recently. There are some awesome hits and she busted them out last night including the Knife collaboration "Who's That Girl?" The beat is drowsy and funky and she coos about good girls, they're "always pretty, like all the time, I'm just pretty, some of the time." Such a clever little girl, isn't she? I was slightly disappointed that she didn't perform "Handle Me," a quirky hip hop flavored single, but she did pull out the old favorites "Be Mine!" and delivered an unforgettable closing encore version of "With Every Heartbeat."

With Every Heartbeat from Robyn on Vimeo.

She also nailed versions of Body Talk gems "Dancehall Queen," "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do" and, most importantly, the seriously infectious and powerful single "Dancing On My Own." This is the song she performed on Letterman flawlessly and passionately, and made a video for that is outstandingly well made. In it she sings of that familiar feeling of being in a club and seeing the one you want kissing another guy, or girl. You can run to the bar and be the drunk one, or you can say 'Eff that, I'm gonna just dance really well and enthusiastically. He will notice and he will admit his mistake.' Obviously Robyn chooses option 2 and she even made up some dance moves in the process. They're so simple but they fit in perfectly with the opening of the second verse: "I'm just gonna dance all night." Her arms shoot up to her chest and she pops them cheerleader-like across her chest, then they fly up, fists pumped then down to her hips, one after the other. "I'm all messed up, I'm so out of line" she plays invisible drums to the left, to the right, more quick arm pops, slowly at tics with her right arm, swing it around to the other. "Stillettos and broken bottles, I'm spinning around in circles" and she punches right right, left left, spins her arm like a windmill and then herself. It's just so damn charming.

What was missing from last night show was the new and deliriously charming single from the upcoming Pt. 2. "Hang With Me" is on Pt. 1 as a slow, acoustic plee and for this new single she's turned it into a joyous, shimmery dance track. It's a perfect summer love song: "Don't fall recklessly, headlessly in love with me, Cause it's gonna be, All heartbreak, Blissfully painful and insanity." A perfect video accompanies of our pop heroine on tour in buses, backstage, getting primped and lying around in hotels, and working a whipped up crowd into a frenzy. I'm finding it more and more difficult to take her advice with this one, I'm just gonna go ahead and fall in love with you. I want the blissful painful insanity.

One of my favorite new songs and artists: Perfume Genius' "Mr. Peterson"

2010-07-22T13:44:00.002-04:00

SONG OF THE SUMMER BATTLE ROYAL: Crunch Time

2010-07-22T13:27:00.004-04:00

No more stalling, girls. In our quest to determine the ultimate Song of the Summer, we’re going to have to start hurting some feelings. Some songs just aren’t winners. And while there are potential contenders who might show up in August, we’ve got a pretty clear picture of who’s got a good grip on the bouquet.

New York Magazine named a Top Six at the end of May before summer even started and the chart monsters are definitely there (Usher, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga) but hopefully none of those duds are actually winners in this race. Is the Summer 2K10 much more than “California Gurls?” Let’s hope.

As we hit the hottest stretch of summer it’s time to shed some baggage. In the most recent installment we put nine pairs together, 18 artists with hits on the summer radar. So let’s make a Top Ten and keep our eye out for late-July and August hopefuls expecting to put up a fight for the title.

HERE SHE COMES (With the Momentum)
1. Adam Lambert – “If I Had You”
Oh, thank you. I knew from the second I saw that ridiculous For Your Entertainment record cover that this album would have one party-time gay smash hit. It was only a matter of time before he worked out the kinks and perfectly planned the drop of a club anthem. With this video, it’s like watching your coming-out-of-the-closet best friend take his shirt off on the dance floor for the first time.

2. Nicki Minaj – “Your Love”
This bitch took out Alicia Keys with the quickness. Her single from the Barbie World mixtape blatantly rips off Annie Lenox but who cares? It’s been on the chart for nine weeks and has already skyrocketed to Top 20 Radio status. We knew she had “spunk” from all her collabs, but maybe going solo is the ticket to her success. She’s struck gold with this one.

3. Eminem featuring Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”
It’d be weird for a gay-hater like Em to snatch the title, but you can’t deny the power of this song. While the entirety of Recovery, his newest LP, is a total downer and the previous hit, “Not Afraid,” is all basement-weight-lifter-white-male, this one’s got some serious steam behind it. It’s the No. 1 digital download and No. 2 Hot 100 track at the moment and it came out three weeks ago. DAMN.

IF YOU WANT TO WIN YOU’VE GOT TO GET THE GAYS IN YOUR CORNER
4. Kylie Minogue – “All the Lovers”
It’s much easier to root for Kylie now that we’ve heard the full album, Aphrodite, because it is awesome. This single, while absent on big Billboard charts, is easily topping (tee-hee) lists for gays who inhabit clubs. It’s a pretty simple song but on par with what we’ve come to expect from our goddess: synths, a swelling chorus, a euro-disco flare and the ever-present sex appeal.

5. Ke$ha – “Your Love Is My Drug”
Sweet Jesus, I almost can’t believe I just typed her name with a dollar sign. But, seriously, this song isn’t going anywhere. It’s been on the charts for 22 weeks. This video’s been watched over 11 million times. The late-May release of this one was perfect timing for SOS placement. And even though her voice is kind of awful, the production is spot on—just the right amount of auto-tune and tinny electronica.

6. Robyn – “Fembot”
The buzz around this Swedish blonde is strong. She just killed it at Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival, proving that she’s got game in a number of arenas: the indie world, big crowds, international success and places to dance. Put on Body Talk and try not to smile and move. She’s clever with her slutty lyricism (“Pull up in docking position/Pop the hatch and hit ignition”) but also packs a punch with hypnotizing beats. She might just be the one to watch.

7. Scissor Sisters – “Fire With Fire”
While we wait with bated breath for more singles and videos from the unbelievably fabulous Night Work, for now we work with “Fire.” But, seriously, in the ridiculous “Any Which Way,” Ana Matronic coos that she’s going to find that man “that’s the right shade of bottle tan/A man that smells like cocoa butter and cash.” I gag. Good idea, Miss Thing.

ALSO BLASTING FROM CAR SYSTEMS
8. Big Boi featuring Cutty – “Shutterbugg”
Sir Lucious Left Foot knows what’s up. This is the future. We need our hip-hop to be more than just ’hood. We need soul, we need style and we need to cut a damn rug up. This song’s been populating Saturday nights for a month or two now, and it’s not tiresome. He just turned it out with the Roots on Jimmy Fallon and it was sick. The whole record is a masterpiece kind of like Janelle Monáe’s. These two are the future’s future.

9. Usher featuring Will.i.am – OMG
What can you say? He hit it out of the park with this. You can’t stop it. If a gun was put to my head and I was told to choose a song to listen to on repeat between “California Gurls,” LMFAO’s “Shots” or this one there’d be no question. Usher’s a talented man (remember “U Don’t Have to Call”?) and even though Will.i.am is pretty much the devil incarnate, this is no “I Gotta Feeling.”

10. Kelly Rowland featuring David Guetta – “Commander”
She’s Top-Ten status, no doubt. Especially with her presence last summer, now, with this track she’s vogue-ing mirror-style with herself in tight latex. You’re in!

NEXUS link!

MxDwn.com review of Converge's Axe to Fall

2010-07-22T13:19:00.002-04:00

SHARP AS HELL

In Pitchfork’s 8.5-rated review of Converge’s Axe to Fall, Cosmo Lee compares the Boston quartet to pretty much the biggest punk band of our time, Black Flag. He even likens singer Jacob Bannan’s imagery on the covers of Jane Doe and You Fail Me to Black Flag’s bars. So whether they’re intentionally going for it, Converge have done well in achieving influence, acclaim, and success in the hardcore metal market. There’s a reason this album is their most commercially successful effort to date: it bowls people over with their talent.

What seems to be clear is that an artistically impressive hardcore metal record must have more than just balls-to-the-wall thrashers. Converge certainly deliver those in the first four tracks with “Dark Horse,” “Reap What You Sow,” the title track and “Effigy.” But then you get “Worms Will Feed,” an ambient and disturbing slow build with a reverb-heavy feedback intro that you’re just expecting to explode. And it does, with Bannan’s howl, Kurt Ballou’s needling guitar and Ben Koller’s patient drumming. “Worms” ushers in a lovely slower-paced portion of the record with “Losing Battle” picking the pace back up with a blistering, punishing drum part at its core.

Bannan, Ballou, Koller and bassist Nate Newton invited a host of musicians to guest throughout the record. Members of Cave In provide guitar and drums on “Effigy,” Steve Von Till of Neurosis offers lead vocals on “Cruel Bloom,” and Genghis Tron show up for “Wretched World,” the record’s exquisite closer. These are Converge’s contemporaries but this is not a “guests” record, so to speak. In fact, with this collection of songs they’ve shot to the top of the class. Few bands achieve their level of artistry in the metal field, but perhaps sharing the genre’s spotlight with Isis, Mastadon, Dillinger Escape Plan and Deftones would be appropriate.

It’s rare to find a hardcore metal record that induces headbanging and moshing the way that, say, “Dark Horse” would, and also includes a first-rate stoner voyage on “Wretched World.” Axe to Fall is an impressive record with diversity, good pacing, tempo varieties and passionate playing.

MxDwn link!

30 Second Reviews from 7/22

2010-07-22T13:10:00.005-04:00

Kylie Minogue
Aphrodite
(EMI Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: At last, a sustainable crop of dancefloor gems from the Aussie whose "All The Lovers" is as good as the record; beat-heavy, ecstatic, simple and joyous
FREE ASSOCIATION: She's no opera singer, but she can make a damn fine pop song
FOR FANS OF: Cher, ABBA, Annie, Olivia Newton-John, vodka

Sting
Symphonicities
(UMG Recordings)
SOUNDS LIKE: The English legend employs New York and London philharmonics to back his songs from Police days to now, and it's not as terrible as it could be
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Roxanne" sucks bad; still better than that horrifying Xmas record
FOR FANS OF: Don Henley, Elton John, Billy Joel, Paul MCCartney

Hanson
Shout It Out
(3CG Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Oklahoma boys are get older and settle into a soft rock niche; some of these have solid craft and execution, but some are so vanilla, not even vanilla bean
FREE ASSOCIATION: Say what you will, Middle of Nowhere was a sick record in 1997!
FOR FANS OF: One Republic, Five for Fighting, Jonas Brothers

Skinny Friedman
Hundred Dollar Salad EP
(Young Robots)
SOUNDS LIKE: Philly DJ's funky as hell house, dancehall and dubstep collection of three new songs and three remixes from Sammy Bananas and DJ Apt One
FREE ASSOCIATION: Think you don't like house or dance music? Try to hate on this
FOR FANS OF: Hercules and Love Affair, Juan MacLean, UNKLE, disco

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse
Dark Night of the Soul
(DNOTS/Capitol)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sparkles is mostly Mark Linkous and, obvs, Mr. Mouse is the Gnarls Barkley//Beck producer, and here's a muddle super-guest star record
FREE ASSOCIATION: James Mercer! Iggy Pop! Julian Casablancas! David Lynch! Enough.
FOR FANS OF: Traffic, messy bedrooms, banana splits, super sizing

Sia
We Are Born
(Monkey Puzzle/JIVE)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Aussie/UK songwriter leaves behind the nap-inducing jazzy vocals of the past and gives a big ole' bear hug to dance-friendly diva anthems
FREE ASSOCIATION: These are some stunning, funky times ten dance tracks, damn!
FOR FANS OF: Zero 7, Beth Ditto, Beth Orton, Nelly Furtado, reinventions

MIA
/\/\/\Y/\
(N.E.E.T. Recordings/XL)
SOUNDS LIKE: Her third sure is full of wolrdly bleeps, noises, scratchy rhythms and beats but most disturbing is that we realize that she can't really sing or rap well
FREE ASSOCIATION: Hype and production's only gonna get you so far, sister
FOR FANS OF: Peaches, Lady Sovereign, Amanda Blank, truffle fries

Big Boi
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
(Def Jam)
SOUNDS LIKE: "Shutterbugg" is just the tip of the Escalade, this is a dense, funky album of potent hip hop with excellent guest spots from Janelle Monae and T.I.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Speakerboxxx was gonna be tough to live up to but he KILLS it!
FOR FANS OF: Curtis Mayfield meets Cee-Lo, Goodie Mob, crunkness

LIVE LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 7/15

2010-07-22T13:02:00.002-04:00

RJD2
Inversions Of The Colossus
(RJ's Electrical Connections)
SOUNDS LIKE: Another one from our local disc-spinning hero, some re-worked versions of his January release but some new, beat perfect jams here, too
FREE ASSOCIATION: There's nobody that harkens back to DJ Shadow quite like him
FOR FANS OF: Boom Bip, El-P, Danger Mouse, Daedelus, Diplo

The Gaslight Anthem
American Slang
(Side One Dummy)
SOUNDS LIKE: New Brunswick, NJ quartet of punk revivalists who have clearly adored Bruce their whole lives but have their own pleasant spin on heartland rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: So Jersey isn't your favorite, but you can't deny their rockness
FOR FANS OF: Calm Pearl Jam, The Hold Steady, Ted Leo, raspy vocals

Konono No 1
Assume Crash Position
(Crammed Discs)
SOUNDS LIKE: Congo's supreme street band, they use junk to make instruments and amplifiers that churn out rhythmic, modern-influenced joyful dance music
FREE ASSOCIATION: You'll have no idea what they're saying but it doesn't matter - dance!
FOR FANS OF: Fela Kuti, The Very Best, BLK JKS, happy times

Pan Sonic
Gravitoni
(Blast First Petite)
SOUNDS LIKE: Whacked out Finnish noise minimalists who've made instruments out of power tools creating compositions of tripped out beat-heavy electro
FREE ASSOCIATION: There's something wrong with this disc it's all glitchy and fuzzy
FOR FANS OF: Bjork, Autchre, Johann Johannsson, Matmos, challenges

Carissa's Wierd
They'll Only Miss You When You Leave: Songs 1996-2003
(Hardly Art)
SOUNDS LIKE: Seatlle's chamber rock collective, birthplace of Band of Horses, issues a retrospective that's full of strings, piano, ambience and beauty
FREE ASSOCIATION: A reunion isn't necessary with this lovely collection of tunes
FOR FANS OF: Grand Archives, Death Cab, Modest Mouse

Chatham County Line
Wildwood
(Yep Roc)
SOUNDS LIKE: Rootsy Americana from a North Carolina foursome, their fourth LP with Yep Roc, is a beautifully picked and sang piece of countrified folk
FREE ASSOCIATION: If bluegrass is ever gonna do it for you this might be just the thing
FOR FANS OF: Uncle Tupelo, Del McCoury, Steve Earle, pedal steels

Jackie Greene
Till The Light Comes
(429 Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: California boy's been at it for almost a decade now, on his sixth he goes a pit poppier, a much more hook and melody-friendly version of his alt-rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: These are perfectly crafted tales that sound rich and complex
FOR FANS OF: Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Billy Bragg, Joe Pug, the Boss

Seu Jorge and Almaz
Seu Jorge and Almaz
(Now-Again)
SOUNDS LIKE: Brazil's resident musical genius gets a band, fills out his sound with a tight rhythm section, a casual electric guitar and his remarkable voice over the top
FREE ASSOCIATION: Life Aquatic was the tip of the iceberg, this man's a force of nature!
FOR FANS OF: City of God, tropicalia, maracas, Stevie Wonder meets Bowie

LINK!

30 Second Reviews from 7/8

2010-07-22T12:47:00.003-04:00

Scissor Sisters
Night Work
(Downtown Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Disco pop thrives with NY's troupe of gender-bending queers under the guidance of Stuart Price (Madonna, Kylie, Killers) on this synth-friendly opus
FREE ASSOCIATION: Their debut was genius, Ta-Dah! was a bore, this one's wicked good!
FOR FANS OF: Bee Gees, Blondie, Mika, Duran Duran, disco balls

Maps & Atlases
Perch Patchwork
(Barsuk)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sometimes angular and punchy, others rhythmic and ecstatic, Chicago-bred math rockers' debut is an occasionally wonky but solid LP
FREE ASSOCIATION: Oh snap, they usin' a flute! Doesn't make them J Tull but still, props
FOR FANS OF: Menomena, Shapes and Sizes, Man Man, finds

Samantha Crain
You (Understood)
(Ramseur Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Oklahoman dynamo has a voice that barrels you over with thoughtful, mysteriously dark lyricism and a talented backing band to boot
FREE ASSOCIATION: Maybe its her Choctaw origin, but this girl's got soul and it shows
FOR FANS OF: Regina Spektor x Joanna Newsom, Gillian Welch

Best Coast
Crazy For You
(Mexican Summer)
SOUNDS LIKE: Bethany Cosentino took her time, picked a good band, and now finally a stellar batch of fleshed out surf rock, girl pop indie rock with grit and punch
FREE ASSOCIATION: When will this beachy retro girl pop wave start to feel tired? Not yet!
FOR FANS OF: Beach House meets Vivian Girls, Jenny Lewis with Real Estate

Neu!
Neu! '86/Vinyl Box
(Gronland Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Krautrock legends and Kraftwerkers, Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger, made a huge volume of inspiring, stripped down proto-electro grooves
FREE ASSOCIATION: Here they release a previously unheard record and box up the past
FOR FANS OF: Can, Bowie, Tortoise, Velvet Underground, !!!, Yaz

Miss TK and the Revenge
The Ocean Likes to Party Too
(Ernest Jenning Record Co.)
SOUNDS LIKE: Asbury Park dance pop masters shock with their simplistic grooves and funktastic rhythms and bass while Miss TK coos and groans the party started
FREE ASSOCIATION: Miss TK could easily do what MIA does if she were Sri Lankan
FOR FANS OF: Peaches, The Sounds, Le Tigre, Human League

The Melvins
The Bride Screamed Murder
(Ipecac Recordings)
SOUNDS LIKE: One of the weirdest bands around bundle a march, sludgy metal, a 7-minute Who cover ("My Generation") and punk/noise into one on their 20th LP
FREE ASSOCIATION: Fans will eat it up; at least it's not a bunch of covers and remixes
FOR FANS OF: Black Flag, Sonic Youth, Boris, Soundgarden

Wolf Parade
Expo '86
(Sub Pop)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Quebecois rockers have made a brooding, moody gem of guitar and drum rock, perhaps not as catchy or digestible as we're used to but it'll do
FREE ASSOCIATION: It pays to have some big deal friends (Arcade Fire and Isaac Brock)
FOR FANS OF: Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Frog Eyes, Canada rock

A real link.

LUSH LIFE - A Douchebag Bar Crawl

2010-07-01T15:11:00.003-04:00

In Search of the Douchebag: A crawl up Third Street, from Oregon to Girard.

The premise was simple enough: A crawl of the Third Street corridor’s bars, from Oregon to Girard, to investigate the nearly three-mile stretch with the reputation of having the highest douchebag-bar concentration in the city. But what exactly constitutes a douchebag bar, you ask? It’s broad, but I compiled a ranking system by asking that question of various people I met along my journey. The most common responses involved similarity of patrons to one another, fights, fashion cliches and open mistrust or mistreatment of the Other (whether gay, female, of color, skinny, fat, etc.). I found my definition challenged at each destination, which I lined up bottom-to-top.

(Note: If you haven’t ever tried to bike or drive around Pennsport, around Snyder, Third becomes Second, Second becomes Third and Moyamensing screws everything up. If an address is on Second St., just take our word for it.)

Nickels Tavern (2655 S. Second St.) was just about empty. A delightful Two Street native named Nicole bartended with a solid tan and a heartwarming accent. Fights-wise, every second Saturday she serves beer to men just out of extreme wrestling bouts at the Arena who are sometimes held together with stitches and bloody bandages, but that’s only once a month. Anyway, in Nicole’s experience, guys who’ve been fighting all night just want another beer, not another brawl, much less to fight in the amateur sense. Nicole’s instinct when pressed to name the Douchiest Philly Bar was Fatso Foggerty’s (2655 S. 18th St.), a bar that in her experience is full of junkies, addicts and dickheads. RANKING: 6

Off to Raw Dawgs Saloon (1700 S. Second St.) at Morris St., on the border of Pennsport and Queens Village. Demerits for the vaguely Irish theme, the (sparse) presence of loudmouth South Philly guys and the incredibly loud jukebox. A regular named Jimmy was playing Springsteen, which was a slight relief from Eminem, but even the Boss gets grating when you can’t hear yourself think. Thankfully, nice bartender Scott turned down the jukebox to talk to me, giving me one of my best definitions of the night: “What do you mean by douchebags? Like, five guys who look all alike?” RANKING: 5

Makos (301 South St.) was where the night took off, as I started getting to bars that had more people than I could count on my fingers. I parked my bike in front of O’Neals (611 S. Third St.), and the bouncer, Dan, confirmed that Jon’s Bar & Grille (606 S. Third St.) was more upscale, but that I was about to hit the douchebag jackpot at Makos. But, I soon realized, Dan must have been operating off yet another definition of the word. Makos was more populated with South Street-type freaks and weirdos. While Rammstein and Rob Zombie blared and strobes flashed, no one seemed douchey so much as frightening and dangerous. RANKING: 4

National Mechanics (22 S. Third St.) isn’t so bad on its own, despite its Old City location. Some sweet girls took me under their wing and had a wealth of expertise to offer. Lianna, Allie, Sarah and Jenn offered some traits from the perspective of female bargoers as to what constitutes a douchebag: “Guys who think they are the shit when they’re not,” “Screaming in a bar” and “Acting like you’re in a frat when you’re 29.” With the aid of their trained female eyes, I counted five d-bags (from afar) here, one confirmed by Jenn, “He’s talking to girls and looking around.” Damning! RANKING: 2

McFaddens (459 N. Third St.), in that weird pocket between Spring Garden and the expressway that’s dead aside from a few Walmart-sized bars, was a mystifying experience. With a $5 cover and $4.50 Lager drafts served in a plastic cup, apparently the patrons here have money to blow. It was here that music began to play a significant part in my ranking criteria. Think “Cherry Pie,” “Get Low” and then “Cotton-Eyed Joe” to get the party started. One dude went over to a tall woman of color in heels, danced up on her for a few seconds, then came back to his friends and collected his high fives. “I did it!” Ugh, I was out of there, $5 cover or not. RANKING: 1

North Third (801 N. Third St.) is tricky. This Northern Liberties bar had few popped collars and the “Cotton-Eyed Joe” count was at zero (thank god), but bartender Scott’s words echoed in my mind. “Like, five guys who look all alike?” Is a crew of loud dudes with identical wash jeans and black button-downs really that different from a crew of loud dudes with the same plaids, knit hats and whimsical facial hair? Or there’s always bad manners, the staff reminded me. “Getting called ‘sweetie’ or ‘hon,’ snapping at an empty glass, ordering things that aren’t on the menu, sitting at a dirty table” are all behaviors they’d classify as douchebaggery. RANKING: 3

Conclusion: McFaddens is clearly the Douchiest Bar on Third Street! I’m not going to lie, “Cotton-Eyed Joe” had a lot to do with my ruling.

REAL LINK.

Most Anticipated Record Releases (of the Summer) for PW

2010-07-01T15:02:00.002-04:00

It’s tempting to be unenthusiastic about record releases these days. With leaks, digital downloads and continuously pushed-back street dates, the release date isn’t exactly exciting any more, and doesn’t send folks running to the record store like it used to. But that’s all a bunch of stinkin’ thinkin’. There are some solid and exciting releases to expect this summer and we’ve broken them down for you by genre to mark your calendar and budget your downloads.

POP: While Robyn’s Body Talk Pt. 1 has already (technically) hit the shelves, there’s just too much excitement around her little EP cycle to not mention it. Parts 2 and 3 will be released at the end of summer and in the fall, but in the meantime we have the singles “Fembot,” “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do” and the Diplo-produced “Dancehall Queen” to settle into this summer. They’re simple, catchy and make you want to dance like a damn fool. Kylie Minogue, the Queen of the Gays, gives us a much-anticipated, full-length Aphrodite, on July 5, and has released the single “All The Lovers” to get us salivating in the meantime. The video’s pretty druel-inducing, too. Finally, with the ridonculous video to “Acapella,” Kelis has caused a bit of a stir and excitement surrounding her new album Flesh Tone, also out on July 6. Until then, we advise using Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me” to scratch that pop itch until those three divas give it to us good.

ELECTRO & ROCK: This is where most of the summer’s heavy hitters are dropping bombs, starting with controversy-monger M.I.A., who’ll be giving us an unpronouncable, but highly anticipated record on July 13. The un-typable typographic representation of Maya’s name has made waves with the redhead killing mini-film for “Born Free.” However, “XXXO,” the first official single off the album, is a Diplo track that gives us a taste for what we’ve come to know and love from the Sri Lankan mess. Controversy aside, Kele Okereke, the former frontman for Bloc Party, has taken his newly out-of-the-closet status and run with it on a much dancier, club-friendly electro record called The Boxer (even the title’s kinda gay!), out next week (6/21). The Boxer’s first single, “Tenderoni,” is promising to say the least. Plus he’s working with Spank Rock’s XXXChange, so we can we get a “Hell yes”? Other electro/rock releases getting us giddy this summer include Panda Bear’s Tomboy (7/13), Acrade Fire’s The Suburbs (8/3) and Menomena’s Mines (7/27). Someone get the ice wooder!

HIP-HOP: Finally, we’ve got our hip-hop sluggers. Big Boi’s given us some of the most remarkable hip-hop of the past decade and a half with Outkast, and now his solo record looks to be all that and more. Sir Lucious Left Foot hits the streets July 6. “Shutterbugg” is the outstandingly funky single and accordingly sick video and tantalizing feature guests abound: Janelle Monae, Gucci Mane and George Clinton to name a few. Not to mention the Andre 3000 produced track, “You Ain’t No DJ.” Finally, Eminem’s surprisingly happy-go-lucky LP Recovery, drops next week. Enjoy your summer!

PW LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 6/30

2010-07-01T14:55:00.002-04:00

Robyn
Body Talk Pt. 1
(Interscope)
SOUNDS LIKE: Swedish electro Queen drops an eight-song mini-LP that is jam packed with badass disco beats, growly clever lyrics and magical hooks
FREE ASSOCIATION: People, wake up! Robyn is the unknown diva you need to hear
FOR FANS OF: ABBA, Blondie, Kyie, Annie, Goldfrapp, dancefloor ecstasy

Stars
The Five Ghosts
(Vagrant)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Toronto indie darlings have been downhill since Set Yourself on Fire, and while Amy Milan kills her vocals, it starts to sound all alike
FREE ASSOCIATION: OK, got it - heartbreak and devastation, barbs and regrets, repeat
FOR FANS OF: Smiths, Broken Social Scene, Metric, journaling

The Roots
How I Got Over
(Def Jam)
SOUNDS LIKE: Hometown pioneers of thoughtful, instrumentally-inspired hip hop turn it out with a collection of funky, jazzy grooves under Black Thought's deft spits
FREE ASSOCIATION: No "Seed 2.0" detectable; much prefer another Things Fall Apart
FOR FANS OF: Gang Starr, Fugees, Mos Def, J-5, Digable Planets

Andy Bell
Non-Stop
(Mute)
SOUNDS LIKE: Erasure alum's flawless falsetto drifts over disco-spiked trance beats and tasty Friday night synth rhythms for a really fun electro record
FREE ASSOCIATION: Perry Farrell wrote "Honey If You Love Him (That's All That Matters)"!
FOR FANS OF: Depeche Mode, New Order, Pet Shop Boys

Devo
Something For Everybody
(Warner Brothers)
SOUNDS LIKE: Ohio masters of new wave really do offer something for everyone on this shocking piece of awesomeness; old fans, new fans, strangers and experts
FREE ASSOCIATION: Bird and the Bee and Santigold production? Well done, Devo!
FOR FANS OF: Roxy Music, Sparks, Kraftwerk, Can, tenacity

Rooney
Eureka
(Rooney Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: L.A. pretty boys' third LP is a strange mix of retro guitar rock, pop radio and sunny surf radio but it seems clear that these guys are actors/musicians
FREE ASSOCIATION: They've got that teenage girl demo on lock; and they got money!
FOR FANS OF: Steely Dan meets Spoon, ELO, Weezer

Various
A Cure for The Broken-Hearted
(Edible Onion)
SOUNDS LIKE: Eerie, moody and slightly dark collection of folksy, bluesy rock put together by West Philly's Darian Scatton is a perfect dark rainy night companion
FREE ASSOCIATION: Each track's got different instruments and arrangements; well done
FOR FANS OF: Snowcaps, Br'er, Motorcyle Maus, Brian Reichert

Kele
The Boxer
(Glassnote)
SOUNDS LIKE: Bloc Party's front man goes solo with a much more club-flavored, electronic record produced by Spank Rock's XXXChange and it's a keeper
FREE ASSOCIATION: He's achieved stellar Euro disco realness, especially with "Rise"
FOR FANS OF: Thom Yorke x Chemical Brothers, London circuit parties

LINKY LINKY.

30 Second Reviews from 6/23

2010-07-01T14:46:00.003-04:00

Christina Aguilera
Bionic
(RCA)
SOUNDS LIKE: The dirty diva returns triumphantly with a long jump into the future embracing futuristic electro pop with hiccupy dance tracks and killer beats
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Woohoo" with Nicki Minaj is about to blow; GaGa can eat it
FOR FANS OF: Santigold, Beyonce, MIA, slutty choreographed dancing

The Chemical Brothers
Further
(Virgin/Astralwerks)
SOUNDS LIKE: A psychedelic and propulsive synth journey that lasts a little too long and transports you to a dancefloor crowded with pacifiers and glow sticks
FREE ASSOCIATION: Remember "Block Rockin' Beats"? Man, that was a good song
FOR FANS OF: Digitalism, Dust Brothers, drawn-out repetition

Foals
Total Life Forever
(Sub Pop)
SOUNDS LIKE: Oxford, UK rockers kick it out on their second LP with rich, rhythmic songs full of soaring vocals, catchy choruses and beautiful arrangements
FREE ASSOCIATION: Magically post-everything and deliciously retro (INXS) at the same time
FOR FANS OF: Fleet Foxes x Interpol, happy Joy Division

Hot Hot Heat
Future Breeds
(Dangerbird)
SOUNDS LIKE: Victoria, BC whine-rockers' first on a new label and their first self-produced effort is supposed to be their best since 2002, which doesn't say a lot
FREE ASSOCIATION: Elevator ('05) was pretty good, but Bays' voice is just too annoying here
FOR FANS OF: Pop punk Spoon, The Faint, crappy Walkmen

Lamb of God
Hourglass Vol. III The Vault
(Epic)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Richmond, VA metal kings put together a retrospective from their past collecting their most virulent, screaming death sludge on one disc
FREE ASSOCIATION: The $999 Super Deluxe set includes a coffin guitar case and a sticker!
FOR FANS OF: Mastadon, As I Lay Dying, Slayer, Pantera

Clay Aiken
Tried and True
(Decca)
SOUNDS LIKE: The American Idol runner-up takes on classics like "Unchained Melody" and "Mack the Knife" and performs them all over daytime network TV
FREE ASSOCIATION: Watching your face and eyes contort is like staring at the sun
FOR FANS OF: Susan Lucci, the Buffalo Bills, Nader

Drake
Thank Me Later
(Cash Money)
SOUNDS LIKE: The DeGrassi alum's much-anticipated is a super-produced monster (Swizz Beats, Kanye, Timbaland) of hip hop; computery and voice-effected
FREE ASSOCIATION: Big name guests does not equal a good hip hop record
FOR FANS OF: Jeazy, Lil' Wayne, Jay-Z, Kanye, Alicia Keys

Ozzy Osbourne
Scream
(Epic)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Oz-man cometh indeed, at 61, he kills it here - there's no doubt he hobbles into the studio, but this is as solid as Blizzard of Ozz thirty years ago
FREE ASSOCIATION: With so much garbage metal out there, Ozzy shows us how it can be rad
FOR FANS OF: Sabbath, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains

OTR PW LNK.

30 Second Reviews from 6/16

2010-07-01T14:38:00.003-04:00

Janelle Monae
The ArchAndroid
(Bad Boy)
SOUNDS LIKE: Stylistic hybrid of funk, soul, R&B, and hip hop from a futuristic new diva for the 21st Century whose take on pop music is refreshing and new
FREE ASSOCIATION: Solid production, ambitious variety and infectious hooks
FOR FANS OF: Ms. Badu, Estelle, Jill Scott, Santigold, VV Brown

Blitzen Trapper
Destroyer of the Void
(Sub Pop)
SOUNDS LIKE: Laid back countrified indie rock from Portland on their second Sub Pop but fifth LP, it's a breezy, ambient spin on Americana for dusk
FREE ASSOCIATION: The title track is an impressive sprawling proggy gem of weirdo folk
FOR FANS OF: Neil Young, ELO, Beach Boys, Gram Parsons

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Before Today
(4AD)
SOUNDS LIKE: The weirdo/creative genius is a production maverick and DIY hero, but he uses his power for retro, trip rock and not for groundbreaking futurism
FREE ASSOCIATION: Tempo changes, peculiar vocals and the occasional deep groove
FOR FANS OF: Bowie, Eno, Hall & Oates x Zappa

Sleigh Bells
Treats
(Mom & Pop Music)
SOUNDS LIKE: Electrified mixed bag of punk, crunchy synths, beats, grungy dance music and pop ditties that has everyone jerking off to their indie appeal
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Tell Em'" is tired, the rest of the album's chiller and not nearly as shitty
FOR FANS OF: Go! Team, Bat for Lashes, M.I.A., popularity

Tobacco
Maniac Meat
(Anticon)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Black Mother Super Rainbow solo project is a psychedelic, tweak-treatment of electro synths and beats with distorted vocals and reality
FREE ASSOCIATION: Beck shows up for three unremarkable minutes; otherwise rad!
FOR FANS OF: Justice, Xiu Xiu, Broadcast, Ladytron

Toni Braxton
Pulse
(Atlantic Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The R&B diva returns to the fore with a major label after five years with a collection of ballads, bangers and breakups in her sultry voice
FREE ASSOCIATION: Remember 2000's The Heat and "He Wasn't Man Enough"? Straight FIRE!
FOR FANS OF: Whitney, Chaka, Luther, Babyface, Brandy, Monica

Jack Johnson
To The Sea
(Universal Republic)
SOUNDS LIKE: The soft rocker's bazillionth record in ten years isn't so bad because he lets his band play a little louder; as always, sun-drenched folksy surfer rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: Doesn't it feel like you're funding his stoner beach lifestyle?
FOR FANS OF: Dave Matthews, G Love, John Mayer, Jimmy Buffet

Deftones
Diamond Eyes
(Reprise)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sacramento prog metalheads' first in four years is a cathartic scream-out after their bassist emerged from a coma; less melody and more brute force
FREE ASSOCIATION: It feels like a dying genre, but these guys keep breathing life into it
FOR FANS OF: Tool X Smiths, Faith No More, Nirvana x Metallica

PW LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 6/9

2010-07-01T14:28:00.003-04:00

Madlib
Medicine Show #5: The History of the Loop Digga
(Madlib Medicine Show)
SOUNDS LIKE: A throwback collection of '90s beats, trip hop and found sounds with Dolemite pimp comedy snippets and Crate Diggas Palace gems
FREE ASSOCIATION: If it's true that "Grass increases creativity," he's consuming lots of it
FOR FANS OF: Madvillain, Flying Lotus, Danger Mouse, blunts

Born Ruffians
Say It
(Warp)
SOUNDS LIKE: Toronto trio's second LP is a bouncy and playful rock record full of Luke LaLonde's yelpy vocals, simplistic but pungent drums and herky jerky guitars
FREE ASSOCIATION: Ef Pitchfork, they don't know what they're talking about on this one
FOR FANS OF: Pixies, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Canadian rock

Free Energy
Stuck On Nothing
(Astralwerks/DFA)
SOUNDS LIKE: Minneapolis-come-Philly boys make delightful pop-friendly retro-inspired sunny guitar rock equally appropriate for arenas and car radios
FREE ASSOCIATION: Soundtracking Good Times Summer 2010 loud and clear!
FOR FANS OF: T Rex, Thin Lizzy, non-depressing Pavement, joy

Le Pop 5
Les Chansons De La Nouvelle Scene Francaise
(Groove Attack)
SOUNDS LIKE: Current frenchies making hushed, whispered and ambient pop tunes; mostly soft folksy rock songs here with a few precious little ditties
FREE ASSOCIATION: Get some red wine, some stinky cheese and put this on to be transported
FOR FANS OF: Serge Gainsbourg, Yelle, Uffie, CocoRosie, baguettes

Tokyo Police Club
Champ
(Mom and Pop Music)
SOUNDS LIKE: Shimmery sophomore LP from the Canucks tries to wow you with production, complexity and catchy hooks undern the Julian Casablancsy vocal
FREE ASSOCIATION: Not to be confused with the horrifyingly shitty Tokio Hotel
FOR FANS OF: The Strokes, Death Cab x Modest Mouse

Karen Elson
The Ghost Who Walks
(XL Recordings/Third Man)
SOUNDS LIKE: The UK supdermodel is more than just a pretty face in this hauntingly sparse debut of variety including folk, pop, country, folk and murder ballads
FREE ASSOCIATION: Jack White is her husband and it's probably awesome because of him
FOR FANS OF: ScarJo, Zooey Deschanel, Jenny Lewis, gingers

Chali 2na
Fish Market Part 2
(Decon Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Jurassic 5 baritone's stepped it up with another collection of dopeness - lyrics, guests, beats, samples, skits, styles, all real fresh!
FREE ASSOCIATION: Whoa, Quality Control was ten years ago?! Classy, smart emceeing
FOR FANS OF: Ozomatli, GIft of Gab, Roots crew, black thought

Suckers
Wild Smile
(Frenchkiss Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: LP debut from the fuzzy Brooklyn rockers jumping on that afro/animalistic tribalism bandwagon and riding it all the way to the buzzworthy bank
FREE ASSOCIATION: We'll ride along if we get road sodas and the wagon goes to the beach
FOR FANS OF: Yeasayer, Animal Collective, Le Loup, Bowie

LIVE PW LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 6/2

2010-07-01T14:19:00.003-04:00

Male Bonding
Nothing Hurts
(Sub Pop)
SOUNDS LIKE: Brit trio's debut of washed out, garage rock that's fast, noisy and a little punk but this is Sub Pop and nothing's very hard to swallow
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Year's Not Long" single and video is a delightful play on the band name
FOR FANS OF: Japandroids, Thermals, Buzzcocks, white boy thrash

Far
At Night We Live
(Vagrant)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sacramento quartet's big reunion record after some disbanding ten years ago is a power-rock tour de force with touches of metal and screamo emo
FREE ASSOCIATION: Should be perfect for teenagers and soundtracking WB moments
FOR FANS OF: Live, Weezer, Our Lady Peace, The Verve Pipe

Transmit Now
Downtown Merry-Go-Round
(Silent Majority Group)
SOUNDS LIKE: Blistering MTV-supported power-pop from Orlando's debut is a horrendous mix of computers, auto-tune, power chords and sunshiny angst
FREE ASSOCIATION: That cover is a total farce, that ecstatic pony must be on drugs
FOR FANS OF: Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World

Windsor For The Derby
Against Love
(Secretly Canadian)
SOUNDS LIKE: Hushed and atmospheric rock from local boys via Austin and Tampa, they practice simple, ambient chamber rock that makes you want to nap
FREE ASSOCIATION: This is so chill, let's just rest our eyes for a minute or two
FOR FANS OF: Tortoise, Stereolab, Yo La Tengo, The Notwist on 'ludes

Toy Soldiers
Whisper Down the Lane
(Mad Dragon)
SOUNDS LIKE: Local folks make a bluesy, folk rock record that feels sun and bourbon-soaked and also par for the course for a Mad Dragon record
FREE ASSOCIATION: Some of the finer moments feel reminiscent of Zeppelin's blues joints
FOR FANS OF: Hoots & Hellmouth, the Swimmers, Wilco x DeVotchka

Paul Weller
Wake Up The Nation
(Island/Yep Roc)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Jam and Style Council legend's been making solo records for almost two decades, this one's full of punchy, upbeat little bursts of rockness
FREE ASSOCIATION: Takes you back to swinging '60s London then right back to now
FOR FANS OF: Stone Roses, Billy Bragg, Kinks, legends aging gracefully

Holy Fuck
Latin
(Young Turks)
SOUNDS LIKE: Try to hate these knob twisters and tweakers, the music speaks for itself on this one - energy, rhythms and funk emerge out of the noise
FREE ASSOCIATION: Singing feels overrated, it's not necessary or missing here
FOR FANS OF: Kraftwerk, LCD Soundsystem, Can, sweaty dancing with lazers

Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles
(Universal)
SOUNDS LIKE: Bouncy, synthy and scuzzy electro tempered by Alice Glass' wispy and haunting voice and you've got yourself a buzz band
FREE ASSOCIATION: 52 minutes of feeling like you're in an '80s acid flashback in a good way
FOR FANS OF: New Order, Ladytron, Health meets Pet Shop Boys

LIVE LINK!

SONG OF THE SUMMER BATTLE ROYAL: 'OMG' Takes the Lead But "All The Lovers' Changes the Game

2010-07-01T14:06:00.002-04:00

Since our inaugural Songs of the Summer Battle Royal column, we’ve heard that damn Usher song approximately one hundred times. Why must will.i.am be so successful and furthermore, why must he have those stupid periods in his name? To his (and Usher’s) credit, even if you hate the song you find your self singing, “Oh oh oh oh oh oh MY GOD.” But the title is a freakin’ Internet chat acronym. It does seem like the apocalypse is coming. The June 7 New York Magazine gave us a charticle putting Usher at the top of their race, with “California Gurls,” “Alejandro” and Ke$ha finishing after the newly divorced, fit attention whore. We’ll see about that one.

The MTV Video Music Awards gave us a glimpse of some of our summer superstars pandering to the young and with-it crowd. While most recaps of the night are highlighting the J Lo and Tom Cruise (he’s so straight!) performance, we got a look at a blue-haired Katy Perry and the always-fierce Ms. Aguilera in action. I must admit, the blue hair is a bit mystifying. So is the Russell Brand romance but I guess he’s got a decent body. Anyway, the story may have also been the Miike Snow performances at the “After-Party.” I’d heard of the Swedish band before but had never actually listened to their music or seen how beautiful they are. So let’s introduce “Animal” or “Burial” into the mix. Check out the performances on MTV.com and see his handsome bandmates in all their tattooed glory.

You know what also happened? Kylie happened. She debuted “All the Lovers,” and it is definitely summery and sexy. There’s so much skin, so much stripping, so much making out. But...it seems to be almost entirely straight making out minus one lez and one gay couple. No worries, though, Aphrodite comes out in a matter of weeks and if “Lovers” is an indication of what we have to look forward to, then it’s a celebration. The first single is a fairly simple, Euro-flavored dance track with a catchy synth beat that will no doubt be remixed to high hell. It feels a little reminiscent of the “Slow” video, doesn’t it? Minus the white horse, balloon elephant and dove. Nevertheless, in the chorus Kylie asks us to dance and we will no doubt say “Yes, ma’am.”

In the indie world, people seem to keep talking about Sleigh Bells, but there are a few other loose cannons kicking about. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti has a summer hit with “Round and Round,” Details mentions a Broken Social Scene song we should be listening to, “Sentimental X’s” but that’s not their only summery song worth cranking up the volume on this summer. Try “Art House Director” and “All to All,” too. Of course, LCD Soundsystem’s newest LP is full of gems with “Drunk Girls” being low on the list of listenable jams. “Dance Yrself Clean,” the slow-building nine-minute gem of an opener is a definite contender for Song of the Summer. Furthermore, Jamie Lidell, Holy Fuck and Crystal Castles all have records out in the past month or so worth consideration.

Christina’s Bionic is fresh out of the gates and we’ll see what she has to offer with it other than “Not Myself Tonight,” a pretty stellar single in my humble opinion. In the next couple weeks a few releases may make a blip on our radar: Uffie’s Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans may have some keepers, Drake’s new record and We Are Scientists’ newest could make noise, too. But what we can be really excited about is Kele Okereke’s new solo LP, The Boxer, which drops June 22. The sexy Londoner and out front man formerly of Bloc Party fame is going dancier and more electro on his own. The first single is awesome and features him shirtless. WIN!

Last but not least, Big Boi’s “Shutterbugg” finally has a badass video to support the badass single from his upcoming solo record. Do yourself a favor and watch it pronto.

NEXUS LINK.

SONG OF THE SUMMER BATTLE ROYAL: Katy and Usher Still Rule But Robyn Fights With Her Body Talk and Kelly is Commanding

2010-07-01T13:55:00.002-04:00

Since our last installment we were finally given Robyn. The Swedish pop queen is still going very strong at the ripe age of 31 (remember 1996's "Show Me Love"?) and we've had the pleasure of watching her mature into a badass electro diva. With three installments to her Body Talk series, the first, a mini-LP of eight songs, dropped last week and it is intoxicating. The first three tracks are all stunners: "Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do," "Fembot" and "Dancing On My Own" are all now officially in the running.

The Billboard charts would have you believe that Katy Perry and Usher are still ruling the world. But those of you who've laid your eyes on Ms. Perry's interpretation of her "California Gurls" Snoop collab might've let your stomach-turning apply to her as much as her ghastly vision of Candy Land. What was she thinking? It's not very appetizing. Even if you have a sweet tooth.

Oh, and have you not seen the nine-minute "Alejandro" video yet? Sweet Jesus, she sure does love us gays. But is this the way she wants to worship us? It does entice and titillate a bit to see an army of sexily-androgynous dancers with severe bobs, but the grabbing, humping and bed play are too much! Crawl out under your rock and settle in with this mini-movie if you haven't already. Does it do much for her chart status or favor in the world of gays? We'll have to wait and see.

In my world, the story is Christina. With Bionic she's dropped a new batch of songs for the next wave of XTina fandom to feed on. "Not Myself Tonight," the first single, is still super-fresh and despite the hub-ub around the video, it's a hot-ass club banger and radio hit. But the real promise lies in "Woo Hoo," her hook-up with the mysterious Nicki Minaj (is she going to put out a good record on her own?). This song will jump to the front of the Songs of the Summer race as soon as she makes a proper video for it. Check out some dirty choreography already being concocted to accompany this hip hop flavored gem.

And while I've already blown up Kele Okereke (former Bloc Party frontman), his new record The Boxer is about to be available to the public and while we're excited about "Tenderoni" there are a handful of other tracks worth pulling for in the race for your attention. Namely, "Rise," a dance number that's going to be remixed in unholy ways.

But now for the bad news. Some SOS hopefulls are already falling by the wayside. Like the radio-friendly "Nothin' On You" by B.o.B. feat Bruno Mars. But don't count him out. He's also got "Airplanes" feat Haley Williams climbing the charts.

And what about all the hype behind Drake? The first single of Thank Me Later, "Find Your Love," doesn't bode well. It seems like a real snooze.

Finally, there is last year's champion Kelly Rowland and David Guetta back to repdominate this summer's airwaves again with "Commander." Her self-titled third album isn't due until September but their single hasn't seemed so exciting until this fierce-as-shit runway vogue-off between black latex Kelly and red latex Kelly. She's really stepped it up with some classic Paris is Burning moves.

NEXUS LINK.

Deftones' Diamond Eyes reviewed

2010-07-01T13:50:00.002-04:00

The Hardest Natural Material Known to Man

Deftones are hailed as being in a league of their own, and after a thorough runthrough of Diamond Eyes, one can hear why. Nobody else does quite what they do. In a relatively tiresome genre, with other bands fading into obscurity or just plain falling short of a quality product, the Sacramento quintet keep rising to the top.

With the massive success of Around the Fur (1997) and White Pony (2000), lead vocalist Chino Moreno has taken this band through several different versions of alternative and experimental metal. With this one, they scrapped a bunch of content from what was to be called Eros after bassist Chi Cheng suffered a serious auto accident. Subbing in for Cheng on the record is Quicksand’s bassist, Sergio Vega, but out of the mess of the accident came a concentrated effort to make a cohesive and subtly cathartic album to be reckoned with.

Diamond Eyes opens at breakneck pace and heaviness with the titular track, “Royal,” and “CMND CTRL” shaking you awake. Seriously muscular guitar riffing, pounding drums, plenty of cymbal crashes, and Moreno’s soaring vocals combined with his grisly howls and screams create a compelling atmospheric take on metal. The pace is almost always very nuanced and allows for peaceful breaks that fit in seamlessly. Then, on “You’ve Seen The Butcher,” you finally glimpse a slower, softer pace that doesn’t implicate them in making metal that’s too pop or feminine. It actually shows their grace and talent, and a willingness to make tracks that are easily digested and more accessible to first-time listeners.

They stun with two later tracks that are seriously beautiful in their ambiance and mellow complexity. “Sextape” features a dreamy buildup to a louder, more metallic chorus. Whereas on their harder tracks they call to mind future tour partners Alice in Chains and Mastadon, on these slower tracks they sound a bit like Filter, Incubus, or melodic Tool. “976-Evil” is also a moodier, calmer track that leads into “This Place Is Death,” concluding the album and reminding you that you’ve just listened to a thrashing, screaming, nu-metal masterpiece.

The slower tracks don’t distract the listener from appreciating the truly dark and headbang-friendly singles. First single “Rocket Skates,” for instance, has a chorus where Moreno screams, “Guns! Razors! Knives! Fuck with me!” Serious stuff. It’s evident they’re no longer just a band that used to open for Korn; Deftones are artistically and sonically legit.

REAL DEAL.

GWAR's Lust in Space reviewed

2010-07-01T13:43:00.002-04:00

Lords and Masters of the Kill-Core and Horror Punk Domain

GWAR’s been at it for a while now; just about 26 years of outlandish sci-fi costumes, gory stage antics and hardcore thrash metal punk rock to back it up. It’s not for everyone, but it is definitely for some. Sometimes, there’s nothing more boring than a bunch of long-haired white men screaming at the top of their lungs and slamming on instruments to whip an angst-ridden male audience into a vicious moshpit. Tiresome, to say the least. Do something different! Provoke! Be imaginative! Wear the craziest damn costumes you could possibly come up with and simulate decapitations and trot out political figures to destroy! If nothing can be said about GWAR’s longevity or their records, what CAN be said is that they are far from boring.

2009’s Lust in Space is their most recent story. It can be a little disorienting to wrap your head around the entire “GWARnogrpahy,” but unlike Coheed and Cambria, whose mythic multi-album metal opera falls flat on its face, each GWAR record tells a silly story. Here, GWAR steal a Scumdog ship and do their best to leave Earth, where “Bloodstained tomb, beer-cans and piss” lead them to proclaim “this is no life” and “Earth is a prison” on the album titlular breakneck opener. Heavy stuff, no doubt. That’s only the beginning of the mayhem and gore. “Let Us Slay” follows with a rather infectious chant of “Let them slay!” And repeat. You can almost envision the GWAR maniacs pumping their fist in time.

To the uninitiated, GWAR is practically a movement. Dave Brockie, the primary vocalist, is the only current member who’s been around since the beginning. A rotating cast of crazy people and musicians fill out the band’s lineup of characters: Beefcake the Mighty is played here by Casey Orr (bassist since 2000), Balsac the Jaws of Death by Mike Derks (guitarist since the late ’80s), and the list goes on. Whoever is involved, the pace, sound, tone and energy never change – aggressive, terrifyingly dark and violent both in content and execution. Notable records of the past have some pretty amazing titles: This Toilet Earth (’94) and We Kill Everything (’99) to name a couple.

These songs are unabashedly about genocide and war. It’s a wonder more sensitive types don’t make a bigger deal out of this blood-thirsty punk music, but it just seems to get chalked up to over-the-top craziness. It’s all a show. But wouldn’t loads of people confess to secretly fantasizing about executing an asshole boss or mowing down their political opponents? GWAR LIVES!

REAL LINK.

Damn!

2010-07-01T13:38:00.001-04:00

You did the damn thing, Kelly! My favorite part is the vogue-off between black latex Kelly and red latex Kelly. WORK.

Cee-Lo has a record coming out and he covers Band of Horses

2010-07-01T13:35:00.002-04:00

Watch the video for "No One's Gonna Love You" (more than I do).

This is a solid video, if not graphically sexual and Not Safe For Work.

PITCHFORK LINK.

My Songs of Summer series with Next magazine

2010-05-29T02:20:00.005-04:00

Summer is practically upon us, which means at some point in the coming months, every one will have an “I love this song!” moment. You may be riding in a rental car to Fire Island when it comes on the radio, or drenched in sweat in the middle of a dance floor when it pours through the speakers. Lots of sun, drinks and flings will obviously play their part, but this summer’s got some serious contenders just begging to be crowned Song of the Summer.

Of course, the winner depends as much on your taste in bands or divas as where you go out, but there are already a number of hits that just won’t go away. Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” is still blasting from countless cars and clubs, and everyone still turns up the volume when Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” presents itself (the Alphaville rip-off “Young Forever” also has high hopes for summer chart success). With a bevy of summer releases to come, it’s still anyone’s game.

Our own Keo Nozari’s predictions for The Right Track (including the impending mega-hit in Katy Perry’s Snoop collaboration, “California Gurls”) will no doubt be on the money. And though everyone and their blogging mother’s got a Songs of the Summer list, we at Next Magazine pit the songs against each other in an online battle for number one, March Madness style. We’ll post new contenders on The Nexus every week and perhaps pronounce officially dead a few already-mentioned “hits” until only one remains.

In this official kickoff for the battle for Song of the Summer, we’d like to mention a few songs that seem like sleeper hits that only need the right gay DJ to discover them, remix the hell out of them and let it go the great gay length: Here’s hoping American Idol starboy Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want from Me” (see Fonzerelli remixes) has got some legs. Sleeper indie band Caribou’s “Odessa” transcends time and space for a Euro-disco late-night dance party staple à la Hercules and the Love Affair’s “Blind.” Big Boi’s solo record drops in early July and the April-released “Shutterbug” is just about the funkiest thing on earth at the moment. And that’s not even the tip of the iceberg, especially if the divas have anything to say about it: Estelle, Ke$ha, Kelis, Christina, Robyn, the precious Janelle Monáe and even a new album from pop queen Kylie will give these boys a run for their money. Let the elbow-heavy battle to the top begin!

WILD CARDS
Caribou
“Odessa”

A sleeper hit from left field, this electro-tinged dance hit doesn’t need remixes to make men move, but they won’t hurt either.

Big Boi
“Shutterbug”

The opening bass-y beat is enough to make boys and girls bump and grind uncontrollably.

Kelis
“Acapella”

We may be seeing a rebirth from the hot mom now that she’s collecting $50k+ from Nas. Now she has time to make the absolutely stunning video for this super-hit.

Sleigh Bells
“Tell ‘em”

This free-for-all from the buzz worthy noise rock/rap set is helmed by M.I.A.’s label. You know, the gal who had that late summer anthem “Paper Planes.”

GAY FAVS
Estelle
“Freak”

The UK pop princess pulls from the dubstep mecca of London for a tweaked-out club-friendly banger, which gives her some seriously high-ranking status.

Katy Perry
“California Gurls”

We’re not saying that she’s as un-talented as Miley but the subtle voice effects on this one make it sound like a 2010 “Party in the USA,” which we all secretly love.

Beyoncé
“Why don’t you love me”

Another video that drunk gay boys will no doubt be YouTube-ing late into tipsy summer nights with this ’50s fashion-inspired achievement.

Christina Aguilera
“Not Myself Tonight”

If it’s not this one, there’ll certainly be a few more contenders from her June studio release, Bionic.

Miley Cyrus
“Can’t Be Tamed”

A hilarious natural history museum romp with wings might just be what Miley needs to catapult her into the top of the pops.

Lady Gaga
“Alejandro”

Perhaps the Mexican vibe will feed into the Gaga frenzy this summer. And who doesn’t love to pull out their best Spanish accent once in a while?

Ke$HA
“Love is my drug”

The one-hit wonder who just won’t go away knows how to reel you in. Plus, her party-till-dawn attitude is the perfect soundtrack to summer.

CHART TOPPERS
Rihanna
“Rude Boy”

No need for a great voice to achieve greatness;Rihanna’s got fierce fashion sense, mad marketing skills and a huge team of producers. She’s struck gold with this one!

Adam Lambert
“Whataya Want From Me”

Wouldn’t it be nice for a bona fide gay to come out on top this summer?

Usher Feat. Will.I.AM
“OMG”

The ladies’ man has a handful of hits from his new record that are doing their best to climb to the top but this one, for whatever reason, people seem to love.

Ludacris Feat. Nicki Minaj
“My Chick Bad”

That Nicki Minaj is everywhere. Thank goodness. She’s bad as hell, a new Trina if you will.

B.o.B. Feat. Bruno Mars
“Nothin’ On You”

Exposure counts in some circumstances, and this debut album single is explosively popular. Perplexing, to say the least.

LIVE LINK!

Feeling some '90s videos tonight

2010-05-29T02:16:00.002-04:00

Shanice

SWV

Bell Biv Devoe

Wreckx-N-Effect

Salt n' Pepa

30 Second Reviews from 5/25

2010-05-26T16:37:00.002-04:00

Caribou
Swim
(Merge)
SOUNDS LIKE: Dreamy electronic beat-heavy sweetness from the Manitoba man suited equally for dancefloors, driving with windows open and retail shopping
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Odessa" is going to be the effing jam of the summer!
FOR FANS OF: Hot Chip, Koushik, Four Tet, Daft Punk

Rusko
O.M.G.!
(Mad Decent)
SOUNDS LIKE: Leeds-bred dubstep producer's debut is an upbeat, Euro-flavored guest-littered collection of beats, synths, dance floor anthems and lounge jams
FREE ASSOCIATION: Not sure any of these live up to "Cockney Thug"
FOR FANS OF: Caspa, Chromeo meets The Bug, Zomby x Jersey

Jamie Lidell
Compass
(Warp)
SOUNDS LIKE: The beatbox and producer extraordinaire drops a sick collection of funky, filthy neo-soul songs full of exciting, catchy moments of headbobs
FREE ASSOCIATION: Oh snap! Beck and Feist show up, but can't steal the show
FOR FANS OF: Super_Collider, Prince and Aphex Twin, UK white soul

The Black Keys
Brothers
(Nonesuch)
SOUNDS LIKE: They keep it fresh each time, taking their brand of bluesy two-piece garage rock to different places, this one's a bit more upbeat and radio-friendly
FREE ASSOCIATION: Here we catch tambourines, whistles, and handclaps; rejoice
FOR FANS OF: Silver Jews, White Stripes, Rapture, Drummer

Pernice Brothers
Goodbye, Killer
(Ashmont Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Mature folk-minded man rock with Joe Pernice's gentle voice at the front, spooned by acoustic and electric guitars and sensitivity
FREE ASSOCIATION: Hear it wafting from your local County Fair, along with the smell of cow poop
FOR FANS OF: Guster, Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Michael Penn

The Futureheads
The Chaos
(Dovecote/Nul Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Energetic, feisty power rock on the edge of punk from a band of Brit friends who listened to a lot of Buzzcocks when they were kids
FREE ASSOCIATION: There are no breaks here, fast paced fist-pump rock start to finish
FOR FANS OF: The Jam, Wire, The Clash, harder Franz Ferdinand

The Fractals
Heavy Rotation
(Kevinski Music/BMI)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Huffamoose alum's debut LP is a sprawling, moody masterpiece of modern rock that's not emo or whiney, nor trendy or retro; it's just right
FREE ASSOCIATION: These guys will do well with WXPN - lovely soft adult rock
FOR FANS OF: Steely Dan, Robin Thicke sings for the Verve

Theotis Joe
After Hours
(Rokbox Productions)
SOUNDS LIKE: Philly's own Mr. Joe is a stylish, smart and beat-savvy emcee with a caramel voice and smooth delivery on his soulful R&B-flavored LP
FREE ASSOCIATION: The collabs with Latebloom are solid and funktastic
FOR FANS OF: The Roots meets Air, Raphael Saadiq plus Robyn

A LIVE LINK!

30 Second Reviews from 5/18

2010-05-26T16:28:00.002-04:00

The National
High Violet
(4 AD)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sensitive rock juggernauts from Brooklyn do what they do well - lyrical songs, gentle brass and strings, drunk broken hearts
FREE ASSOCIATION: Glad that they kept it quiet, fame and money usually means more of everything
FOR FANS OF: Wilco, Sloan, Denali, Smiths, Grizzly Bear

The Dead Weather
Sea of Cowards
(Warner Brothers)
SOUNDS LIKE: Mr. White can nearly do no wrong with his bluesy and energetic band - spasms of glamour, punk and classic rock on their sophomore homerun
FREE ASSOCIATION: Thought Horehound was a one-off? This one's even better
FOR FANS OF: Them Crooked Vultures, Eagles of Death Metal, cursing

Laura Marling
I Speak Because I Can
(Astralwerks)
SOUNDS LIKE: A thrilling second effort from the shockingly talented 20 year old British voice who is poised to make sturdy, beautifully timeless records
FREE ASSOCIATION: It's like she opens her mouth and lifetimes of sorrow come out
FOR FANS OF: Joni Mitchell, Martha Wainwright, Noah and the Whale

Kon & Amir
Present Off Track Volume III: Brooklyn
(BBE)
SOUNDS LIKE: Obscure disco, funk, and straight-up urban soul on two discs of blissed-out synths, beats, and lusty vocals to fill out blaxploitation soundtracks
FREE ASSOCIATION: Imagine afros, roller skates, dance lines and polyester
FOR FANS OF: Taxie, Galaxy, Parliament, Gap Band, War, James Brown

Flying Lotus
Cosmogramma
(Warp)
SOUNDS LIKE: LA DJ who's Coltrane-lineage is shown here on his third glitchy, dubstep experimentally electronic compositions of groovetastic beats
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sweet Thom Yorke and Thundercat collabs, let the remixing begin!
FOR FANS OF: RJD2, Four Tet, Madlib, The Bug, Caribou

The New Pornographers
Together
(Matador)
SOUNDS LIKE: Predictably solid, lively and rich indie rock swelling with harmonies and choruses from the Carl Newman and Neko Case-fronted supergroup
FREE ASSOCIATION: They may seem cookie cutter, but those cookies are damn tasty
FOR FANS OF: Fleetwood Mac x Belle & Sebastian, Swimmers, collectives

Japandroids
No Singles
(Polyvinyl)
SOUNDS LIKE: Ten songs from their first two EPs from the Vancouver duo of garage-flavored punk-tinged rock full of feedback, drums, guitars and anthemic choruses
FREE ASSOCIATION: This is just as good as Post-Nothing; please give us another LP
FOR FANS OF: Thermals, Sonic Youth, No Age, Liars

LCD Soundsystem
This Is Happening
(DFA)
SOUNDS LIKE: Lovely third record from the neo-disco superman - ambient and irresistible beat-heavy electro dance so much better than "Drunk Girls"
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sound of Silver had more stories; this is about clean, sophisticated beats
FOR FANS OF: !!!, New Order, the Rapture, dancing

REAL DEAL!

30 Second Reviews from 5/11

2010-05-26T16:16:00.004-04:00

Broken Social Scene
Forgiveness Rock Record
(Arts & Crafts)
SOUNDS LIKE: They've done it again with 59 minutes of heartfelt indie rock with a dozen+ musicians, effects, instruments, vocalists and biting lyricism
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Does justice to You Forgot It In People and the self-titled, which is huge!
FOR FANS OF: Metric, Stars, Feist, Beck, Pavement, makeups and breakups

Band of Horses
Infinite Arms
(Fat Possum/Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Carolinas via Seattle echoey southern rock idols grow and deliver on their third with a tender, thought out record of mid-tempo gems
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Don't let the first single, "Compliments," fool you, this one's got teeth
FOR FANS OF: Sparklehorse, Grand Archives, My Morning Jacket, beards

Gogol Bordello
Trans-Continental Hustle
(American Recordings)
SOUNDS LIKE: The gypsy punk's follow-up to the fame-inducing Super Taranta! is a lot of the same; storms of accordion, fiddles and gravelly accented english
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Didn't Rick Rubin used to produce hip hop records? We're confused
FOR FANS OF: The Pogues, Devotchka, Slavic Soul Party!

Damien Jurado
Saint Bartlett
(Secretly Canadian)
SOUNDS LIKE: Unbelievable batch of stripped-down mystic folk from the Seattle former punk whose gentle voice and earnest songs are gorgeous
FREE ASSOCIAITON: For longtime fans it's business as usual, for newbies it's a welcome gut-puncher
FOR FANS OF: David Bazan, Donavan, Van Morrison, Nick Drake

Pearly Gate Music
Pearly Gate Music
(Barsuk)
SOUNDS LIKE: Debut of NW's Zach Tillman is a sparse, smart and brilliantly executed singer songwriter statement of tempos, moods, and imagery
FREE ASSOCIAITON: If this is what you hear when you get to heaven, it's time for some church
FOR FANS OF: Fleet Foxes, Neil Young, Menomena/Ramona Falls

Sage Francis
Li(f)e
(Anti)
SOUNDS LIKE: Rhode Island white rapper/poet gets some big help on his Anti debut, Death Cab's Jason Walla and Grandaddy's Jason Lytle to name a couple
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Tough to take this guy seriously sometimes; 'OK, you deep, we get it'
FOR FANS OF: Busdriver, Atmosphere, Buck 65, ICP's "Miracles"

Jeremy Jay
Splash
(K Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: LA indie pop newcomer's take on dreamy rock is a meandering, spacey and moody record channeling Buddy Holly and Stephen Malkmus
FREE ASSOCIAITON: This could be the soundtrack of movies; edgy indie ones, though
FOR FANS OF: Modest Mouse, Win Butler/Arcade Fire, The Smell

Widespread Panic
Dirty Side Down
(Widespread Records/ATO)
SOUNDS LIKE: The GA-born stoner jam icons picked up where the Dead left off in terms of making noodly, bluegrass-flavored free form hippie dance fests
FREE ASSOCIAITON: They've been playing together for over 25 years and it sounds it; they old
FOR FANS OF: String Cheese, moe., Blind Melon, O.A.R.

REAL LINK!

What a revelation!

2010-05-24T09:49:00.001-04:00

Summer is coming!

2010-05-13T12:39:00.001-04:00

There's something very interesting about this girl

2010-05-10T11:05:00.001-04:00

JANELLE MONAE!

MxDwn.com review of Sweet Apple

2010-05-09T20:30:00.002-04:00

This Apple Isn’t So Sweet

Sometimes, the darkest moments in life turn out to be a turning point towards something pretty great. Tragedy can stimulate creativity. John Petkovic found this out for himself after his mom died. He headed east and found himself on the Vermont doorstep of his friend Dave Sweetapple. Sweetapple called his friend J. Mascis to jam and the musical sparks started flying. Before you know it, you have another rock supergroup on your hands; Mascis (vocals/guitar) is well known as the front man of Dinosaur Jr., Petkovic (vocals/guitar) comes from Cobra Verde and Guided by Voices, and Sweetapple (bass) plays with stoner rock band Witch. When you mix it all together you get a metallic, hard-rocking and cathartic record with legs on Love & Desparation.

It’s tempting to dismiss supergroups, but we know from success stories like Them Crooked Vultures, Eagles of Death Metal and The Dead Weather that playing musical chairs with talented and seasoned rockers sometimes strikes gold. Strangely, opener “Do You Remember” is far from indicative of the rest of the record. Its energy is contagious with breakneck drumming, relentless guitar shredding and Petkovic’s vocals straining to be heard over the retro rock sound. Earlier heavy rock bands from the ’70s and ’80s are easily detectable on this one: AC/DC, KISS, and Thin Lizzy come to mind.

But deeper in lie slower, bluesier tracks that surprise like “It’s Over Now,” with its clean and simple guitar strums during the verses and a more energetic chorus with Petkovic crooning “‘Cuz it’s gone, yeah it’s gone.” These songs have an undercurrent of sadness but they’re not all directly about grief and loss. “Can’t See You” follows with a Pixies-flavored tinny guitar and a beautifully executed, soaring guitar solo at the finish. A more feel-good, foot-stomping churner, “Hold Me, I’m Dying” is one of the album’s stunners with the lyric “So let’s fuck fuck fuck fuck ’til we die,” sounding a little like the sleaze rockers Eagles of Death Metal.

Petkovic and Company have put together one of the strongest hard rock records in recent memory. Though certain moments have a heavy metal feel to them, there’s a lot of variation and finesse displayed throughout the album, giving fans of each respective band, and new fans, lots to settle in with.

LIVE LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 5/4

2010-05-05T18:32:00.004-04:00

The Hold Steady
Heaven is Whenever
(Vagrant)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Brooklyn behemoth delivers on a guitar-heavy rock record that features Craig Finn's voice and lyrics, bordering on emo anthemic
FREE ASSOCIATION: The drama is palpable - Oh, to be a critically acclaimed rock band!
FOR FANS OF: Ted Leo, Modest Mouse, Guided by Voices

The Besnard Lakes
AreThe Roaring Night
(Jagjaguwar)
SOUNDS LIKE: Breezy and ambient indie rock from a Montreal husband and wife-driven team of musicians including strings and gritty guitars
FREE ASSOCIATION: Pink Floyd fanatics smoked a ton of weed and wanted to slow things down
FOR FANS OF: Swimmers, Sigur Ros, Dears, Canada

Peggy Sue
Fossils and Other Phantoms
(Yep Roc)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sparse but powerful full-length debut of folk from two girls who sing and a guy from Brighton with dark lyrics but it's so pretty it doesn't matter
FREE ASSOCIATION: A haunting record with gorgeous vocals, a winner of a debut for sure
For Fans Of: Dodos meets Regina Spektor, M Ward, Bon Iver

Mike Patton
Mondo Cane
(Ipecac Recordings)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Faith No More alum's sure can use his voice box, here he sings mostly in Spanish and with a touch of kitsch but totally authentic
FREE ASSOCIATION: His Eureka, CA roots are really showing here, rocking a chulo vibe
FOR FANS OF: Mexico, camp, horns, Zappa, Mr. Bungle

George Stanford
Roll Away
(Bones Music)
SOUNDS LIKE: Soulful Philly singer-songwriter's got a beautiful voice on this EP following his debut blending Americana, bluesy country and simple melodies
FREE ASSOCIATION: Our girl Lissie shows up on the perfect "Don't Be The One"
FOR FANS OF: Martin Sexton, Josh Kelley, Lisa Loeb

Natalie Merchant
Leave Your Sleep
(Nonesuch)
Sounds Like: 26 songs inspired by folk songs, big deal poets, and Americana performed with lots of help from different bands backing her throaty voice
FREE ASSOCIATION: There's no question of her talent, but this is for adults with kids
FOR FANS OF: 10,000 Maniacs, O Brother Where Art Thou, riddles and fables

Busses
Busses
(Self Released)
SOUNDS LIKE: Philly boys done good with a seamlessly complex tempo-changing rock record with the occasional trumpet and trombone
FREE ASSOCIATION: A band that sounds like they're not ripping off their favorite bands
FOR FANS OF: Pavement, Shaky Hands, harder Spoon

The Sadies
Darker Circles
(Yep Roc)
SOUNDS LIKE: Toronto boys' eighth studio effort is a gem of sad but beautiful country-flavored garagey rock that somehow channels 60's surf sounds
FREE ASSOCIATION: Too bad Neko Case left, the only thing that would make this record better
FOR FANS OF: Jayhawks, Lambchop, Silver Jews, Bonnie "Prince" Billy

THE REAL DEAL LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 4/27

2010-05-05T18:25:00.003-04:00

The Tallest Man on Earth
The Wild Hunt
(Dead Oceans)
SOUNDS LIKE: An initially grating collection of songs strummed and sung by a high, raspy-voiced Kristian Matsson ends up being a beautiful set of Americana gems
FREE ASSOCIATION: These songs are about everything and nothing, total growers
FOR FANS OF: Bon Iver, M. Ward, Nick Drake, Dylan

Nice Nice
Extra Wow
(Warp Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Experimental Portland, OR duo bring it on pretty much their first proper LP of noisy, percussive, guitar-hazy nearly pop freak rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: They're daring you to keep listening for the good stuff, and it's in there
FOR FANS OF: Deerhunter, Battles, Liars, Gang Gang Dance

Zs
New Slaves
(The Social Registry)
SOUNDS LIKE: Super-experimental quartet with drums, strings and guitars, they make catchy weirdo wordless noise music heavy on the ambience
FFREE ASSOCIATION: Think Animal Collective's weirder days without loops or voices
FOR FANS OF: Tortoise on drugs, feedback, amorphous rhythms

Circa Survive
Blue Sky Noise
(Atlantic)
SOUNDS LIKE: Philly boys' third LP of tame emo-metal is more listenable than a lot of other punkish rock except for Anthony Green's voice; brutal
FREE ASSOCIATION: This should be the soundtrack to a B-grade vampire movie/TV show
FOR FANS OF: Saosin, Mars Volta, Fall Out Boy, Placebo

Coheed and Cambria
Year of the Black Rainbow
(Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: The fifth and final installment in this epic Armory Wars saga is as mystifying and confusing as ever; solid prog metal but what is it about?
FREE ASSOCIATION: We're supposed to enjoy these individually, right? Impossible
FOR FANS OF: Saves the Day, AFI, At the Drive-In, metal opera

Plans and Animals
La La Land
(Secret City Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Montreal trio's sophomore is a more electrified, filled out sound adding saxophones and more electricity to their meandering folk-rock sound
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Tom Cruz" and "American Idol" reveal an L.A./U.S. influence; the worst kind
FOR FANS OF: Mountain Goats, Rogue Wave, Okkervil River

The Kissaway Trail
Sleep Mountain
(Bella Union)
SOUNDS LIKE: Spaced out pretty chamber rock from Denmark full of gentle guitars, keys and bass with restrained vocals and perfect orchestration
FREE ASSOCIATION: Danish Arcade Fire that would fit perfectly on a Spike Jonze movie
FOR FANS OF: Shins meets MGMT, Bloc Party, Hamlet

Frightened Rabbit
The Winter of Mixed Drinks
(Fat Cat)
SOUNDS LIKE: Boring Scots' third LP is what happens when you get acclaim for a quiet, acoustic record, then add more sounds and band members
FREE ASSOCIATION: Not all Scottish voices are this warbly and annoying are they?
FOR FANS OF: The Frames, the Twilight Sad, the Clean, overindulgence

A LINK.

These guys are brilliant

2010-04-24T02:49:00.001-04:00

Seeing them on Sunday night at the TLA here in Philly!

Wowsers!

2010-04-24T02:31:00.000-04:00

WAY COOL!

Should I apply to this?

2010-04-24T02:28:00.001-04:00

Saturday, April 17

Pitchfork and Pitchfork.tv Seek Interns in Chicago and New York City
Editorial Interns in Chicago, Motion Graphics/Animation in New York Pitchfork and Pitchfork.tv Seek Interns in Chicago and New York City

Editorial Intern in Chicago

Pitchfork Media seeks editorial interns to work in our Chicago office. All candidates must be currently enrolled as undergraduate students in the Chicago area and available 12-20 hours per week during the summer, beginning at the end of the spring semester.

Tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting with copy editing and fact-checking, transcribing interviews, and data entry. You should have excellent research skills, as well as a familiarity with the artists we cover. Having your own laptop, as well as the ability to gain school credit for the internship, would be a major plus, though not required.

Please submit a résumé and writing sample in an email (no attachments, please) to internsubmissions@pitchfork.com with the subject line "PITCHFORK EDITORIAL INTERNSHIP SUMMER 2010" by Sunday, April 25.

Motion Graphics/Animation Intern in New York

Pitchfork.tv seeks a motion graphics/animation intern in our Brooklyn office to assist with ongoing animation projects. We're experimenting with various animated projects and are looking for someone to assist with basic 2D animation. The ideal candidate will be fluent in After Effects as well as an adept visual artist. Experience with character/cartoon animation is a major plus. Candidates without a LINK (and link only) to their reel will not be considered. Please send your résumé and link to jobs@pitchfork.com. The deadline for submission is Sunday, April 25.

Posted by Pitchfork on April 17, 2010 at 12:50 p.m.

Wolfmother's Cosmic Egg reviewed

2010-04-21T11:00:00.003-04:00

A Cock Called Zep, a Hen Named Sabbath

Listening to a Wolfmother record really feels like stepping into a time machine. Their brand of gritty rock is reminiscent of another era, and not just sounds of the 1970s like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. They also sound like Soundgarden, Yes, Rush, and to bring us up to the new millennium they call on The White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age. That’s not to say they don’t have their own sound, it’s just heavily influenced by all of the above. With their self-titled debut in 2006, the Australian trio established themselves as a force with which to be reckoned. Still, that eponymous effort doesn’t feel as original as their latest album Cosmic Egg.

On Wolfmother it was as if the Aussies immersed themselves in the psychedelic hard rock of ages ago and just churned out replicas like “Joker and the Thief.” Cosmic Egg is Andrew Stockdale’s baby, the frontman and guitarist replacing the original rhythm section with a new one here. Two strong openers greet the listener, the mystic “California Queen” and “New Moon Rising.” The modern-rock stomp of “White Feather” is a keeper, with palpable tinges of R&B over slower, funkier riffing and drumming, all hints that Wolfmother are much more than meets the eye.

Keyboards are welcome additions to songs like “Sundial,” while a few slower songs like “Far and Away” and “In the Morning” recall cheesy 1980s hair bands like Mr. Big and Nelson (but in the best ways possible). Stockdale’s voice sometimes struggles to reach above the fuzz of the guitars, the thrash of the drums, and soaring Deep Purple organ parts, but that could just be a function of his high-pitched delivery.

There’s definitely something a little weird about these guys; even the song titles feel plucked from sci-fi novels, which we’ve seen before on, say, Zep’s The Song Remains the Same. Yet Wolfmother take dorky elements from the past, make them rock hard, and bring them into the 2000s a million times better than acts like Coheed & Cambria do. It should be interesting to see what these metal-fantasy Aussies come up with next.

THE REAL DEAL.

30 Second Reviews from 4/20

2010-04-21T10:52:00.002-04:00

MGMT
Congratulations
(Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: Brooklyn super-hipsters don’t make an Oracular Spectacular V. 2, but instead a subtly trendy, psycho beach rock indie masterpiece.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Like a totally different band, which is good; “Kids” was getting really old.
FOR FANS OF: Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, B-52’s, Empire of the Sun.

The Fall
Your Future Our Clutter
(Domino)
SOUNDS LIKE: Mark E. Smith’s 28th (!) studio release is as punchy and funky as ever, the premier post punk does it without care for your cheeky trends.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Clean up that mess, we’ve got dancin’ to do!
FOR FANS OF: Consistency.

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River
True Love Cast Out All Evil
(Anti)
SOUNDS LIKE: The legendary grizzled crooner teams up with fellow Texans for a full, ambient and complex folk record with Roky’s rusty old pipes out front.
FREE ASSOCIATION: On “John Lawman,” it sounds like he’s gonna have a heart attack.
FOR FANS OF: The Band, Dylan, Howlin’ Wolf, Syd Barrett.

Doves
The Place Between: The Best of Doves
(EMI)
SOUNDS LIKE: A lovely collection of the Brit rockers’ blissed-out pop-rock spanning four LPs of emotional, climactic radio-friendliness.
FREE ASSOCIATION: It’s like the Coldplay we used to love.
FOR FANS OF: Radiohead, The Verve, Badly Drawn Boy.

Jimi Hendrix
Valleys of Neptune
(Legacy)
SOUNDS LIKE: A treasure of posthumous psychedelic guitar rock from the King of the ‘60s with the titular track melting faces and blowing minds
FREE ASSOCIATION: Jimi, why’d you have to go? Would’ve been rad to watch you age.
FOR FANS OF: Electric Ladyland, Noel Redding & Mitch Mitchell, bellbottoms.

Unnatural Helpers
Cracked Love & Other Drugs
(Hardly Art)
SOUNDS LIKE: Seattle rockers’ brilliant collection of 15 songs in under 30 minutes; explosive, caustic, and energetic punk sans screaming.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Oh yeah, the NW used to rock really hard—please come east now.
FOR FANS OF: King Khan, early Who, Kinks and Clash.

The White Stripes
Under Great White Northern Lights
(Warner Bros)
SOUNDS LIKE: From their 2007 Canadian tour supporting Icky Thump, the Stripes finally capture their outrageous energy and brilliant stage presence on disc.
FREE ASSOCIATION: To see these shows would be like exploding every five minutes.
FOR FANS OF: Bands that actually put on a live show, badassery.

She & Him
Volume Two
(Merge)
SOUNDS LIKE: M. Ward caved and let a half-talented movie princess put his dick in a jar next to stacks upon stacks of her stroll-in-the-park songs.
FREE ASSOCIATION: Her talk-singing is either wildly irritating or delightful—choose sides now.
FOR FANS OF: (500) Days of Summer, Jenny Lewis, LA.

30 Second Reviews from 4/13

2010-04-15T15:07:00.003-04:00

Horse Feathers
Thistled Spring
(Kill Rock Stars)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Idaho is palpable in this Portland-dwelling folk duo's third, a light and airy trip through fields of string instruments and flannels
FREE ASSOCIATION: There's gotta be beards behind this countrified roots rock
FOR FANS OF: Band of Horses meets Fleet Foxes and attack Devendra Banhart!

Jakob Dylan
Women + Country
(Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: An outrageously authentic bluesy rootsy rock record produced by T Bone Burnett with Neko Case and Kelly Hogan lending backup vocals
FREE ASSOCIATION: "One Headlights" should die of gonorrhea, but this is RAD!
FOR FANS OF: Tom Waits, The Band, the Boss, moonshine

Josh Ritter
So Runs The World Away
(Pytheas Recordings)
SOUNDS LIKE: From Oberlin to Boston he put out a wicked debut, a tour of Ireland with the Frames and he's still making impressive Americana records
FREE ASSOCIATION: This guy's a big deal in Ireland, cover bands play his songs in pubs
FOR FANS OF: Lenoard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Matt Nathanson

Walter Schreifels
An Open Letter To The Scene
(Academy Fight Song)
SOUNDS LIKE: A stellar batch of sunny, pretty guitar rock on the solo debut of a formerly hardcore guy whose style is welcoming and refreshing
FREE ASSOCIATION: There sure is a lot countrified white man rock in April
FOR FANS OF: Gorilla Biscuits, Kinks and Smiths, Ryan Adams

A Study in Her
In, Out, About
(Electric Eel)
SOUNDS LIKE: Solid double LP of synth-pop and alt-rock from Philadelphians inspired by main man Constantine Konassis' travels in India
FREE ASSOCIATION: Quirk rock from local boys (and girls) is like a po-mo Devo
FOR FANS OF: Sufjan Stevens electrified, Smashing Pumpkins, New Order

UNKLE
Where Did The Night Fall
(Surrender All)
SOUNDS LIKE: Unbelievable fifth record from British trip hop electro geniuses full of crashing beats, swelling rhythms and joyous climactic choruses
FREE ASSOCIATION: This is gonna be fun to settle in with; great guests and energy
FOR FANS OF: DJ Shadow, Rapture, LCD Soundsystem

JJ
Jj N° 3
(Secretly Canadian)
SOUNDS LIKE: Wispy, gentle beats carry the elusive voice of Sweden's rising stars in the electronic world on this follow-up to their highly-acclaimed debut
FREE ASSOCIATION: Strangely easy listening, like Enya as a hipster with a producer bf
FOR FANS OF: Fever Ray, Air France, Air, elevators

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
I Learned The Hard Way
(Daptone Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Brooklyn super-group and family of musicians' latest is its usual solid collection of soulful tunes but, uh, not nearly as exciting
FREE ASSOCIATION: Didn't think it was possible for them to be this boring
FOR FANS OF: James Brown, Ike & Tina, department store music

LIVE LINK!

Jack White, you're a genius

2010-04-13T17:46:00.002-04:00

I can't wait to watch Under Great White Northern Lights.

P.S. Thanks Bob Cunningham.

2010-04-13T17:20:00.001-04:00

Opinion concerning "anymore" vs "any more" divides roughly into three camps:

1. There is no such word as "anymore". It is simply a misspelling.
2. "Anymore" and "any more" are two ways of spelling the same thing, and the two have the same meaning.
3. There is a useful difference in meaning between the two.

About the first two camps, little more needs to be said. Either statement stands on its own and needs no elaboration.

The difference in meaning considered useful by the third camp is that "anymore" is an adverb meaning "nowadays" or "any longer", while "any more" can be either adverb plus adjective, as in "I don't want any more pie", or adjective plus noun, as in "I don't want any more."

The difference between the two meanings is illustrated in the sentence: "I don't buy books anymore because I don't need any more books."

The distinction of "any more" and "anymore" seems to be recognized by many, but not all, US users and by dictionaries published in the US. At least one British dictionary (NSOED/93) and some British users recognize "anymore" as an alternative spelling of "any more", but do not recognize a difference in meaning.

The adverb "anymore" is standard American English when it is used in a negative sense, as in "I don't do that anymore." It is a regional or dialectal usage, mostly restricted to spoken English, when it is used in a positive sense, meaning "nowadays", as in "Anymore I do that" or "I do that anymore."

LINK.

I just don't know anymore

2010-04-13T17:17:00.002-04:00

New Big Boi single is BANGIN'

2010-04-09T15:03:00.001-04:00

Pitchfork does a feature called 5-10-15-20

2010-04-09T02:11:00.005-04:00

What a great idea. They ask artists to name the songs that, I guess, represent where they were in their lives musically at five year intervals. I read a bunch of them last night. I liked Erykah's a lot:

Welcome to 5-10-15-20, where we talk to artists about the music they loved at five-year interval points in their lives. Maybe we'll get a detailed roadmap of how their tastes and passions helped make them who they are. Maybe we'll just learn that they really liked hearing the "Fat Albert" theme song over and over when they were kids. Either way, it'll be fun.

For this edition, we spoke with soul goddess Erykah Badu, 39. The R&B innovator's latest album, New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh, is out now on Universal Motown. Watch the controversial video for "Window Seat" here.

5 Rose Royce: "Car Wash"

I heard the song when I first saw the movie Car Wash. I watched it with my family in the living room-- it was an event. That's when I was first introduced to Richard Pryor who was hilarious to me even at age five. And it was a black film that really gave you a chance to get to know each character, which was fascinating. I'm a child of funk, and my parents were into KC and the Sunshine Band, Aretha Franklin, the O'Jays, Candi Staton, Earth, Wind & Fire, along with things like Pink Floyd and Joni Mitchell. But "Car Wash" stands out because it was like a futuristic music video with the movie attached to it.

10 Teena Marie: "Square Biz"

I would warm up to "Square Biz" in my jazz class. I remember singing along to it really loud. Teena Maire has this pitch-perfect voice that is forever stuck in my DNA; there's also something about her as a person that resonated with me, a sympathetic vibration. It was funny when I found out we have the same birthday sign. Also, Prince's Controversy album came out in 1981 and I was a huge fan of his. I had posters of Prince, Rick James, and the Mary Jane Girls.

Pitchfork: Prince and Rick James seem risqué for a 10 year old...

[laughs] That was my taste. My family had a very open relationship about music and art. Nothing was taboo and everything was up for discussion-- by the time I was 10, I was a genius. I take the same approach with my son now. He listens to King Crimson, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix.

15 Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick: "La Di Da Di"

It was all about Slick Rick the Ruler, Run DMC, Biz Markie, Whodini. I was a B-girl. That's when hip-hop was getting onto mainstream radio; it was what blues was to my grandparents and what rock'n'roll was to my parents. It was our politics. By age 15, I was politically educated, definitely. I had my own way of thinking.

"La Di Da Di" was my jam because it was unorthodox-- just Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh beat boxing. Everybody wanted to be an MC at that time and that's when I started rapping, too. I'd battle people at school, at the party, at the gym, on the school bus, anywhere where I could beat on something. I'd crush men and women MCs. I remember all of my lyrics, but I don't want to share them because I don't need for these hungry MCs to be stealing my rhymes. My rap name was "Apples".

Pitchfork: That doesn't sound too intimidating.

I know, but that's how I snuck up on people-- they thought I was going to be sweet and then I hit 'em real hard.

20 Nirvana: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

That was my morning, noon, and night music: Kurt Cobain. I connected with his spirit, his freedom, his struggle, his pain, his love. I didn't misunderstand his message at all. The lyrics were clever and amazing. I knew that the technique was no Jimi Hendrix or Rolling Stones but I felt close to the spirit of it. I saw Nirvana live in Dallas a couple times at little clubs.

Pitchfork: Was there a mosh pit?

Oh hell yeah. I stayed in the back a little bit but I got in there when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came on.

25 The Notorious B.I.G.: "Warning"

That's 1996, the year before my first record came out. I was listening to Biggie's Ready to Die a lot. Stuff like "Warning" and his duet with Method Man, "The What", was incredible. Biggie was the best, the king. Even right now, on my new album, I make two references to him. On the song "Fall in Love (Your Funeral)" I quote "Warning" in a line that goes, "There's gonna to be a lot of slow singin' and flower bringin' if my burglar alarm start ringin'." Also, there's a song called "Turn Me Away" that's based on the song "You Can't Turn Me Away", which Junior M.A.F.I.A. sampled. Biggie's voice is just so sweet. I knew everything he was trying to say.

30 Gary Bartz: "Music Is My Sanctuary"

I was getting a little eclectic at that time. Classic jazz was really driving me: Miles, Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters. I was discovering things in jazz that I had never experienced before. The first time I heard jazz in a setting that was enjoyable for me was through A Tribe Called Quest. They introduced jazz to the hip-hop generation through sampling, and Gary Bartz was one of the artists I fell in love with as a result of listening to Tribe.

35 Gorillaz: "Feel Good Inc."

Around 2006, I was discovering things like Animal Collective and Gorillaz. I was so impressed with what the Gorillaz were bringing to music visually. It gave me so many creative and conceptual ideas that I put into my own music and videos. I thought that was the future, like, "Oh, they got the edge on human beings now, we better step up our game."

Pitchfork: Both of the covers of your New Amerykah albums are cartoon versions of you, too.

They are. I'm influenced by so many things, including Gorillaz. Music as a whole is a tool to keep people imagining and dreaming; when you stop dreaming you die. When people look at these album covers and listen to this music, I want them to continue to think and create. That's how we see ourselves more clearly and that's how we change.

Posted by Ryan Dombal on April 1, 2010 at 12:30 p.m.
Photo by Kenneth Cappello

30 Second Reviews from 4/6

2010-04-09T01:35:00.003-04:00

The Bird and the Bee
Interpreting the Masters: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates
(Blue Note)
SOUNDS LIKE: Hall & Oates might be iffy territory for Philly folk, but this bedroom lounge duo has taken our boys' oeuvre to a new and exciting place
FREE ASSOCIATION: Seriously, this is one of the most brilliant things we've heard in a while
FOR FANS OF: "Rich Girl," "Sara Smile," "Private Eyes"

Peter Wolf
Midnight Souvenirs
(Verve)
SOUNDS LIKE: The J. Geils frontman digs deep for a southern folk record with brilliant FREE ASSOCIATION: Who knew a Bronx native could be so downhome and countrified
FOR FANS OF: The Stones, Neil Young, modern folk

Baby Dee
A Book of Songs for Anne Marie
(Drag City)
SOUNDS LIKE: The aging circus transgender persona has crafted a heartbreakingly beautiful work with her harp, voice, and soul
FREE ASSOCIATION: She's like a 57 year old Joanna Newsom with a secret between her legs
FOR FANS OF: Antony and the Johnsons, Will Oldham, oddities

Bright Eyes & Neva Dinova
One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels
(Saddle Creek)
SOUNDS LIKE: A collaboration slash split LP between similarly bluesy, country-tinged folk rock outfits led by emo lead singers
FREE ASSOCIATION: When boring meets unremarkable for a flimsy LP, you get Boresville
FOR FANS OF: Calexico, Devotchka, naps, crickets chirping

Seabear
We Built a Fire
(Morr Music)
SOUNDS LIKE: Icelandic supergroup makes hushed indie pop filled out with lots of instrumentation, voices, and pretty
FREE ASSOCIATION: Reyjkavik must be one of the coolest places on the planet Earth
FOR FANS OF: Sigur Ros, Sufjan Stevens, Stars, Of Montreal

Growing
Pumps!
(Vice)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sparse, ambient noise but they've filled out their sound and are much more rhythmic and beat-heavy than just freaky sounds
FREE ASSOCIATION: This is bugged-out background music, a little too minimalist for a party
FOR FANS OF: Massive Attack, drone, Brooklyn

Grieves
The Confessions of Mr. Modest
(Rhymesayers)
SOUNDS LIKE: Chicago white boy emcee found a producer soul mate in Seattle (Budo) and moved to BK to make keys, horn and drum-heavy hip hop
FREE ASSOCIATION: Kind of refreshing to hear hip hop not so heavy on the samples
FOR FANS OF: Ash Roth, Eminem, fine Brother Ali, too

Usher
Raymond v Raymond
(Jive)
SOUNDS LIKE: Usher's seventh uses all the bells and whistles of a modern R&B record with guests who steal the show from him
FREE ASSOCIATION: The duets with Nicki Minaj and Luda sound like they're FEATURING Usher
FOR FANS OF: Diddy, dirty Robin Thicke, shirtlessness and tats

I wrote about Xiu Xiu for the Calendar in PW

2010-04-08T21:18:00.003-04:00

Xiu Xiu

Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart has a knack for self-deprecation. With Xiu Xiu’s latest, Dear God, I Hate Myself, he’s taken it to a whole other level. And Dear God is a gem of post-punk indie rock; it's as pop as they get while still singing about abuse, humiliation and despair. The lineup’s been a rotating cast, but always at the fore is Stewart, a gay rock star for the postmodern age. There’s something beautiful to be found in all his misery in excellent records like Fabulous Muscles and Women as Lovers. Tonight he’ll turn the Church into a weird anti-gay gay rock show the way no one else could. The fabulous and ecclectic Tune Yards open. -Bill Chenevert

8pm. $12. With Tune Yards. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. r5productions.com

LIVE LINK!

"Hanging On The Telephone" is one of the greatest songs in existence

2010-04-04T00:13:00.001-04:00

I just realized some REALLY EXCITING records are coming out soon

2010-04-03T01:42:00.005-04:00

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record (May 4)
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms (May 18)
The National - High Violet (May 11)
MGMT - Congratulations (April 13)
The New Pornographers - Together (May 4)
LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening (May 18)

Holy Moses. I started playing on Amazon and found a bunch of Best of 2010 lists. It's very strange. Some lists are 30-strong and a dozen of them are discs that haven't even been released or listened to. I guess I got to thinking about what I would say I've liked since we left the '0s behind.

Joanna Newsom's Have One On Me
Liars' Sisterworld
Nneka's Concrete Jungle
Phantogram's Eyelid Movies
Vampire Weekend's Contra
Dr. Dog's Shame, Shame
Aloha's Home Acres
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' The Brutalist Bricks
Xiu Xiu's Dear God, I Hate Everything
Beach House's Teen Dream
Hot Chip's One Life Stand
Surfer Blood's Astro Coast
Pierced Arrows' Descending Shadows
Four Tet's There Is Love In You
Owen Pallett's Heartland

That's what I'd say so far. There are a bunch of records that I thoughtfully kept out. I can't believe how much hype is behind them when they seem so mediocre to me.

Dillinger Escape Plan's new record reviewed

2010-03-29T12:05:00.005-04:00

Thrash is an Available Option, Too

The Dillinger Escape Plan’s fourth album, Option Paralysis, is a stunner for sure. Most metalheads have been raving about this record as not only their best yet but an effective blend of the successful sounds and techniques from previous records, namely 1999’s Calculating Infinity and 2007’s Ire Works. While the band has seen countless lineup changes, original guitarist Ben Weimann is the glue holding together this mathcore metal band from Morris Plains, N.J. Hardcore metal worshipers will rejoice with DEP’s newest and longest opus of stylish, progged-out screamo.

The best part about Paralysis is its diversity. Greg Puciato is one of the driving forces behind this album; his voice has reached a strong, virtuoso range. He can scream and scream until his eyes are about to pop, then turn on a dime to a soft, melodic croon. The opener and first single, “Farewell, Mona Lisa,” is an alarming wake-up call. This is not a record to meditate to; this is for fans of Coheed & Cambria’s heaviest or Megadeth. Weimann and Jeff Tuttle’s guitar work is actually quite nuanced; their tinny scales climb and descend at breakneck speed behind the powerful drum kit of Billy Rymer. Then suddenly, two minutes deep, you catch a breather with a slowed-down tempo and a tender vocal. There’s no such relief in the following song, “Good Neighbors.” It’s two and a half minutes of total head-banging.

Standouts and strong candidates for converting non-metal freaks to the dark side of heavy rock are “Gold Teeth on a Bum” and the shockingly beautiful “Widower.” “Gold Teeth” gives the record a sense of depth not only in sound but in songwriting and emotion as the band mine some of their strongest lyrics for this polemic. Meanwhile, “Widower” is a tinkly, delicate piano ballad clocking in at over six minutes with not a hint of metal until minute four.

While “Chinese Whispers” and two-minute punk thrasher “Crystal Morning” will undoubtedly appeal to Warped Tour followers, Alternative Press readers, and devotees of Anthrax or Faith No More, they’re no indication of what a listen to this record is really like. It’s almost a tough one to enjoy for those unaccustomed to a serious scream and a relentless headbanging pace, but once you sink your teeth in you realize there are plenty of calmer, peaceful moments to let you appreciate the artistry and musicianship at work here. For a metal record, this one will get longhairs whipping around and office punks bobbing their knees and tapping their pen in time.

LIVE LINK!

30 Second Reviews from 3/23

2010-03-25T14:39:00.002-04:00

Gorillaz
Plastic Beach
(Virgin)
SOUNDS LIKE: The super group's long-awaited follow up to Demon Days is solid but not a revelation, guests like Snoop, Mos, and Lou Reed help out
FREE ASSOCIATION: Nobody does singing hip hop cartoons quite like they do
FOR FANS OF: Handsome Boy Modeling School, Dr. Octogon, Blur

Broken Bells
Broken Bells
(Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: Shins man James Mercer and Danger Doom make a stylized Shins record with a bit more variety, atypical rhythms and instrumentation
FREE ASSOCIATION: Not sure leaving your boys in Portland was such a good idea, James
FOR FANS OF: Shins, Harlem Shakes, druggy AC Newman

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
The Brutalist Bricks
(Matador)
SOUNDS LIKE: The D.C. mod punk's first on Matador is a high-energy romp through his unique ramped up approach to alternative folk rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: You don't need to have studied his deep catalogue to enjoy this gem
FOR FANS OF: Sloan, The Hold Steady, Dismemberment Plan

Dillinger Escape Plan
Option Paralysis
(Party Smasher/Season of Mist)
SOUNDS LIKE: Avant garde mathcore metal with a decidedly punk-infused progressive rock sound from Jersey
FREE ASSOCIATION: There are no breaks here; the thrash and the screaming is constant
FOR FANS OF: Mars Volta, Anthrax, Tool, Melvins, Neurosis

Matt Pond PA
The Dark Leaves
(Altitude Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Smart, sensitive and elegant chamber rock that left Philly for Brooklyn but kept the PA and kept making solid records
FREE ASSOCIATION: Same ole, same ole, solidly built and listenable indie rock
FOR FANS OF: Pedro the Lion, Rogue Wave, Superchunk

Joanna Newsom
Have One On Me
(Drag City)
SOUNDS LIKE: Three-disc opus of brilliant restrained vocal acrobatics couched in heavenly, billowing harp, guitar, light percussion and smarts
FREE ASSOCIATION: It does this lady no service to peg her as a version of another folk diva
FOR FANS OF: Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, St. Vincent

Xiu Xiu
Dear God, I Hate Myself
(Kill Rock Stars)
SOUNDS LIKE: Jamie Stewart and Co. make moody, complex and electronic experimental rock with clever self-deprecation
FREE ASSOCIATION: Self-loathing to the extreme has yielded a beautifully twisted record
FOR FANS OF: Deerhoof meets Cure times Joy Division

Sade
Soldier of Love
(Sony)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Queen of Adult R&B's first in eight years is a funky, almost hip hop-flavored slow dance record for making love with one's self
FREE ASSOCIATION: The title track is one of the best things we've heard in a long time
FOR FANS OF: Diana, Dionne, Whitney, Toni, Erykah, Grace, Mary

Holy shit this is beautiful

2010-03-25T14:36:00.000-04:00

A great scene from West Side Story

2010-03-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

CONFESSION: I want to see this movie

2010-03-23T21:10:00.000-04:00

CONFESSION: I like the Whip It soundtrack

2010-03-22T15:20:00.003-04:00

I haven't seen the film. I hope to at some point no matter how ghastly it is reported to be. But I found a copy of the soundtrack in the mail at Philly Weekly and I've been listening to it. It's really fun.

TRACK LIST:

Tilly and the Wall - "Pot Kettle Black"
Ramones - "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker"
Cut Chemist feat. Hymnal - "What's the Altitude"
The Breeders - "Bang On"
The Raveonettes - "Dead Sound"
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Blue Turning Grey"
Jens Lekman - "Your Arms Around Me"
Gotye - "Learnalilgivinanlovin"
Peaches - "Boys Wanna Be Her"
Dolly Parton - "Jolene"
38 Special - "Caught Up in You"
Har Mar Superstar feat. Adam Green - "Never My Love"
Goose - "Black Gloves"
The Ettes - "Crown of Age"
Landon Pigg feat. Turbo Fruits - "High Times"
Little Joy - "Unattainable"
The Chordettes - "Lollipop (Squeak E. Clean & Desert Eagles Remix)"
The Go! Team - "Doing It Right"
Apollo Sunshine - "Breeze"
Lorene Scafaria - "28"

30 Second Reviews from 3/16

2010-03-22T15:11:00.002-04:00

Dr. Dog
Shame, Shame
(Anti)
SOUNDS LIKE: Much-anticipated collection of great new tracks; dreamy, psych-tinged retro rock spiked by moments of funkalicious modernity
FREE ASSOCIATION: Perhaps the biggest deal Philly band destined for acclaim of all kinds
FOR FANS OF: Pavement meets Spoon, Shins times Apples in Stereo

Drive By Truckers
The Big To-Do
(ATO Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: True practitioners of southern rock, devotees of the triple guitar attack, their eighth LP isn't as much Skynyrd as Neil Young & Crazy Horse
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sketches of scenarios, characters, and southern pride done right
FOR FANS OF: Backyard Tire Fire, Allman Brothers, Jason Isbell

Standard Fare
The Noyelle Beat
(Bar/None Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Sheffield, UK trio of feel-good power pop's debut is all the buzz with lots of energy and plenty of standout tracks
FREE ASSOCIATION: "Fifteen" and "Dancing" are solid, but "Philadelphia" is where it's at!
FOR FANS OF: Weezer's blue album, Blondie, Lemonheads

Let's Wrestle
In the Court of the Wrestling Let's
(Merge Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: A London trio's playfully silly spin on King Crimson's similarly titled LP is heavy rock infused by old soul, lo-fi rock and balls out punk rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: That title sure is a mouthful, a mouthful of awesome, that is
FOR FANS OF: Pavement, Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Art Brut

Mose Allison
The Way Of The World
(Anti)
SOUNDS LIKE: The brilliant blues jazz pianist's first studio effort in 12 years is full of amazing guests, solos and lyrics, go'on Mose, tickle those keys!
FREE ASSOCIATION: Thank you, Anti, for taking this wayward old man (he's 81) into your fold
FOR FANS OF: Tom Waits, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller

Sally Seltmann
Heart That's Pounding
(Arts & Crafts)
SOUNDS LIKE: Leaving behind the New Buffalo moniker, the Aussie's first solo effort is airy, romantic and delicately orchestrated chamber pop
FREE ASSOCIATION: No different from the first two; sighing vocals and piano-led instrumentation
FOR FANS OF: Feist, Beth Orton, Emily Haines, Jens Lekman

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Dirty Shirt Rock'N'Roll: The First Ten Years
(Marjordomo Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The best stuff from before their hiatus is a raucous, bluesy romp full of ballsy drumming, textures and shouting brilliant nonsense
FFREE ASSOCIATION: Less blues than funky, soulful rock that forces you to move and groove
FOR FANS OF: Pussy Galore, Royal Trux, Black Keys + Flava Flav

Masta Killa
Masta Killa Live
(Gold Dust)
SOUNDS LIKE: The 9th and forgotten member of Wu Tang, High Chief/Noodles has blossomed under GZA's tutelage and now he's a grown-ass MC
FREE ASSOCIATION: Most live hip hop records would be a joke but this one's got flow for days
FOR FANS OF: Cappadonna, Method Man, kung fu movies, Brooklyn

Some Calendar listings I wrote

2010-03-22T14:57:00.003-04:00

Air
The French duo from Versailles have perfected what they do: vocoder and moog-laden easy listening space jams. Sounds kind of boring, but it’s sexy times of the past, present and future wrapped in metallics with lasers shooting out of the seams. Their latest, Love, is no revelation. But they’ll no doubt dump their bag of tricks on stage, rework them live and deliver gems from Moon Safari and Talkie Walkie in ways you’d never believe. They’re famous for taking crowd favorites and creating entirely different versions live. Don’t think their ambient trip-hop is something they just push a button to play; synthesizers and wurlitzers will be made love to on stage the way only a Frenchman can manage. -Bill Chenevert

Thurs., March 18, 8pm. $40-$43. With AM + DJ Justin Paul. Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St. 215.627.1332.

ON THE WEB ELSEWHERE!

David Bazan
David Bazan, the mind behind extremely popular emo group Pedro the Lion, is a multi-instrumental maven responsible for almost 20 years of thoughtful, beautiful rock 'n’ roll. His first full-length solo, 2009’s Curse Your Branches, is the brilliant solo record everyone knew he had in him. Full of his telltale threads of relationships to God, good, evil and others, it’s a brilliant testament to the man’s many talents. Critics and fans doubted he could do it after an abrupt disappearance from the rock radar, but he’s back and more powerful than ever before. His set will bring tears to the eyes of Pedro fans, and earn him a new following. -B.C.

8pm. $12. With Headlights. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. 215.821.7575. r5productions.com

Some Joanna Newsom songs I like

2010-03-22T14:54:00.001-04:00

The Low Anthem

2010-03-16T15:10:00.002-04:00

For countrified indie folk fans, this is a dream lineup. Three rising stars in a mysteriously regionless genre, country boots get wedged on by Low Anthem in R.I., Annie & the Beekeepers in Boston and Lissie in L.A. Anthem has sold out big shows supporting the Avett Brothers and it’s no surprise that their gorgeous, soulful approaches to songwriting go together like hootin’ and hollerin’. Main man Ben Knox Miller is infectious on their big summer release Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. And to top it off, Lissie is the next big thing in folksy indie rock á la Jenny Lewis and Neko Case. -Bill Chenevert

8pm. $13. With Annie & the Beekeepers + Lissie. First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. 215.821.7575. r5productions.com

Too late, but, would've been a great show.

Check it on PW.

30 Second Reviews from 3/12

2010-03-16T14:41:00.003-04:00

Jaguar Love
Hologram Jams
(Fat Possum)
SOUNDS LIKE: Indie electro rock from Portland with members of Blood Brothers is mostly beats, synths, scream-singing and chaos
FREE ASSOCIATION: Requirements to enjoy: body odor, alcohol/drug abuse, crazy hair
FOR FANS OF: Pretty Girls Make Graves, NIN, Basement Jaxx

Liars
Sisterworld
(Mute)
SOUNDS LIKE: Shaking the post-punk dance revival stigma, these LA arty boys make moody, ethereal and brilliant rock that defies genres
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Each song is unique but all have heavy drums, grit and distortion
FOR FANS OF: Lightning Bolt, Radiohead plus Battles, Crystal Castles

Johnny Cash
American VI: Ain't No Grave
(American/Def Jam/Lost Highway)
SOUNDS LIKE: THE MAN's posthumous recordings keep coming, thanks to Rick Rubin, and it's a bittersweet mix of awe and wonder
FREE ASSOCIATION: Between June's and his death he kept growlin' and we'll give it a listen
FOR FANS OF: Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard

Los Campesinos!
Romance Is Boring
(Arts & Crafts)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Welsh-born septet's third is much loved/hated; kitchen sink indie pop at its finest/worst full of bodies, voices, sounds, quirky lyrics and hooks
FREE ASSOCIATION: More punky and experimental, a far cry from "You! Me! Dancing!"
FOR FANS OF: Architecture in Helsinki, angry Broken Social Scene

Acrassicauda
Only The Dead See The End Of The War
(Vice)
SOUNDS LIKE: Baghdad metal band's VICE debut is a brash, aggressive and menacing EP better than most American metal nitwits
FREE ASSOCIATION: The Heavy Metal in Baghdad subjects now live in NJ - effing politics, man!
FOR FANS OF: Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden

Aloha
Home Acres
(Polyvinyl)
SOUNDS LIKE: Friends from Ohio and PA fill out their sixth rich LP of swelling, energetic, harmonious and sometimes heavy indie rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: They take the good stuff from bands you're not so sure about and KILL IT
FOR FANS OF: Minus the Bear, Matt Pond PA, Built to Spill

Dub Police
Scion CD Sampler V. 28
(Scion AV)
SOUNDS LIKE: Yes, it's strange that Scion delivers such brilliance but it's no fluke; this collection is up there with the Sharon Jones/Daptones remixes
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Realize it or not, they're giving drivers blunted bug out driving music
FOR FANS OF: Dubstep, Hyperdub, Drum and bass, Grime, the UK

These New Puritans
Hidden
(Angular/Domino)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Brits' sophomore is a triumph of orchestral horns, grimey beats, percussion and keys with atypical compositions and structures
FREE ASSOCIATION: "We Want War" is one of the best things we've heard in a while
FOR FANS OF: The Fall, Gang of Four x Animal Collective, doombeat

LOOK AT IT ONLINE!

30 Second Reviews from 3/5

2010-03-16T14:18:00.004-04:00

Yeasayer
Odd Blood
(Secretly Canadian)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Brooklyn long-hairs' sophomore is still tripped out indie rock but less tribal and more DFA/dancefloor ready this time
FREE ASSOCIATION: DJs, you can now stop playing "Sunrise" and "2080." No? OK.
FOR FANS OF: Animal Collective, Gang Gang Dance, Le Loup

Massive Attack
Heligoland
(Virgin)
SOUNDS LIKE: Ominous and ambient as ever, this time with a bunch of guests, but it lacks the experimental heart of the heavy-hitting LPs
FREE ASSOCIATION: Oh cool, Hope Sandoval, TV on the Radio and Blur dudes; still no Blue Lines
FOR FANS OF: New Order, Portishead, Sneaker Pimps, dub

Georgia Anne Muldrow
Kings Ballad
(Ubiquity)
SOUNDS LIKE: A futuristic Quincy Jones, she does it all and frequently, her fifth full-length of soulful and groovy R&B in as many years
FREE ASSOCIATION: Title track is a tribute to MJ, but it's not all elegies; hypnotic neo-soul at its finest
FOR FANS OF: Ms. Badu, k-os, India.Arie, Dam-Funk

Lightspeed Champion
Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You
(Domino)
SOUNDS LIKE: Texas-born, Essex, UK-raised, formerly of dance punk's Test Icicles, now he makes electrified, rich and eerie funk folk
FREE ASSOCATION: SO HIP; plays/writes with The Horrors, Basement Jaxx, Arctic Monkeys, etc.
FOR FANS OF: Margot & her So and So's, Andrew Bird, NME

Rocky Votolato
True Devotion
(Barsuk)
SOUNDS LIKE: A Texan turned Seattle punk, the veteran folk singer/songwriter's third Barsuk LP is a beautiful, happier version of Elliot Smith
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Glad you left those angry, emo punks (Waxwing) behind and lit some candles
FOR FANS OF: Jeff Buckley, Damien Rice, open mic nights

Vaus
The Floating Celebration
(Night World)
SOUNDS LIKE: Lyn Vaus is an enigmatic DC gent who's debut LP is a moody throwback tip of the hat to Velvet Underground
FREE ASSOCIAITON: This could've come out forty years ago; droney, funky, barely trying
FOR FANS OF: Lou Reed, Modern Lovers, Brian Ferry, xanax, valium

Marrow
Sunshine Enema
(Marrowcell)
SOUNDS LIKE: San Fran house outfit blasts synths, beats and more synths with cheeky lyrics about fighting mindless consumerism
FREE ASSOCIATION: Like a young androgynous goth grew up OBSESSED with NIN and Fischerspooner
FOR FANS OF: Dark Bjork, dark !!!, dark Duran Duran, then lasers!

Freeway & Jake One
The Stimulus Package
(Rhymesayers)
SOUNDS LIKE: Philly hip hop and State Property lifer's Rhymesayers' label debut is a sick collab with Seattle's Jake One full of beats and ego
FREE ASSOCIAITON: Oh damn, the CD case is a wallet and the lyrics are on dollars! So hood!
FOR FANS OF: Just Blaze, Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z, smokin' cheeb

REAL CHARTICLE!

These New Puritans new record review

2010-03-04T12:09:00.002-05:00

Beats Make Doom Sound Fun

It’s all about the rhythm with These New Puritans. Head honcho Jack Barnett, responsible for songwriting, vocals, and production, claims Wu-Tang Clan as a hearty influence on his band’s sound. Good thing New York’s grimiest hip-hop titans made their way across the ocean, as the beats presented on These New Puritans’ second LP Hidden are merciless. In fact, Barnett (whose twin brother, George, provides live drumming) has said he intends there to be refrains in his records, both individually and as a discography. And if there’s one refrain it’s percussion, both synthetic and physical.

You don’t get the full force of the drums until “We Want War,” a stellar and awe-inspiring seven-minute opus that prominently features heavy, martial drumming. The first single off of Hidden, it’s also accompanied by a visually flawless video directed by Daniel Askill. Its stylish take on ballistics footage hearkens back to TNP’s connection to fashion: The group produced the soundtrack to legendary fashion designer Hedi Slimane’s Dior Homme show in 2007.

It all makes sense, as this record would accompany a runway show perfectly. It’s dramatic and moody, it’s pop music meets dancehall, it’s grime meets post-punk revival, it’s catchy and above all, it’s got a great beat. The foursome incorporate many disparate elements; in most moments this works seamlessly but it sometimes feels a little forced, as if its trying to be trendy. The tribalism of Animal Collective has leaked into many burgeoning rock bands, and while giant Japanese drums pounded to dark perfection are infectious, it’s not enough to carry an entire record.

“Attack Music” and “Fire – Power” are catchy in their chanting repetition and “Hologram” surprises with delicacy. It’s not all beats—These New Puritans employ choral arrangements and tickled pianos here and there. But to be clear, this record will more easily win over fans of Nine Inch Nails and Liars, and there’s definitely going to be a new army of devotees emerging as a result of Hidden. It’s the most attractive record the band could have possibly put out at this moment in time. But will it be the greatest of the year, or of their career? Probably not.

LIVE LINK.

PHILLY'S BETTER THAN BEST!

2010-02-24T15:01:00.003-05:00

I contributed a few gems. Check em' out!

BETTER THAN BEST: FOOD

Best Spot to Score Fountain Cherry Coke in Center City

For the soda connoisseur there isn’t much that can beat the fountain. There’s something about the sweetness, the effervescing bubbles and the refills that makes fountain soda the ultimate in carbonated corn syrup. Now, let’s talk flavors. Pepsi and Coca-Cola Classic are expected but Cherry Coke and Dr. Pepper? Thank you, sweet baby Jesus for allowing these delicious beverages to be invented. At Pita Pit you get a 32-ounce bucket for under $2. This trough of sugar will last at least an hour depending on your ice ratio.

Pita Pit, 1601 Sansom St. 215.564.1080. phillypitapit.com

Best Gay Cruising Mecca

Twelfth Street between Walnut and Locust rivals 13th Street as the gayest of gay. You can’t beat the duo of 12th Street Gym and Brew-Ha Ha! for cruising. If Eighth Avenue in Chelsea is New York's big gay catwalk, this is ours. You’ve got muscle gays (and straights) pouring out of the gym, and they all magnetically gravitate towards Brew-Ha Ha! A quick glance at the M4M Missed Connections reveals the gritty truth: Hearts swell and are broken every day at this gay haven. Newbies be forewarned, you will get eyes if you’re even remotely attractive. There’s no real type here: Professionals, bartenders and grandpas all flock to Brew-Ha Ha! for eye candy and to see and be seen. BHH is a chain and that means the product is nothing special, the food is limited and everything’s puh-ricey—but it’s not about the menu, it’s about the mens.

Brew-Ha Ha, 212 S. 12th St. 215.893.5680. brewhaha.com

BETTER THAN BEST: PEOPLE AND PLACES

Best Record Store Clerk

Some of you refuse to give in to the digital downloading tidal wave. On occasion you may even go in to a record store and ask what’s good, what’s new or what sounds like a band you already love. In these situations you need help. You need Chris from AKA . He listens for you. He also plays guitar so he has an ear for talent and plays in a couple bands (Fang Island, Infinite Possibilities), so he knows his contemporaries. While owner Mike may take some warming up to, he’s embedded in Chris a fondness for ‘70s guitar rock (Thin Lizzy) to balance out his young grasshopper’s love of proto-punk (Ramones, early Velvet Underground). Chris takes his job seriously; he reads things and anticipates new releases. Long In The Tooth on Sansom and Repo on South can be whack experiences—LITT is so punk, and Repo is staffed by stoners. AKA is big, user-friendly and they care about getting records into your head.

AKA Music, 27 N. Second St. 215.922.3855

BETTER THAN BEST: PHILLY BARS

Best Place to Share the Dancefloor with Philly Pop Royalty

Talking about the Barbary as a hip, young dance destination is redundant. It’s in every corny advertorial neighborhood guide you can get your hands on. On weekends, Michael Madonna Prince is $8 to get in, and if you show up at 11 p.m. you’ll wait in a 50-foot line for an hour. Lame. However, owner John Redden does a good job keeping the fun going on weeknights with regular parties like Tigerbeats (Mondays) and Bouffant Bangout (Wednesdays). On these cover-less nights you own the floor and you may even find yourself rubbing elbows with Philly favorites Amanda Blank and Spank Rock’s Naeem Juwan. Surprise surprise, you can buy them both a beer and talk about their records; they’re down. The dirty little beer and whiskey joint probably won’t attract any Hollywood celebs (hello, this is Philly) but we have our own local sweethearts and ours can out drink those scrawny L.A. bitches any day.

Barbary, 951 Frankford Ave. 215.634.7400. myspace.com/thenewbarbary

Best Tiny Place To Catch A Band You’d Pay Through The Nose To See In NYC

It’s always a nice surprise to see a band you have your eye on throw a Necktie date on their itinerary. With a typical $10 ticket price and space for about 100 people at a time, it’s a steal. A lot of bands that end up at Necktie are following up dates at the Mercury Lounge or the Music Hall of Williambsurg. Not huge price tags but, ya know beers at those joints are gonna be like $12 each, and many of them sell out quickly. Last year saw visits from indie darlings Gang Gang Dance, Fuck Buttons, Girls, Fiery Furnaces, Fucked Up and many others, and 2010 will no doubt be littered with locals throwing record release parties and shows from several “next big things.”

Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N. Front St. 215.291.4919. kungfunecktie.com

Best Bar For Young Gays To Get Bought Drinks

Sometimes it seems like girls have it so easy. All they have to do is put on some heels, do their hair, expose some tit and—Bam!— they’re drinkin’ free all goddamn night ! They just bat their lashes and lean over 45 degrees and any dude with at least one working eye will come running to their alcohol rescue. But what’s a young gay who’s artsy lifestyle affords only a few PBR cans before pushing their monthly budget to do? Knock is the answer. The swanky decor and older gentlemen’s crowd make twentysomethings (dressed in something other than a V-neck sweater and bootcut jeans) stand out like a doe-eyed target. Be careful though, boys, the drinks are strong at Knock (don’t accept too many, it’s trashy), and you may end up puzzled with a business card on the pillow next to you. Sometimes it helps to bring a book or magazine, it makes you look extra lonely, and sure enough you’ll have an upside-down shot glass placed in front of you with a wink from across the bar flying your way in no time. Score.

Knock, 225 S. 12th St. 215.925.1166. knockphilly.com

Got to thinkin'

2010-02-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Bands I want to see perform before they (or I) die:

Beastie Boys
PJ Harvey (preferably cover to cover "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea")
Animal Collective
St. Vincent
Radiohead
Interpol
Arctic Monkeys
Mos Def
Phoenix
A REAL Broken Social Scene set
Sleater-Kinney (reunion tour?)
Fleet Foxes
Hercules and Love Affair
Stars
Band of Horses
Kings of Leon (you heard me)

Thoughts?

See, I'm straight

2010-02-21T02:01:00.000-05:00

This is becoming an obsession

2010-02-17T01:03:00.000-05:00

Karnivool's a deceptively solid metal band

2010-02-17T00:19:00.003-05:00

Western Australia : Prog Metal :: Seattle : Grunge

This is a big deal record for metalheads. Western Australia has produced a few bands that have become staples in the prog metal genre, namely Cog and The Butterfly Effect. But with Sound Awake, Karnivool have emerged as the ones to watch. Their previous LP, Themata, was released almost five years ago and this 2009 full-length clocking in at 72 minutes puts them solidly in the upper echelon of progressive nu-metal.

High school friends who were inspired by and covered bands like Nirvana and Carcass, Ian Kenny and Andrew “Drew” Goddard are the only original members still singing and playing guitar, respectively. Kenny’s voice is an astonishingly impressive part of Sound Awake’s success: He has immaculate control, moments of serious radio beauty, and he can also wail. His voice guides listeners on an epic alt-rock journey with plenty of tempo and volume changes. This record is remarkably diverse, with harder moments of churning guitars, Jon Stockman’s ground-up bass, and aggressive drumming by Steve Judd.

What’s most exciting about this LP is the sounds for which Karnivool reach. They’ve stuck with veteran producer Forrester Savell and pulled in a handful of other musicians to fill out a rich, complex rock sound. They use a didgeridoo on “Change (Part 2),” a prominently awesome xylophone on album opener “Simple Boy,” and extra vocalists on the aptly titled “Goliath.” Singles “Set Fire to the Hive” and “All I Know” definitely rip, but they may not be the best or most indicative of the rest of the record.

“New Day” is a keeper, Kenny’s vocals front and center with bouncing guitar fingering that escorts the listener through the album’s artiest, softest track. “Deadman,” on the other hand, is the album’s most complex and longest song. It’s a 12 minute trip worth taking.

This is an impressive record and even more evidence to the musts of a compelling new metal record: tempo variety, artistry, complexity of sound, a talented vocalist and ambition to push the boundaries and definitions of metal. Western Australia has produced a champion of the genre sharing the podium with Isis and Mastadon. Sound Awake is quite an accomplishment.

THE REAL THING.

I wrote a Week's Worst about Anti-Flag

2010-02-16T22:20:00.002-05:00

Anti-Flag formed in Pittsburgh in ‘88 with one goal: change the world through leftist, politically charged punk rock. Their albums Their System Doesn’t Work For You and Die for the Government spit in the eye of all that uptight, middle-America holds dear with the express intent to wake them the fuck up. And it’s worked. Since those landmark albums we’ve: elected Bush, elected and re-elected his retarded son, gone to war with Iraq and Afghanistan, made Sarah Palin a best selling author, seen our economy shit the bed, bailed out billionaire banks, bailed out billionaire car companies, and, crystal ball here, are going to pass a toothless health care bill if one gets passed at all. So thanks for shaking things up, guys! Here’s to another 20 years, when we’ll no doubt be playing your game-changing albums on full blast in Utopia!

Wed., Feb. 3. 7pm, $15. With Cancer Bats, Star Fucking Hipsters + the Menzingers. Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. 215.922.6888. thetroc.com

REAL DEAL.

MxDwn review of The Fall of Troy

2010-02-16T22:07:00.003-05:00

History’s Been Kind, and the Future’s Bright and Sunny

Thomas Erak and Andrew Forsman are young, both 25, recording since they were 17 and no doubt inspired by their Washington state-inherited grunginess. Back then they were The 30 Years War, getting that name by dropping a finger into a history textbook—the same way they got their current moniker. In The Unlikely Event is their fourth and strongest album to date with a good deal of complexity and diversity of sound.

Comparisons will be drawn between this trio and tour partners Coheed and Cambria, but there’s something more straightforward about these younger prog-metal professionals. Several of the best tracks on Unlikely Event sound like less fussy versions of C&C songs, such as the strong “Single.” The sometimes heavy and almost always churning and distorted guitars and steady metal drumming of Forsman are trademarks of several of their contemporaries. Erak’s vocals don’t even approach Claudio Sanchez’s howl, but this is a good thing for Erak; his voice is ultimately listenable and compelling. Only on the second track, “Straight-Jacket Keelhauled” does he really tear up his vocal chords and merge into screamo for a second. This is deceptive because beyond this and “Nobody’s Perfect,” a screamer for the ages, the rest of the record isn’t nearly as hard.

The album is helmed by Terry Date, best known for producing Soundgarden, Pantera, Limp Bizkit and—perhaps closest in sound to The Fall of Troy—Deftones. For “Dirty Pillow Talk,” a tempo-changing progged-out winner, the boys recruited Rody Walker from Protest the Hero for vocals as well as Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes. Another standout is “The Battleship Graveyard,” with a lengthy guitar-heavy breakdown full of effects and solos. It’s on songs like this one that they resemble current prog-metal heroes like Isis, Mastadon and The Mars Volta.

It’s a tough balance: metal that’s artful, intriguing and not overly epic. It’s also tough to wrap your head around a conceptual album, especially if the singing and playing isn’t so exceptional. That’s not to say The Fall of Troy are ultimately simple. Erak is a gifted musician, a capable songwriter, guitar player and drummer from a musical family (including his Eagles session-player dad), and in work like the slow, beautiful “Webs” he puts his chops on display. These guys are young, yet with four albums under their belt and huge tours behind them it will be a trip to watch as they mature and move beyond their peers.

LIVE LINK!

30 Second Reviews from 2/16

2010-02-16T21:59:00.002-05:00

Wu-Tang
Return of the Wu
(Gold Dust)
SOUNDS LIKE: A Mathematics-produced comp. featuring the whole crew with some killer new songs like "Clap 2010" and "Steppin 2 Me"
FREE ASSOCIATION: The usual mix of found Asian sounds, chunky beats and fierce spittin'
FOR FANS OF: RZA, GZA, Ghost, Meth, Raekwon, NYC

Salvador Santana
Keyboard City
(Various Music/Quannum)
SOUNDS LIKE: Carlos' son with Money Mark, the 4th Beastie Boy, serve a grooved out hip hoppy fun kfest of the spiciest Latin variety
FREE ASSOCIATION: Those keys and horns might make you sweat and run for el bano
FOR FANS OF: Buena Vista, Herbie Hancock, funky T. Monk

Backyard Tire Fire
Good To Be
(Kelsey Street Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Illinois brothers plus one have been churning out foot-stompin' country-fried bar rock for almost a decade now
FREE ASSOCIATION: This would be best listened to drunk around a fire (with the band)
FOR FANS OF: Cracker, early Wilco, Los Lobos, North Mississippi

Adam Green
Minor Love
(Fat Possum)
SOUNDS LIKE: One-time Moldy Peaches man's first on Fat Possum is a bluesy sad bastard rock record that sounds like a hundred others
FREE ASSOCIATION: Darkness in New York is leather, mild eyeliner and break-up songs
FOR FANS OF: Kimya Dawson, Elliot Smith, Leonard Cohen

The Living Sisters
Love To Live
(Vanguard Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Pretty, harmonized vocal-oriented lady folk with touches of old-timey country and blues from a trio of girls in other bands
FREE ASSOCIATION: If Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris were indie rock LA girls
FOR FANS OF: Bird and the Bee, Watson Twins, the Wainwrights

Organ Blues
This Didn't Just Happen
(Self Released)
SOUNDS LIKE: Fishtown hetero life partners inspired by Philly grit make bluesy, slightly grungy rock n' roll for spaceouts and buzzes
FREE ASSOCIATION: Solid rock borne of garages, basements, Lager and late nights
FOR FANS OF: Pavement, Pixies, Modest Mouse, NE Phil

Zeus
Say Us
(Arts & Crafts)
SOUNDS LIKE: Collett's backing band's debut LP is rich and folksy with a mix of tempos and moods but it's all clever and heartfelt
FREE ASSOCIATION: Some tracks are soft, but a couple are straight-up glam rock Bowie-style
FOR FANS OF: Canada, Rilo Kiley, a little My Morning Jacket

Jason Collett
Rat A Tat Tat
(Arts & Crafts)
SOUNDS LIKE: Toronto's Ryan Adams makes sunny, barbecued folk rock that's as humane as ever singing about life, love and hangovers
FREE ASSOCIATION: Where'd all your friends go? Idols of Exile rocked with guests
FOR FANS OF: Broken Social Scene, Andrew Cash, Metric, Feist

REAL LINK.

30 Second Reviews from 2/9

2010-02-16T21:44:00.002-05:00

Beach House
Teen Dream
(Sub Pop)
SOUNDS LIKE: Droney keys, airy guitars and Victoria's soaring vocals make a gorgeous third LP and SubPop debut
FREE ASSOCIATION: A few tracks save it from being monotonous; cover to cover it's solid
FOR FANS OF: Yo La Tengo, Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twins

Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy
Heartland
(Domino)
SOUNDS LIKE: Violinist and indie pop composer extraordinaire from Toronto is gifted at making lush, nuanced chamber rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: His previous record is called He Poos Clouds for Chrissakes, POINTS!
FOR FANS OF: Patrick Wolf, Andrew Bird, Nico Muhly, arty gays

Linstrom & Christabelle
Real Life Is No Cool
(Feedelity/Smalltown Supersound)
SOUNDS LIKE: Norwegian beat-man and producer recruits his homegirl's pipes to make dancey housey ultra-electro freak out jams
FREE ASSOCIATION: First listen is tough; then you hit the tracks deeper in that are bombtastic
FOR FANS OF: LCD Soundsystem, Brian Eno at Studio 54

Charlotte Gainsbourg
IRM
(Elektra)
SOUNDS LIKE: French Renaissance lady's second adult LP is produced, written and performed by Beck and it is BAD ASS
FREE ASSOCIATION: Damn, Beck signatures all over it with a mix of Bjork electronica/ambience
FOR FANS OF: Serge, Air, Marianne Faithfull, Anti-Christ

Cuddle Magic
Picture
(FYO Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Brooklyn/Philly supergroup fills a stage with strings, bodies, lamps and plastic animals in making sweet, meticulous folk pop
FREE ASSOCIATION: We're down with anything cuddle-oriented; this is soft enough to earn it
FOR FANS OF: Folksy Broken Social Scene, Megafaun

The Watson Twins
Talking To You, Talking To Me
(Vanguard)
SOUNDS LIKE: Louisville natives ran to LA and settled into Siverlake as backup singers who also write slightly sad alt-country folk
FREE ASSOCIATION: Rabbit Fur Coat did you girls, good, but will anything ever live up to it?
FOR FANS OF: Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley, Feist, Mirah, SoCal

Nneka
Concrete Jungle
(Decon Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Nigerian-born German neo-soul/MC's second LP is a rich and complex array of bangin' beats and slow gospeldelicism
FREE ASSOCIATION: One of the biggest surprise gems of 2010, she's about to take off
FOR FANS OF: Badu, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, Fela Kuti, Raphael Saadiq

Four Tet
There Is Love In You
(Domino)
SOUNDS LIKE: London's Kieran Hebden's genius with loops, found and synthesized beats with bits of vocals for good measure
FREE ASSOCIATION: One of the best electronic records in years if not solely for "Love Cry"
FOR FANS OF: Flying Lotus, Caribou, Aphex Twin, headbobs

REALLY REALNESS.

30 Second Reviews from 2/2

2010-02-16T21:29:00.002-05:00

Hot Chip
One Life Stand
(Astralwerks)
SOUNDS LIKE: The quirk-pop Brits swim further into the deep-end with Euro-flavored new wave electro-disco for the '10s
FREE ASSOCIATION: At least it's not getting boring; they must be slamming fistfuls of pills
FOR FANS OF: Stereolab, Brian Eno, Empire of the Sun, spaceouts

Scout Niblett
The Calcination of Scout Niblett
(Drag City)
SOUNDS LIKE: The UK native-cum-Portlander is a wild woman of rock; just her raw lyrics, a guitar and (sometimes) a drum
FREE ASSOCIATION: The wig-wearing welding art girl's Cobain worship is at her strongest
FOR FANS OF: PJ Harvey vs. Patti Smith, Grace Slick in '66

Keb Darge & Paul Weller Present...
Lost & Found Real R'N'B' & Soul
(BBE Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The guru (KD) of UK's fascination with deep funk and soul joins up with The Jam's main man (PW) to curate bombass old soul jams
FREE ASSOCIATION: Worth it to hear Big Mama Thorton sing "I weigh 300 pounds!"
FOR FANS OF: The Cadets, Creations, The Dells, Tammi Terell

Uffie
MCs Can Kiss
(Ed Banger Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Hong Kong/Paris-raised fashion plate/emcee is hot shit and her V-Day debut will seriously be bananas
FREE ASSOCIATION: Five wicked versions of the same song, fine; YouTube "Pop The Glock" now
FOR FANS OF: Yelle, Justice, CSS, Peaches but sexy

Alesana
The Emptiness
(Fearless Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Little hints of screamo pepper this Raleigh-born post-metal post-hardcore post-good record of overly literary hard rock
FREE ASSOCIATION: We say pick one; screamo doesn't go that well paired with the posts
FOR FANS OF: Greeley Estates, Asking Alexandria, nu metal

RJD2
The Colossus
(RJ's Electrical Connections)
SOUNDS LIKE: Local boy's fourth is on his own label playing with instrumentals, loops, vocals, guest spots and electronic soulfulness
FREE ASSOCIATION: More of a DJ than a singer, but that jam with Kenna is so sick
FOR FANS OF: DJ Shadow, El-P, Blockhead, Aesop Rock

Phantogram
Eyelid Movies
(Barsuk Records)
Sounds Like: Saratoga Springs friends who've opened for big names but get their debut of infectious "street beat psych pop" out here
FREE ASSOCIATION: Growing up now you can actually mix those things and not be terrible
FOR FANS OF: Yeasayer, Zero 7, Belle & Sebastian meets Diplo

Pierced Arrows
Descending Shadows
(Vice)
Sounds Like: Fred and Toody Cole rear their aged garage punk grandparent faces and pick up a drummer to say 'We're not dead yet, listen up'
FREE ASSOCIATION: Simple, well-done, slightly angry and disquieting modern punk
FOR FANS OF: Dead Moon, Ramones, old folks kicking ass

CHARTICLE!

If I had to... (Top 25 Albums of 2009)

2010-01-28T17:40:00.002-05:00

25. Mastodon - Crack The Skye
24. Le Loup - Family
23. Real Estate - Real Estate
22. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
21. Jamie T - Kings & Queens
20. Metric - Fantasies
19. Wale - Attention Deficit
18. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
17. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
16. The Antlers - Hospice
15. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
14. Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy
13. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
12. Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do
11. Japandroids - Post-Nothing
10. St. Vincent - Actor
9. Mos Def - The Ecstatic
8. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
7. The xx - xx
6. Maxwell - BLACKsummeres'night
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
3. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
2. Atlas Sound - Logos
1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Breaking Benjamin is another lukewarm metal band I've reviewed

2010-01-28T17:08:00.003-05:00

Metal’s Seen Better and Worse Days, No Breaking News There

It’s a dangerous place, post-grunge metal. So many bands have proven to be pathetic excuses for such in this oft-tired genre. Even without naming them I’m sure they come to mind: Korn, Nickelback, Linkin Park, Puddle of Mudd, Limp Bizkit, etc. Some of them may have had not-so-awful moments in the sun with a single that blasted across FM radio and fueled many a teenage male’s rage fantasies. But that’s the ultimate conflict, isn’t it? When you’re trying to sound hard, edgy, and ominous, if you score a radio hit you’re not so hard. Breaking Benjamin’s fourth album, Dear Agony, is a solid one, proving itself listenable and well-recorded if not monotonous and unadventurous.

The Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania quartet are a surprise success story in a cesspool of boring alt-metal. If any of these post-modern metal bands know what’s good for them, they’ll throw in a quieter track here and there, a memorable chorus, intelligible lyrics—generally speaking, some accessibility. That may be one thing Tool have always been a little short on, but there’s no doubt the L.A. prog-metal sound is an influence on singer and primary songwriter Ben Burnley. What’s most disturbing is that Burnley collaborated with Jasen Rauch of RED for almost one third of these songs. RED, for the uneducated, is a Christian rock band from Nashville. Rauch and Burnley wrote standout “I Will Not Bow,” “Hopeless,” “Lights Out,” and “Without You.” This doesn’t make a third of the album a Christian album, but you do start to wonder about Burnley and the band’s direction.

The impact of Dear Agony is a little front-loaded. The album opens with its two strongest tracks, “Fade Away” and “I Will Not Bow;” the latter of the two was licensed for the futuristic Bruce Willis thriller Surrogates. Chad Szeliga exhibits capable, muscled and steady drumming, essential for a power metal record. The guitars of Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski (who left a successful streak with dark metal’s Lifer ten years ago) are the solid foundation atop which Burnley’s voice sits.

The thing about this band is that their instrumental compositions are far from virtuosic, but never sadly unimpressive. They’re just the vehicle for Burnley’s radio-friendly voices and verses. This is their third album produced by David Bendeth, who does them justice, but it will most likely be received as more of the same from Breaking Benjamin fans. And they’re out there: 2006’s Phobia sold 130k copies in its first week. It seems as though Breaking Benjamin have done their homework and they’re trying not to sound like their poppier peers, but they’re also not trying to sound like no one else ever has.

LIVE LINK!

30 Second Reviews from 1/26

2010-01-28T16:56:00.002-05:00

Blood Feathers
Goodness Gracious
(Philebrity)
SOUNDS LIKE: Philly indie boys' Philebrity label debut is a foot-stompin', everyman's bar rock record; solid but not life changing
FREE ASSOCIATION: Little bit blues, a hair rockabilly, maybe a bit jammy; diggin' the sax
FOR FANS OF: Morphine, Ween, young Spoon

Editors
In This Light And On This Evening
(Kitchenware Records/Fader)
SOUNDS LIKE: Post-punk Brits might've peaked with Back Room debut, but after some slumping have found a new sound
FREE ASSOCIATION: They've taken a turn towards synths and saved themselves
FOR FANS OF: Interpol, Ian Curtis, New Order, industrial England

Surfer Blood
Astro Coast
(Kanine Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Florida rock that ends up sounding a lot like California rock with more modern flair and a darker underbelly
FREE ASSOCIATION: Like Real Estate and NJ, they're making FL seem like a place to be
FOR FANS OF: Apostle of Hustle meets Weezer, heady Beach Boys

Cow Pals
Eskimo Kisses
(Self-released)
SOUNDS LIKE: Jay Funk and Pete Hill are star-crossed Philly musical lovers who've finally found in each other a love for PBR and big girls
FREE ASSOCIATION: A little tongue-in-cheek, a little seriously awesome; simple rock music
FOR FANS OF: Pavement, Kinks/Lips/Dylan, a little extra

Will Kimbrough
Wings
(Daphne Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Alabama folk troubadour staple who finds time after session playing to make earnest and darn pretty solo records
FREE ASSOCIATION: It's easy for dude folk artists to come off toolish - not this guy
FOR FANS OF: Ryan Adams, Jeff Tweedy, Nasvhille

Joe Pug
Messenger
(Lightning Rod Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Pugliese gave up playwriting, headed back to Chi-town to write songs, build stuff, and bust his ass making this debut
FREE ASSOCIATION: Gives audiences song samplers; just a man strummin' and singin'
FOR FANS OF: Dylan, Steve Earle, Josh Ritter, M. Ward

Motion City Soundtrack
My Dinosaur Life
(Columbia)
SOUNDS LIKE: Minnesota finally gives the world modern pop-punk that isn't disgusting; well-drummed, sang and guitared
FREE ASSOCIATION: Like Blink 182 but better - pleasant major label pop punk is a shocker
FOR FANS OF: Get Up Kids, Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbox

V.V. Brown
Travelling Like The Light
(Capitol)
SOUNDS LIKE: UK songwriter with Pussycat Dolls on her hands, has legit pipes and serious style with retro flavor
FREE ASSOCIATION: Much more than just a pop monster, her brassy voice is pretty tough
FOR FANS OF: Amy Winehouse, FeFe Dobson, Solange

A REAL-DEAL CHARTICLE!

30 Second Reviews from 1/19

2010-01-28T16:45:00.003-05:00

Vampire Weekend
Contra
(XL Recordings)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Upper West Side preps have done it again; a beautiful mess of pop, Africa, loops, strings and percussion
FREE ASSOCIATION: If you hated them for their success before, it's only gonna get worse
FOR FANS OF: The Very Best, Ra Ra Riot, The Police

Spoon
Transference
(Merge)
SOUNDS LIKE: Spoon's seventh is a little weirder, longer, dirtier and funkier than Ga Ga Ga and that's a good thing
FREE ASSOCIATION: Yeah, we've heard a bunch of these songs already, but they're awesome
FOR FANS OF: Phoenix meets Interpol, The Kinks, Wire

Drink Up Buttercup
Born And Thrown On A Hook
(Yep Roc Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: These PA boys might as well be from Liverpool, their brand of kitchen sink rock is circus-like and hippified
FREE ASSOCIATION: Just when you think they're soft you get a rock punch in the nose
FOR FANS OF: Sgt. Pepper's, Man Man/Dr. Dog, Beirut

Jack Rose
Luck In The Valley
(Thrill Jockey Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The late great PA 6 and 12-string/lap guitar talent's last is a soulful, bluesy romp that shows his VA roots
FREE ASSOCIATION: Dr. Ragtime is right; it's like he's playin' next to Robert Johnson
FOR FANS OF: Pelt, John Fahey, James Blackshaw

Galactic
ya-ka-may
(Anti)
SOUNDS LIKE: New Orleans-spiced blend of jazz, funk, jam and R&b fueled by horns, organs, and, here apparently, guests
FREE ASSOCIATION: Hip hop records have this many feature spots; this ain't no Ruckus
FOR FANS OF: Meters, Maceo Parker, jammier Daptones

The Elevator Parade
A Headphone Revolution
(Audio 67)
SOUNDS LIKE: Jangly and psychedelic poppy noise from Philly who throw in a pinch of rollicking, foot-stomping country
FREE ASSOCIATION: '60s England and San Francisco go to the P.O.P.E. and get pissed/free
FOR FANS OF: Hoots & Hellmouth, tambourines and long hair

Bells Bells Bells
A Ghost Could Live Here
(Self-released)
SOUNDS LIKE: A creepy horror movie soundtracked by organs, drone, churny guitars and Amandah Romick's chirpy, haunting falsetto
FREE ASSOCIATION: Wednesday Addams grows up and sings in a psych-folk band
FOR FANS OF: Jefferson Airplane, King Crimson, Blonde Redhead

Arms
Kids Aflame
(Gigantic Music)
SOUNDS LIKE: The Harlem Shakes' Todd Goldstein's solo is a complex indie rock record highlighting his voice and finger work
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sometimes silly and slow, sometimes fun and fast, this one's a keeper
FOR FANS OF: Walkmen, Pomegranates, The Shins

REAL CHARTICLE.

Arch Enemy burn!

2010-01-20T12:23:00.003-05:00

There’s a scene in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective when Ace headbangs his way through a nasty, aggressive metal show towards a guy named Woodstock to ask him about marine life transportation. The band is Cannibal Corpse. This was 1994 and hair was long and dirty. Death metal seemed avant garde. It was so shockingly violent and masculine. Sixteen years later we have commercial metal and the thrill is gone. Though we still have bands like Mastadon, Isis and Lamb of God to challenge the genre, Swedes Arch Enemy and their ilk are still making screamo sludge-metal that’s unintelligible, and riddled with tired dichotomies like good/evil, rebellion/obedience and democracy/tyranny. Boring. Oh, and the cool thing now is to get yourself a lady lead singer who can scream like a man. If we’re going to get some bruises and suffer in the mosh pit, it’s not going to be for a show like this.

Thurs., Jan. 21, 8pm. $20. With Exodus, Arsis + Mutiny Within. Theatre of Living Arts, 334 South Street. livenation.com

LIVE LINK!

Hey friends, Philadelphians might hate my guts!

2010-01-19T13:09:00.002-05:00

In case you hadn't seen it, I posted a Week's Worst a while back hating on The Starting Line. Here's the text:

"It’s hard to root against local boys who’ve “made it” ... unless it’s a band like the Starting Line. Does Tallahassee rejoice when Creed rolls into town? Does Atlanta freak out when Collective Soul fills up the Tabernacle or Philips Arena? Possibly. Philly has certainly shown enough love to these central PA boys by buying every single ticket of their two “reunion” holiday shows. After three brutal records of power-emo-punk-pop, the band decided to give the world a breather from their insufferable brand of whine. Sure, they’ve toured with bigger versions of their painful sound like New Found Glory and Taking Back Sunday. But a Warped Tour does not a band make. It’s hard to believe there’s still a market for this horseshit. If Dashboard Confessional is the patriarch of emo, the Starting Line are their obnoxious, angsty teenagers."

Harsh, I guess. I don't think they're very talented. Their records and video clips are a total snoozefest. Anyway, I am at liberty to write about a band however I wish. It's my job. Ken Vasoli, lead singer and bassist, got really upset. He wrote a letter that he sent to PW and to me. We printed it in the paper in the Letters section. It looked like this:

"Dear Philadelphia Weekly & Bill Chenevert,

I am Ken Vasoli, singer and bassist for The Starting Line. You know..the "horseshit" band with an "insufferable brand of whine." Thanks a million for printing that article filled with those classic low-blows. Good move too, you guys are giving Pitchfork a run for their money by cleverly cutting down bands like us, its clearly the hip elitist thing to do. Congratulations in advance for the increase in readership, as I'm sure will be the result of bashing a popular philadelphia band.

What exactly was the point if the article? Was it to prevent people from attending a show that's already sold out, or perhaps to convince thousands of Philadelphians that they have inferior taste in music? Regardless, I'm happy to report that the two shows were both a fantastic success. I could barely hear myself over crowds' singing. These shows gave us in the band an indescribable feeling of joy, one that I'm sure Mr. Chenevert will never experience in his pathetic excuse for a career. I imagine the closest he will come to such euphoria will be masturbating to a Deerhunter record while reading the single comment left for his review bashing Coheed and Cambria. I win.

Happy New Year."

Do you win, Ken? He also drummed up some passion from a very dedicated fan base by bringing it to the attention of AbsolutePunk.net (which is so un-punk). The "article" was the most searched and commented piece that week online. There are currently 93 comments on it. They're almost all violently threatening. Here are a few choice ones:

11. Anonymous said... on Jan 2, 2010 at 12:22AM
“Wait this retard is actually allowed to write reviews for anything. I'm sorry ive never ready anything so terrible and bias in my life. Even bands i dont care for don't deserve to be reviewed by this idiot. I hope you read Kenny's response Bill i nearly shit myself reading it hahah. You should be fired immediately.”

12. Anonymous said... on Jan 2, 2010 at 12:36AM
“Crabs that live in Philidelphian Hookers Vaginas > Bill Chenevert

Boom Roasted”

26. Anonymous said... on Jan 2, 2010 at 12:54AM
“This guy needs to be fired. Unless PW is a satirical website.
If he would have made these claims and attempted to provide some sort of support, maybe we can have a discussion. However, he just takes un-merited stabs at The Starting Line and shares no reason why.

Absolutely out of control.
PW, fire this guy.
Readers, if they don't, do not return to this website."

34. Anonymous said... on Jan 2, 2010 at 01:01AM
“Can we get that guy fired, please?! What the fuck was that!?
If he could have justified his claims with some support, maybe it'd be fair to make such claims. But he fails to do that, and just takes un-merited shots at The Starting Line.

We should really push some pressure on PW to get rid of that guy.”

58. C. said... on Jan 2, 2010 at 01:29PM
“Hey Chenevert,

Sell your computer. You call yourself a journalist? This "article" is a pathetic waste of time, and while I'm embarrassed to have even been tricked into reading it, the knowledge that you wrote must make you the laughing stock of the entire Philadelphia Weekly. People like you not only give journalists a bad name; people like you give the human race a bad name.

Do you cry yourself to sleep at night?

Love,
C.”

74. Anonymous said... on Jan 3, 2010 at 01:36AM
“Bill, you listen to the worst music on the planet. You are a joke. Way to publish a pathetically biased article bashing a well-respected and genre-defining Philadelphia band. Now everybody hates you. Nice going, Bill.

Hey, PhiladelphiaWeekly - fire this pussy.”

OK, OK, you get the idea. The really nasty ones have already been deleted. A few of the first comments included a MySpace link to my profile and commands to go look at my terrible music preferences. When I saw that I laughed. I haven't logged in to MySpace in months. So I went and changed my music choices to just The Starting Line. This clearly confused a few readers and that's just what I was hoping for.

Also, want to see what I wrote back to Ken? It's right on the money if you ask me.

"Hey Kenneth,

It may not be productive to even write a reply. I'm not sure why you'd get so upset about something like this. You're an artist. Not everyone's going to love your work. If you read Philadelphia Weekly then you'd probably notice that Week's Worst is a column we have every week. Many writers pitch show blurbs and Week's Worsts and a handful are assigned. A band coming to town is featured in a not-so-kind light every week. Not every publication is going to be 100% positivity.

Want to get me on a list the next time you're in town? I listened to your records, MySpace page, watched live clips and YouTube videos while educating myself on your band and your sound. More than can be said for most writers, I'd bet. Congratulations on the success of both shows.

Not sure why you had to say that I'm going to have a pathetic career. I love music writing. Been doing it for years and plan on keeping it up. I hope you keep making records and that one day I'll listen to one and say 'Damn. This is great. I was wrong.'

YOURS,
Bill Chenevert"

I WIN.

Also, holy shit, just noticed that Michael Alan Goldberg's Make Major Moves post got 129 comments. Hilarious.

30 Second Reviews from 1/12

2010-01-19T13:02:00.002-05:00

Eminem
Relapse
(Aftermath)
SOUNDS LIKE: Em emerges from a five-year seclusion to rap (angrily) about the usuals: addiction, his family, starlets, and queers
FREE ASSOCIATION: Good thing Dre still likes him, not sure many others do
FOR FANS OF: Slim Shady, Ghostface, DMX, pills/drugs

Lady Gaga
Fame Monster
(Interscope/Kon Live)
SOUNDS LIKE: The camp queen creates shiny, synthy, super-produced Eurotrash dancefloor hits that highlight her insanity
FREE ASSOCIATION: An avowed GaGa hater gives her an honest listen; pass the Hatorade, please
FOR FANS OF: Cher, Queen, Bowie, La Roux, dick

Anvil
This Is Thirteen
(VH1 Classic Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: The mighty metalsmiths of Canada have been revived by a 2009 documentary and a label willing to put out these 13 songs
FREE ASSOCIATION: An hour of grindy, crunchy, growling old guys; not awful
FOR FANS OF: Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeath, Slayer

Every Avenue
Picture Perfect
(Fearless Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: Michigan boys' second LP of alt-pop emo rock is not as bas it could be; it's clean, nothing over 4 minutes, nothing too harsh
FREE ASSOCIATION: Get past the stigma of the genre and their look and it's not so bad
FOR FANS OF: Blink 182, Weezer, girlfriend breakup songs

The Disco Biscuits
Planet Anthem
(Diamond Riggs)
SOUNDS LIKE: Trance fusion hometown boys make records that reflect their live show; funky, jammy, dancy and trippy
FREE ASSOCIATION: A lot less high-energy this time, more polished, poppy, ambient and retro
FOR FANS OF: moe., Umphrey's McGee, Sound Tribe, patch pants

Rose Melberg
Homemade Ship
(K Records)
SOUNDS LIKE: In bands since 1992, she's an indie pop Renaissance woman; her second solo is twee as hell and precious
FREE ASSOCIATION: Vocals sweeter than Jenny Lewis' blended with simple syrup
FOR FANS OF: Go Sailor, Amy Milan/Stars, hushed acoustic rock

Animal Hospital
Memory
(Barge)
SOUNDS LIKE: Minimal but dense post rock opus three years in the making with a few 15-minute journeys through time and brains
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sometimes scratchy and reverby, then rhythmic and pretty
FOR FANS OF: Tortoise, Brian Eno, chill Fuck Buttons

Lissie
Why You Runnin'
(Fat Possum)
SOUNDS LIKE: Brooding, beautifully dark folk EP from an Illinois girl with an old soul who ran off to CA to find heartache
FREE ASSOCIATION: Spare production puts her blazing voice at the eerie front and center
FOR FANS OF: Canyon ladies Patti, Joni and Neko, Shelby Lynne

THE REAL CHARTICLE.

30 Second Reviews from 1/5 (WITH MY NAME FINALLY ON EM'!)

2010-01-19T12:56:00.002-05:00

Mudvayne
Mudvayne
SOUNDS LIKE: Brutally sludgy guitars, unintelligible screaming and angsty nu-metal from creepo makeup-wearing tools
FREE ASSOCIATION: You gotta be really into screamo prog-metal to dig this garbage
FOR FANS OF: GWAR, Korn, Slipknot, Tool, Halloween

Matt The Electrician
Animal Boy
SOUNDS LIKE: Old-timey folk singer from Austin, a hard-workin' everyman whose warm raspy voice tells silly, pretty tales
FREE ASSOCIATION: Is it bad to say that the highlight might be his version of "Faithfully"?
FOR FANS OF: Bon Iver, Will Oldham, old boots

Susan Boyle
I Dreamed A Dream
SOUNDS LIKE: The old Scottish lassie from Britain's Got Talent somehow became a big deal with a Les Miserables song
FREE ASSOCIATION: A "Wild Horses"? Ghastly; this is for cotton-tops and Republicans
FOR FANS OF: Michael Buble, Celine Dion, Simon Cowell

Arrington de Dionyso
Malaikat dan Singa
SOUNDS LIKE: Old Time Relijun multi-instrumentalist's batshit-nuts blend of guttural throat exercises, reverb and horns
FREE ASSOCIATION: Usually K Records is trustworthy, this cooked-out LP is a challenge
FOR FANS OF: Yoko Ono as a male gypsy punk

OK GO
Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky
SOUNDS LIKE: Chicago boys' brand of scratchy, pop sensible, feedback-friendly alt rock is better than ever on their third LP
FREE ASSOCIATION: Sounds like they're a lil' more glam, funky, dramatic and into Bowie
FOR FANS OF: Pixies meets Spoon x Strokes + Cars

Jello Biafra
The Audacity of Hype
SOUNDS LIKE: Dead Kennedys former frontman is still making loud, kinetic and political records but his scream is aging
FREE ASSOCIATION: That record cover is a dig at Obama, right? Politics are confusing
FOR FANS OF: Sex Pistols, Henry Rollins, punk politics

Katharine McPhee
Unbroken
SOUNDS LIKE: California girl with radio pipes singing her face pop face off but sounding like she's from Kentucky
FREE ASSOCIATION: How did America let Taylor Hicks win American Idol? Mind-boggling
FOR FANS OF: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks

Snoop Dogg
Malice N Wonderland
SOUNDS LIKE: The CA hip hop kingpin's tenth is solid proof of the Doggfather's prowess and smarts about guest picks
FREE ASSOCIATION: Seems every hip hop record has a Jazmine Sullivan joint, hallelujah
FOR FANS OF: R. Kelly, Pharrell, Dre, Warren G

REAL CHARTICLE (WITH MY NAME ON IT!)

30 Second Reviews from 12/29

2010-01-19T12:47:00.002-05:00

Wale
Attention Deficit
SOUNDS LIKE: Silky smooth debut of D.C. emcee with hot guests: GaGa, Jazmine Sullivan, Pharrell, Gucci Mane and Bun B
FREE ASSOCIATION: Hot production, beats, choruses, energy and lyricsm; all good things
FOR FANS OF: Non-douche Kanye, Mark Ronson, Lupe

Robin Thicke
Sex Therapy Sessions
SOUNDS LIKE: The falsetto prince drops a sex-funky R&B opus with friends like Jay-Z, Snoop, Kid Cudi, Estelle and Game
FREE ASSOCIATION: Drifting into adult territory like John Mayer? So make a sexy record
FOR FANS OF: Maxwell, Justin Timberlake, smarminess

Alicia Keys
The Element of Freedom
SOUNDS LIKE: The R&B princess scales back production/guests a bit for a simpler but still super-produced anthem album
FREE ASSOCIATION: Her only guests are Jay-Z and Beyonce; oh you big time now
FOR FANS OF: Prince, Erykah Badu, John Legend, Amerie

Q-Tip
Kamaal the Abstract
SOUNDS LIKE: A strange one from the Tribe hero; a slow, soulful pop-friendly album with rock guitar hooks and tinkly organs
FREE ASSOCIATION: Definitely no "Breath and Stop"s or "Vivrant Thing"s but it's solid
FOR FANS OF: Common, Pharcyde, Tribe Called Quest

Mary J Blige
Stronger with Each Tear
SOUNDS LIKE: MJB purists will be outraged with single "The One" and some auto-tunage, but it's a hot jam and a solid album
FREE ASSOCIATION: Drake and T.I. were about five when What's the 411? came out
FOR FANS OF: Jill Scott, Brandy, Whitney, Alicia Keys

Blakroc
Blakroc
SOUNDS LIKE: Damon Dash got a Black Keys boner and made them record a hip hop record with serious emcee hotshots
FREE ASSOCIATION: Ludacris and ODB? Raekwon, AND RZA? We are in a recession
FOR FANS OF: That Black Lips/GZA record, The Grey Album, Mos Def

Bat for Lashes
Two Suns Special Edition
SOUNDS LIKE: Lovely re-release of the April sophomore effort from Pakistan-born Brit is Pitchfork's #7 album of the year
FREE ASSOCIATION: You get "Two + Two" making-of doc and live tracks; "Daniel" is amazing
FOR FANS OF: Bjork, Kate Bush, Cat Power, Fur & Gold

Frank Zappa
Philly '76
SOUNDS LIKE: Zappa and his freaky crew (including Lady Bianca) at the Spectrum turn out their poppy prog-rock perfectly
FREE ASSOCIATION: Frank kills his fascinating blend of singing/speaking (about poodles)
FOR FANS OF: Historic performances, Jimi Hendrix, Captain Beefheart

CHARTICLE!

Alright, here's my Top 50 Albums of the Decade.

2009-12-24T12:59:00.002-05:00

1. Animal Collective - Sung Tongs
2. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People
3. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
4. PJ Harvey - Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea
5. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
6. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsytem
7. Radiohead - In Rainbows
8. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
9. The National - Alligator
10. TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
11. The Walkmen - You & Me
12. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
13. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
14. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
15. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
16. Hot Chip - The Warning
17. Radiohead - Kid A
18. M.I.A. - Kala
19. St. Vincent - Actor
20. Outkast - Stankonia
21. Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
22. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP/Fleet Foxes
23. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
24. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
25. Postal Service - Give Up
26. Mates of State - Bring it Back
27. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
28. Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast
29. The Strokes - Is This It?
30. New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
31. Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain
32. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
33. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State
34. The Rapture - Echoes
35. Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye
36. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
37. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
38. Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
39. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
40. Royksopp - Melody A.M.
41. Menomena - Friend & Foe
42. Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
43. The xx - xx
44. Feist - The Reminder
45. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
46. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
47. Jay-Z - Unplugged
48. Antony & the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
49. Le Loup - Family
50. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Mos Def review published on MxDwn!

2009-12-24T12:54:00.002-05:00

Black gold mined from all over the world

There’s a lot to say about Mos Def’s The Ecstatic. It’s his best in years, if not ever. Everyone was disappointed (with due cause) in his last few releases, all of which made fans go ‘What the.. ?’ He was busy working on movies and other non-rap things, but where was his next Black Star or Black on Both Sides? Clearly he was fulfilling some contractual obligations but did we have to wait until Geffen let him go? Seems like it, and it was totally worth the wait.

Ecstatic is a statement: “I’m back, I never left, y’all ain’t shit and now I’m gonna show you how it’s done.” In so many words that I just put in his mouth. First off, this album is not a singles record. There are a few standouts that translate beautifully to keep a party poppin’ or dancefloor moving, namely “Twilite Speedball” and “Quiet Dog Bite Hard.” But everything flows so seamlessly; the interludes and found sounds are ingenious. From the Bollywood-influenced opener “Supermagic,” which features a ‘64 Malcolm X quote, to the cockpit-gun-toting-Captain intro to “The Embassy,” it’s with these that Ecstatic garners its well-deserved political descriptors. Mos has always had a curious fascination with injustice and Afrocentricism but it doesn’t always come off as nuanced and classy as it does here.

In fact, with the strongest track on the record, “Auditorium,” which tumbles into its hypnotic head-bobbing beat with a far east intro before Slick Rick delivers a syrupy smooth Iraq-oriented story, Mos delivers his most worldly message. Rick raps to a “young Iraqi kid”: “What’s wrong, G, hungry? / No, give me my oil and get the f#$* out my country!” Other collaborations shine on this record, too. “History,” with Talib Kweli is a standout and harkens back to his earlier days of late ’90s brainy hip hop. “Roses” features a lesser known Georgia Anne Muldrow from Stones Throw Records who kills a bluesy, heartfelt R&B vocal over tickly piano flourishes. Her Angie Stone-inspired soul brings Mos to a softer place where his voice begins to sound better than John Legend’s.

We may not see Mos like this again. His latest and possibly greatest is a momentous hip hop occasion. There are still hip hop artists making smart, nuanced, beat-smart records. We don’t have to pretend to get excited about new Lil’ Wayne records or scream about Jay-Z’s newest blueprint. Hopefully, Mos Def and his friends will keep turning out gems like this one.

THE REAL THING.

Week's WORST! The Starting Line

2009-12-24T12:51:00.002-05:00

It’s hard to root against local boys who’ve “made it” ... unless it’s a band like the Starting Line. Does Tallahassee rejoice when Creed rolls into town? Does Atlanta freak out when Collective Soul fills up the Tabernacle or Philips Arena? Possibly. Philly has certainly shown enough love to these central PA boys by buying every single ticket of their two “reunion” holiday shows. After three brutal records of power-emo-punk-pop, the band decided to give the world a breather from their insufferable brand of whine. Sure, they’ve toured with bigger versions of their painful sound like New Found Glory and Taking Back Sunday. But a Warped Tour does not a band make. It’s hard to believe there’s still a market for this horseshit. If Dashboard Confessional is the patriarch of emo, the Starting Line are their obnoxious, angsty teenagers.

Tues., Dec. 29, 8:30pm. Sold out. With Valencia + Dangerous Summer. Theatre of the Living Arts, 334 South St. 215.922.1011. livenation.com

Wed., Dec 30, 8:30pm. Sold out. With Envy on the Coast + Algernon Cadwallader. Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. 215.922.6888. thetroc.com

LIVE LINK.