Some Joanna Newsom songs I like

The Low Anthem

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

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

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

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!

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'

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

This is becoming an obsession

Karnivool's a deceptively solid metal band

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

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

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!