They're XPN's Artist to Watch for June...and just yesterday, had a video debut on MTV. Yes, it's true -- so likable and broadly appealing are Givers that music-lovers of all ages and types can get down.
Getting down...in the bibliotechque.
So what ARE we all getting down to, exactly? Think lively, rousing, sparkling pop -- with tinges of African and Jamaican influences, funk, folk, Zydeco and more -- for a result that will have you on your toes dancing and singing along. I'm pretty sure this will be blasting from MY speakers this holiday weekend -- read more, and check out an inspiring vid at Phrequency.com.
When I was 16, I thought pop was a dirty word...Vagrant Records was next to godliness ...and hours upon hours spent crafting the perfect mix-tape were hours well-spent indeed. This evening, I revisit those emotionally-fraught, vulnerable times with 2 hours of SONGS I LOVED WHEN I WAS 16.
Me, 2003, age 18 (oldest photo I have on my computer)
What was cool to a decidedly un-cool teenager from the suburbs of NJ? Find out tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. on XPN2. You might even rediscover an old fave...
Synth-pop deconstructionalist (his word!) John Maus has a deep, hollow voice and a penchant for '80s revivalism, as his new (fantastically-named) record, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves, makes clear. "Head for the Country" is the type of reverb-laden fever dream that envelops you sneakily, swarming your brain with its fuzzy beats:
When the alien invasion occurs, head for the country -- then park your car, and revel in the light show! (Or just head to Making Time Sunday July 3, when the synth master transforms Philly into a bizarro, pop-tastic alti-verse!)
...And the Philly music scene was never the same again. Who are these stylin' punks? I think you have a good idea. Head over to the AV Club Philly to read more.
It might just be the most fun piece of music I've listened to all year -- so catchy and exuberant is YACHT's new record, Shangri-La.
YACHT....dirty from leaving the yacht to roll around in the sand?
And while catchy and exuberant alone are grounds for a great record...YACHT take things one step further, interweaving melodies with complex, literate and sometimes biting social commentary about planetary issues, environmentalism, religion, and the Apocalypse. Sound complicated? They make it flow like the River Nile: bringing sweet, sweet grooves to all those downstream. Read more about the Smartest Party Record ever at your place for smarty parties, Phrequency.com.
New music, dark rock, dance pop, and whatever else I felt like playing.
6:00
Jonny, “You Was Me” Jonny
The Feelies, “Time is Right” Here Before
The Rosebuds, “Second Bird of Paradise” Loud Planes Fly Low
Screaming Females, “Wild” Castle Talk
Gomez, “Options” Whatever's on Your Mind
Julian Casablancas, “11th Dimension” Phrazes for the Young
Handsome Furs, “Repatriated” Sound Kapital
Is Tropical, “Oranges” Native To
STRFKR, “Bury Us Alive” Reptilians
Morcheeba, “Run Honey Run” (feat. Bradley) Dive Deep
Gorillaz, “To Binge” (Feat. Little Dragon) Plastic Beach
Bermuda Bonnie, “Evil” Evil (single)
Interpol, “Evil” Antics
Modest Mouse, “Dashboard” We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Dengue Fever, “Family Business” Cannibal Courtship
Dengue Fever. Googling this turns up some pretty nasty stuff.
7:00
Midlake, “Roscoe” The Trials of Van Occupanther
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Down Boy” Is Is
Light Pollution, “Witchcraft” Apparitions
Danger Mouse + Daniele Luppi, “Two Against One” (Feat. Jack White) Rome
Weekend, “End Times” Sports
Minks, “Cemetery Rain” By the Hedge
British Sea Power, “No Lucifer” Do You Like Rock Music?
Friendly Fires, “Hawaiian Air” Pala
Hercules and Love Affair, “Raise Me Up” Hercules and Love Affair
Hockey, “3 a.m. Spanish” Mind Chaos
Handsome Boy Modeling School, “The Truth” (feat. Roisin of Moloko & J-Live)(Radio edit) So... How's Your Girl?
CSS, “Music is My Hot Hot Sex” (Radio Edit) Cansei de Ser Sexy
The Submarines, “1940” (AmpLive remix) The Honeysuckle Remixes
Work Drugs, “Rad Racer” Tropic of Capricorn
YACHT, “Utopia” Shangri-La
Acid House Kings, “Would You Say Stop?” Music Sounds Better With You
Later this week, I hit the big 2-6 (ancient, I know) and in an attempt to make myself feel less old, next week's show will be 2 hours of...SONGS I LOVED WHEN I WAS 16. Get ready to dive into the alt and indie scenes of New Jersey, circa 2001. Good times.
Jersey post-punk legends The Feelies stopped by World Cafe Live Friday night, for 3+ hours of rousing, feel-good, garage rock tunes.
All photos (c) Kate Bracaglia. Click any photo to enlarge.
Performing 2 full-length sets -- and multiple encores -- the quintet looked like they could rock forever, running through hits like "Crazy Rhythms" and "Raised Eyebrows" (which I remember playing on repeat in my bedroom at my parent's house in Jersey) alongside newer faves like "Nobody Knows" and "Should be Gone."
The encore saw covers of "Everybody Has Something to Hide (Except Me and My Monkey)" (which also appears on their debut album) as well as The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" ... and loads more impassioned jamming, the audience dancing and singing along. It's been 35 years since the band first formed, and Friday night proved they're still rocking hard as ever.
Computer Magic is the moniker of one Danielle Johnson, a 21-year-old Brooklynite with a laptop + a love for synth pop...whose wistful, bedroom tunes seem made for sleepy summer mornings.
<3 this video? Scoop up her Electronic Fences EP for free at her website, and revel in ethereal wonder. (Thanks to Dave for sending this my way!)
They're responsible for one of the best (I'm serious) music videos of the year -- possibly the decade. (Or at least the half-decade.) Oh yeah, and they write sweet dance pop too, totally crafted for you to get your groove on to. I'm talking about buzz-y British bad boys Is Tropical, whose new LP Native To (Kitsune) mixes word-y, po-mo lyrics with familiar, groove-able beats.
Um, also they like to perform in masks
Did I mention they also created one of the best music videos of all times? Check it out -- and read more about Native To, at your source for up-and-coming dance pop, Phrequency.com.
Yes, it's true! Your favorite radio station has changed names. Get the full scoop at their blog. And don't worry...I'll still be bringing you sweet jamz every Monday from 6 to 8, same as always.
Arabia Mountain,the new LP from rowdy punk-rockers The Black Lips, is maybe slightly LESS rowdy than past releases, although you'd never know it from watching this video. I hope that was a stunt guitar they chucked into the ocean!
Nothing says summer like splashing unsuspecting victims with a cannonball. Wanna hear another choice cut from Mountain? Tune in to my radio show tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Summer Tunes HQ, XPN2.
The Unicorns, "I Was Born (A Unicorn)" Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?
The Hidden Cameras, "Awoo" Awoo
The King Khan and BBQ Show, "Third Ave" Invisible Girl
Neil Young, "Harvest Moon" Harvest Moon
The Most Serene Republic, "Catharsis Boo" ...And the Ever Expanding Universe
Tegan and Sara, "Walking With a Ghost" So Jealous
The Lovely Feathers, "(Rome) is in the Valley" Hind Hind Legs
Google image result #4 for "Canada music". Yes, that is Avril Lavigne with 2 Canadian authority figures of some sort. Maybe park rangers? I don't know.
7:00
Rush, "New World Man" Signals
The Dears, "Ticket to Immortality" Gang of Losers
The Russian Futurists, "Golden Years" The Weight’s on the Wheels
Crystal Castles, "Crimewave" Crimewave
Hot Panda, "Pools (Radio Edit)" How Come I’m Dead?
Tokyo Police Club, "Your English is Good" Elephant Shell
Austra, "Lose It" Feel it Break
Metric, "The Twist" Grown Up and Blown Away
Japandroids, "Wet Hair" Post Nothing
Born Ruffians, "Foxes Mate for Life" Red, Yellow & Blue
The Elwins, "Dear, Oh My" The Elwins
Wolf Parade, "Shine a Light" Apologies to Queen Mary
The Band, "Across the Divide" The Band
The New Pornographers, "All the Old Showstoppers" Challengers
Bachman Turner Overdrive, "You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet" Not Fragile
Tune inagain next week for another sweet set of jamz, on the Coolest Radio Show in Town, XPN2.
Just a little ditty from Brooklyn duo Chalk and Numbers -- a charming indie pop project with even more charming tunes (and the best hair accessories ever) -- as I make my way up the East Coast via boat.
Totes love this? Download C&N's debut EP for FREE at Bandcamp.
Yes, that's right. As you're reading this now, I'm en route to Canada -- for a much, MUCH-needed vacay. XPN2 will still be broadcasting my radio show tonight though (ah, the joys of voice-tracking!), so make sure to tune in, same as always. In honor of my trip, tonight will be 2 hours of Canadian music -- featuring all the best from the 2nd best country on the continent. (After 'Murica, of course.) Enjoy!
Norwegian singer Sondre Lerche is rakishly handsome and charming -- but I confess I fell in love with him long before I ever saw a photo -- on the basis of his lovely, classically-inspired tunes. A musician practically since birth (sources say he learned guitar at age 8), Lerche has been crafting intimate, whimsical pop tunes since age 17 and boasts 7 full length albums now at 28. This includes Sondre Lerche, his long-awaited self-titled LP, which drops next Tuesday on Mona Records. To celebrates its release, Lerche visited the World Cafe Live, where he mesmerized and charmed crowds with an hour and a half of new tunes and old faves.
(click any photo to enlarge)
Joined by a 3-piece back-up band -- including drummer Dave Heilman (of Jupiter One), plus bassist Dave Hartley (of Nightlands) and violinist/synth-master Kishi Bashi (Nightlands and Bashi having opened the show) -- the group seemed in high spirits, soaring through songs with smiles and ease. They kicked things off with new confessional "Ricochet" -- the opening track on Sondre Lerche -- Lerche's near naked vocals sounding simultaneously vulnerable and exuberant -- then launched into a mini set of new material, including the rousing, cynical "Private Caller" and the bluesy, clash-y "Tied Up to the Tide."
From there, it was an energy-fueled trip through many older faves -- including "Airport Taxi Reception," "Two Way Monologue," and "Phantom Punch" -- the crowd singing and swaying like devoted Lerche disciples.
As a performer, part of what makes Lerche so endearing is the passion and energy he pours into every note -- he doesn't just rock out, he ROCKS OUT with every muscle in his body. If the tune calls for attitude, he gives attitude -- schrunching up his pretty face and jumping up and down manically; if it's a love song, he croons so sweetly that fans in the very back of the venue can't help but feel moved. And thus you have the overall reaction to new groove "Living Dangerously" -- an earnest celebration of taking risks for love -- and introspective reflection "Domino", an affecting exploration of what happens when things fall apart.
Lerche closed his set with rousing renditions of "Heartbeat Radio" and "Say it All"-- inviting singer Eliza Jones of Nightlands on stage to duet for the latter, and explaining to the crowd that while he adores performing solo, for some tunes, "you just need a band." Still, that didn't stop him from emerging alone for the encore, stunning the audience with an intimate, heartfelt performance of "Maybe You're Gone," from 2004's Two Way Monologue.
"Maybe you'll wait for me; maybe you're gone," he crooned passionately; the crowd remained silent; captivated. "It's always a little strange for me performing some of these songs I wrote back when I was a teenager," he admitted sheepishly at the end; I found myself nodding. Who wouldn't wait for Sondre Lerche?
He closed with an extended version of "Faces Down" -- Heilman running on stage at the first notes, and joining in. After that, it was a stripped down performance of "Modern Nature" -- the adorable, boy/girl, call-and-response ditty from the Dan in Real Life soundtrack -- the audience contributing the girl part as Lerche strummed his guitar and smiled. Leaving the venue Friday night, I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one swooning; with Lerche in the house, it was impossible not to.
Getting down...in the bibliotechque.
